What we learned about the Eagles in Thursday’s victory
In a game filled with spitting, weather delays, and a crazy finish, there was a lot to learn about the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get into the main takeaways from the offense and defense in their victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Eagles Offense: Started hot, flamed out
Last year, the Eagles were unable to score early in games and then get their offense going later in the game. The opposite of that happened against the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles scored on their first four drives, the first three being touchdowns. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley started the scoring with touchdown runs, while Jake Elliot knocked in a 58-yard field goal. After that, though, the offense began to sputter.
With their four remaining possessions, the Eagles had three punts (including two three-and-outs) and one possession kneelt out. The offense needs to be better at closing games. The Cowboys started to stack the box, knowing the Eagles wanted to feed Barkley and drain out the clock. The offense stayed predictable, trying not to lose the game as opposed to trying to win it. Looking to A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith, who both had very quiet nights, could have eased the pressure on the run game and helped the offense stay unpredictable. Going forward, the Eagles need to keep defenses honest late in games as opposed to just hoping Barkley is able to end games.
Jalen Hurts
The biggest positive from the offense was Hurts. If he plays that way all season, the Eagles will contend for another Super Bowl. He was accurate with the ball, decisive with his decision making, and didn’t put the ball in harms way. When the offense needed a play, Hurts stepped up time and time again. Even if the numbers aren’t eye-popping, the closer you look, the better they become.
Jalen Hurts had 4 incompletions last night. 3 were throwaways, 1 was a drop by Saquon. Otherwise he was 19/19.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 5, 2025
Hurts was also sensational on third down.
Jalen Hurts on 3rd down
6-of-6, 78 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 118.8 rating
7 carries, 32 yards, TD.#Eagles
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) September 5, 2025
After much offseason debate on Hurts’ standing among the league’s quarterbacks, he looked like an elite quarterback. Continuing to play at this level will cement his status as one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
Eagles Defense: Started cold, then finished strong
In the opposite fashion of the offense, the defense started out rough and then finished strong. Obviously, when your best player gets himself ejected before the first snap, it is a major blow. It’s inexcusable for Jalen Carter to put himself in a position to get himself removed from the game. That clearly struck a huge blow to their defense and made them have to adjust on the fly. The defensive line wasn’t able to be as effective early, and Dallas was able to establish a run game largely due to Carter’s absence. His not being out there changes the entire defense.
This emphasized the biggest defensive weakness as well. Dallas repeatedly went after Adoree Jackson, having a ton of success doing so. CeeDee Lamb repeatedly had his way with Jackson, specifically in the first half. It feels like a matter of time before Jackson loses his starting role and is potentially off the roster. Combining all this together, you get the Cowboys’ offense scoring on its first four drives.
In the second half, though, it was a different story. During Dallas’s first offensive possession in the second half, Byron Young and Jihaad Campbell combined to force the game’s only turnover. That very well could have been the difference in the game, as it kept points off the board. The defense was able to keep Dallas off the scoreboard after this point as they didn’t cross midfield the rest of the game. It is very encouraging to see the Eagles’ defense adjust out of halftime and make the plays they needed to win this game. They could have easily caved without their best player against an offense with talented playmakers. Instead, they stepped up time and time again late in the game to help the Eagles escape with a victory.
All in all, it was a mixed bag from the Eagles on opening night. The offense had its moments, but was far too inconsistent. The same can be said about the defense. At the end of the day, the defense was able to adjust to win the game. Jalen Hurts was able to bail the offense out. There are things to be optimistic about, but the Eagles have questions they definitely need to answer.
Main Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images