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Four Keys to Eagles Victory Over Depleted Cowboys Defense
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- Four Keys to Eagles Victory Over Depleted Cowboys Defense
It will be a frenzied scene at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday night as the Philadelphia Eagles kick off their season against hated NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys . It's also banner night as the franchise will celebrate their Super Bowl-winning 2024 team.
The Eagles will want to start the year with a statement against a Cowboys team that traded away generational superstar Micah Parsons . Here are four keys to victory for the Eagles to begin the season on the right foot.
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Containing CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
This is a dramatically different Cowboys offense the Eagles will face compared to last year. Dallas added wide receiver George Pickens to pair with four-time Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb , forming a dynamic duo. The Birds defense will also deal with Dak Prescott after he missed both games against Philadelphia last season.
The Eagles have a revamped secondary after releasing cornerback Darius Slay and trading safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson . Cornerback Adoree' Jackson earned most first-team reps late in training camp and appears set as CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell , while Sydney Brown replaces Gardner-Johnson. It's a tough matchup as Prescott will look to stretch the field with his new weapon in Pickens.
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This represents the biggest concern heading into tonight's game. If Prescott carves up the secondary, it could be a long night and potentially a longer season.
Pressuring Prescott
Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
If the Birds want to neutralize Dallas' air attack, it starts at the line of scrimmage. Pro Football Focus ranked the Cowboys offensive line 23rd in the league, so the Eagles defensive front should win in the trenches and make life miserable for Prescott.
Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the team's top edge rushers after Josh Sweat left in free agency and Brandon Graham retired. Smith broke out in 2024 while defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is banking on Hunt to make a leap this season.
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All-Pro Jalen Carter can also wreak havoc on the Cowboys offensive line as he looks to build on last season's dominance. Rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell will be flying around the field, and don't be surprised when Fangio unleashes blitz packages for the first-round pick.
Picking Apart Cowboys Secondary
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Cowboys enter the opener with a depleted secondary ranked 31st by Pro Football Focus . Cornerback Trevon Diggs has been medically cleared following last December's knee surgery while cornerback DaRon Bland was limited to seven games in 2024 due to his own foot injury. Both are former All-Pros but haven't played at that level in years.
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Since Dallas will focus on containing Saquon Barkley on the ground, Jalen Hurts can attack through the air to his elite receiving weapons — A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith . Hurts also won't need to worry about Parsons breathing down his neck, as the Cowboys pass rush will suffer tremendously from his absence.
Opening Up Holes for Saquon
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Barkley secured his historic 2,000-yard rushing season against the Cowboys last December when he ran for 167 yards. In both matchups, Dallas surrendered 233 total rushing yards to the star running back. The Cowboys will look to stack the box to stop Barkley, but they lost their best run defender in DeMarcus Lawrence .
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Dallas acquired defensive tackle Kenny Clark — a three-time Pro Bowler — in the Parsons trade, but Pro Football Focus gave him just a 59.1 overall grade and ranked him 85th out of 221 defensive tackles in 2024.
The Eagles offensive line should dominate in the trenches, and even if the Cowboys key on Barkley, stopping him will be nearly impossible. He averaged 125 rushing yards last year and should easily replicate that production against Dallas in the season opener.
Prediction
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Eagles appear locked in heading into tonight. They've moved past their championship season and are laser-focused on winning another Super Bowl. While Philadelphia has questions in the secondary and their edge rushing corps is somewhat thin, they're stacked everywhere else.
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Despite adding Pickens, Dallas is a significantly weaker team without Parsons, who can single-handedly change a game's complexion. Eagles fans should leave Lincoln Financial Field satisfied tonight.
Eagles 34, Cowboys 14
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