Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Game Preview – DAL at PHI

Posted September 3rd, 2025 | 1 Comment »

Football is finally upon us. Enough celebrating Super Bowl LIX. Enough Micah Parsons talk. We have actual real, live football on Thursday night. The season opener is always a special game. This one is even better with Dallas coming to town.

Trying to preview season openers is always complicated. The majority of the information we have is from the previous season. Dak Prescott only played half the season in 2024. Parsons started 13 games. Trying to evaluate the Dallas offense and defense based on that is tricky, especially since there is a new coaching staff.

Brian Schottenheimer has been coaching in the NFL for more than 20 years, but this will be his first season as the head coach. The hire was underwhelming from a PR standpoint. So was Doug Pederson. So was Nick Sirianni. The difference is that Jerry Jones didn’t do much of a search before making his choice. It felt like he was looking for a Yes Man. We’ll see how this works out.

Dallas still has some really talented players.

Dak Prescott is an above average QB. He threw 36 TDs back in 2023 and has completed 67 percent of his passes over the course of his career. When he’s healthy, Prescott puts up good numbers. He has one great receiver in CeeDee Lamb. Last year he caught 101 passes despite having to battle injuries and missing a couple of games. Lamb is dangerous from the slot or outside. This season he’ll have a new partner, with George Pickens now a Cowboy. Pickens is very talented and is good down the field. He is exactly the kind of playmaker Dallas needed outside, if he can keep his head on straight. Pickens got traded because the Steelers were tired of dealing with him.

The Dallas OL is a bit of a mystery. Tyler Smith is a stud at LG. Rookie Tyler Booker will play RG. He’s big, powerful, and talented, but is still a rookie. You have to think Jalen Carter will get the better of him on more than a few plays. The OTs, Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele, have not played consistently well. Prescott doesn’t have the mobility he used to so he can be vulnerable behind an iffy OL.

The Cowboys lost their stud pass rusher. They do now have a pair of good DTs in Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark. Odighizuwa is quick off the ball and highly disruptive. Clark is a stout NT type who should help their run defense. The edge rushers have potential, but none of them is a guy you fear. They will be at their best if they can get the Eagles into third-and-long situations.

The LBs are a bit of a mystery, but Jack Sanborn could be a player to watch. He played for Matt Eberflus in Chicago so he knows the system. He’s been a solid player in the past.

It sounds like Trevon Diggs might actually play. He and Daron Bland give Dallas a pair of playmaking CBs. They aren’t shutdown corners, though. We’ve seen the Eagles have some success against them.

One area where the Cowboys have an advantage is special teams. Brandon Aubrey is the best kicker in football. If Dallas gets near midfield, they are in scoring range and that is nuts. Aubrey is a weapon. Kevontae Turpin is arguably the best returner in the league. He has explosive speed and he’s burned the Eagles with big plays in the past.

Dallas had a bunch of injuries last year and still went 7-10. There is too much talent for them to truly be a bad team. The flip side is that I don’t think they have a high ceiling. There are too many holes for them to truly compete at a high level. Do not fall into the trap of thinking this is a game Dallas can’t win. I watched the documentary on Netflix recently and there was a great reminder about rivalry games.

Andy Reid started 0-4 as Eagles coach. His first win came over Dallas, a team that featured Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, Greg Ellis, Randall Godfrey, George Teague, Darren Woodson and Deion Sanders. That team lost to Doug Pederson and Charles Johnson. Anything can happen in a rivalry game.

I’m guessing the Eagles will come out and run the football, hoping to get Saquon Barkley loose and to test the Dallas run defense. That will give the OL a chance to get into a rhythm. Landon Dickerson practiced on Tuesday and should be good to go. If the Eagles can be bullies and take control of the game, that is the way to go. The Dallas defense is built more on speed than size. Pound on those guys.

Jalen Hurts got off to a slow start last year. He finished hot, as you may remember. I’m curious to see if he can build off that and play well all year long. He will have a new play-caller in Kevin Patullo. They’ve been together long enough that I’m not expecting any issues.

As excited as we’ll be to see all the stars on offense, the Eagles defense will be more interesting because of the uknown factors. I’m guessing we’ll see Jihad Campbell at LB. Vic Fangio will want to get his talented rookie in the field. It seems like Sydney Brown will start at safety and Adoree Jackson at CB. That’s several new faces in the back seven. I’m guessing Dallas will attack them to see how the new guys do.

Fangio will plan his coverages accordingly. He’ll focus on shutting down Lamb as much as possible. He could have Quinyon Mitchell follow Pickens around the field. This could be a good chess match for opening night, with neither team exactly sure what the other wants to do.

As good as the pass rush was in the Super Bowl, it wasn’t great all year long. The Eagles finished the season with 41 sacks and 87 QB hits. Dallas was better in both categories. The pass rush can be better this year if Nolan Smith plays at a high level all year and Jalyx Hunt turns out to be the guy Fangio thinks he can be. The Eagles should be able to get good interior pressure with Carter, Moro Ojomo and the rest of the DTs.

If the Eagles are focused, they will win. They have more talent and a good coaching staff. Dallas needs to make big plays and to capitalize on Eagles mistakes to win the game.

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Jimmy Bama posted his 5 Things to Watch. He made a great point about the Cowboys lack of depth at CB. Bland and Diggs both dealt with injuries last year. Kair Elam is the third corner. He’s a former first round pick who struggled in Buffalo. If you re-watch the AFC title game you’ll see Patrick Mahomes going after him several times. Elam has talent, but has not played well.

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If you want some good numbers…

Those are from last year, but do give us some insight. They certainly don’t paint a great picture for Jerry Jones and his guys.

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I just wanted to say thank you to all of the readers who have made donations. That is truly appreciated and is another reminder that Eagles fans are the best.

Thank you!

Go Eagles!

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