Philadelphia is unveiling a banner and a reminder. The Eagles rolled through last season behind a rugged defense and a downhill run game that took the air out of fourth quarters. Nick Sirianni is not changing the identity. Jalen Hurts is back in command with A.J. Brown,
DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are ready to stress every level of the field. Saquon Barkley gives them that extra gear when the line leans on people. Most of the core returns on defense, too, headlined by the fast front that set the tone a year ago. It is a roster that knows who it is, and a coach who kept the message simple all summer.
Dallas arrives looking different and a little defiant. The Cowboys moved on from Micah Parsons, then reshaped the defensive front around new bodies and young burst. Brian Schottenheimer takes over as head coach, a steady voice, pro’s pro, and a believer in balance. This is his first shot to set the standard without much grace period. The last time these teams met the Eagles ran away with it in December. That sticks. Opening night is a chance to show that version of Dallas is gone.
Cowboys questions and the pieces to answer them
Start with Dak Prescott. He is the constant, the voice in the huddle, and he has weapons. CeeDee Lamb returns as a route savant who can take over a drive. The front office added George Pickens for size and attitude on the boundary, a player who can flip a game with one snap. Jake Ferguson is a comfort target in the seams. The backfield is a committee built for different scripts with Javonte Williams’ power, Miles Sanders’ patience and rookie Jaydon Blue’s juice. If the line keeps Dak clean, this offense still has bite.
Defense is the reveal. Without Parsons, the pass rush becomes group work. Kenny Clark brings interior push, Dante Fowler Jr. and Solomon Thomas round out the rotation, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku is the wild card off the edge. Trevon Diggs headlines the secondary with ball skills that change how quarterbacks read the field. Dallas does not need perfection on that side, just timely wins on third down and in the red zone to give Dak more swings.
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Eagles blueprint and the familiar faces
The Eagles do not overcomplicate it. Behind a veteran line, Barkley is the tone setter early, Hurts is the closer late with designed keepers and the short yardage power that no one solved. Brown and Smith punish single coverage, and Goedert is the chain mover when defenses play two high. On defense, the front rotates in waves, quick off the snap, relentless to the football. Health will be watched along the interior, yet the depth is real and the communication on the back end improved as last season wore on.
Two franchises, two head coaches with very different weeks. Sirianni gets to thank a crowd, then get back to work. Schottenheimer walks into a hornet’s nest with a fresh voice and a hungry quarterback. The storyline writes itself. The champs celebrate. The Cowboys try to crash the party. Opening night rarely settles a division, but it always tells the truth about who is ready right now.
Thursday night is an opener not to miss in the National Football League.
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