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Your eyes aren’t deceiving you: That first half had no punts
The least-stressful job inside Lincoln Financial Field so far tonight has belonged to Bryan Anger and Braden Mann. The punters of the Cowboys and Eagles haven’t had to take the field once tonight, outside of warmups, amid a first half that saw all seven drives result in either a touchdown or field goal.
ShareSaquon Barkley’s first TD of the season
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is finally finding room to run. After being largely bottled up during his team’s first two possessions, Barkley ran in a touchdown from 10 yards to put Philadelphia ahead 21-17 with 51 seconds before halftime.
Barkley is up to 49 yards on 10 carries.
ShareDallas has taken away Eagles’ stars. Can Hurts keep this up?
As Philadelphia begins its third drive, its first two were spent trying largely in vain to get offensive stars A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley involved. But Dallas has kept star wideout Brown without a catch, and held Barkley, last season’s 2,000-yard man, to 39 yards on nine carries.
It hasn’t mattered because of how well quarterback Jalen Hurts has dissected Dallas with his arm and legs, but how sustainable is that?
ShareThe Cowboys settle for a field goal
For the first time tonight, a drive ended without a touchdown.
The Cowboys’ third possession stalled out after 46 yards, ending with a Brandon Aubrey field goal.
Dak Prescott has looked sharp so far tonight. He’s up to 98 yards on 7-of-11 passing.
ShareAnother Jalen Hurts rushing TD ties it
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has turned in a surgical performance to start, including rushing in his second touchdown of the night, from eight yards out, to force a 14-all tie with 6:46 to play in the second quarter.
Hurts has completed all six of his passes and added 43 rushing yards on five carries. On the Eagles’ latest touchdown drive, Hurts converted three third downs all by himself, twice on scrambles.
ShareEagles fullback and special teams ace ruled out with a knee injury
The Eagles were noticeably quick to rule Ben VanSumeren out of the Cowboys game with a knee injury.
The fullback and special teams ace hurt his knee on the opening kickoff and it didn’t look good. VanSumeren sat on the ground and tossed his helmet. VanSumeren was carted inside and ruled out quickly.
VanSumeren, 25, is the only fullback on the roster but really made this team on the strength of his special teams ability. VanSumeren had been a linebacker but was always a major contributor on special teams. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury in practice last year, VanSumeren played a career-high 213 special teams snaps.
ShareThe Cowboys score again
Dallas’ offense looks crisp to start. The Cowboys covered 88 yards on nine plays on their second drive to take a 14-7 lead.
Javonte Williams is now up to two touchdowns after another punch-in from inside the 5-yard line.
ShareEagles’ defense was rock solid all postseason. What about now?
Philadelphia allowed an opening-drive touchdown to Dallas and then gave up a score on the opening play of the second quarter. It’s a reflection of how much this defensive depth chart has changed since last season, when the stingy Eagles allowed just 10 points combined during first quarters during the entire playoffs.
Re-signing linebacker Zack Baun in free agency was important, but around the star tackler the Eagles lost many key figures in last season’s title run, including Josh Sweat (the pass rusher went to Arizona), Milton Williams (the defensive lineman went to New England) and Darius Slay (who now anchors the Pittsburgh secondary). Working in Philly’s favor? It still has superstar coordinator Vic Fangio calling coverages.
ShareEnd of first: Cowboys 7, Eagles 7
What an eventful first quarter.
Ejections, dust-ups, touchdowns … the opening 15 minutes of Cowboys vs. Eagles had it all.
Both offenses have looked great so far, and Dallas is already inside Philly’s 5-yard line on its second possession of the game.
Dak Prescott has been dealing early — he’s completed 5 of 6 passes for 79 yards.
ShareDak Prescott is off to a hot start
Prescott has completed his first four passes for 82 yards, with CeeDee Lamb the recipient of three of them for 76 yards.
ShareEagles tie the game
Hurts couldn’t find an open teammate for a pass, so he ran the ball in himself to force a 7-7 tie with 5:55 left in the opening quarter. Hurts rushed for 14 touchdowns last season and now has his first of the new campaign.
ShareWe’re about to see the Dallas defense without Micah Parsons
The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in football, which means Jerry Jones’ decision to trade Micah Parsons is going to be under an even brighter spotlight tonight. Let’s see if the Cowboys can get any push of their own against Philly.
ShareTouchdown, Cowboys!
The Cowboys sliced through the Eagles’ defense with ease on their first drive of the season.
Dallas needed only six plays to travel 53 yards for a score. The Cowboys looked comfortable both on the ground and in the air on the drive — taking advantage of the absence of Jalen Carter.
ShareEagles star Jalen Carter ejected after spitting on Dak Prescott
While defending the opening kickoff to Dallas, Philadelphia fullback Ben VanSumeren appeared to injure himself and had to be tended to on the field by the team’s medical officials. But that might not be the biggest loss of the night — because Jalen Carter, Philadelphia’s star defensive lineman, was just ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after approaching the Dallas huddle. It’s unclear what was said, but replays appeared to show him spitting toward the Cowboys.
ShareThe Cowboys have the ball first
… And the 2025 NFL season is underway!
That was the first updated dynamic kickoff of the season — with the new touchback spot at the 35-yard line. Philly kicked short of the end zone, and Dallas will start its first drive on the 47 after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
ShareEagles celebrate Super Bowl before kickoff
In front of twinkling lights from the stands, the Eagles celebrated their Super Bowl 59 title over Kansas City before kickoff tonight.
ShareBig play Barkley
Saquon Barkley set a single-season NFL record with seven rushing touchdowns of 60+ yards last season (including playoffs). Three of his five rushing touchdowns in the postseason were 60+ yards.
Barkley had one of the most memorable plays of last season, when he completed a backwards hurdle over a Jaguars defender in the Eagles’ Week 9 win. That moment is now immortalized on the cover of the new Madden 26 video game.
ShareSchottenheimer is Dallas’ ‘most intriguing unknown’
Mike Florio and Chris Simms ponder how Brian Schottenheimer will handle the task of taking over as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
ShareCowboys need a healthy season from Prescott
Before last season, Dak Prescott signed a 4-year, $240 million extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of annual average salary ($60M). After starting the first eight games last year, Prescott suffered a hamstring injury in a Week 9 loss at Atlanta, which required season-ending surgery.
Prescott, who is entering his 10th NFL season, has struggled to stay healthy over recent years. While he did not miss a single game over his first four seasons (2016-19), he has now missed games because of injury in four of the past five seasons. His 26 games missed because of injury are the most of any quarterback in the NFL since the start of the 2020 season.
ShareDT Mazi Smith, RB Jaydon Blue are healthy scratches for Cowboys
As part of the Micah Parsons trade, the Cowboys added nose tackle Kenny Clark from Green Bay. They wouldn’t have needed Clark if Mazi Smith had become what they expected.
The Cowboys made Smith a healthy scratch for the opener against the Eagles. It will be the first game Smith has ever missed.
The Cowboys made Smith a first-round pick in 2023, and although he has played all 34 games, he has played fewer than 50% of the defensive snaps. He has also totaled only 54 tackles, two sacks and six quarterback hits in two seasons.
Rookie running back Jaydon Blue, who missed some training camp time with a heel/ankle injury, is also a healthy scratch. Veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders will handle the running back duties, with receiver KaVontae Turpin also available to line up in the backfield.
ShareHurts to grace iconic cereal box as a ‘Wheaties Champion’
Hurts is tush pushing his way into grocery stores as he has been named a “Wheaties Champion,” and he will grace the cereal’s iconic box on a limited-edition box that will be available in November.
“Wheaties was a staple in my childhood,” Hurts said in a statement released along with Thursday’s announcement. “To go from grabbing a bowl of Wheaties and following the icons on the box to now being featured myself is truly humbling and surreal.”
ShareSaquon Barkley coming off a 2,000-yard season
In his first season as an Eagle, RB Saquon Barkley was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in carries (345), rushing yards (2,005) and scrimmage yards (2,283) while scoring 15 total touchdowns (tied for seventh in NFL). Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000+ yards in a season (his 2,005 yards are eighth-most all-time).
He was rewarded with a new 2-year, $41.2 million extension this offseason, which makes him the first RB in NFL history to earn more than $20M AAV.
ShareBrown a potential fantasy bargain
Patrick Daugherty and Denny Carter debate A.J. Brown’s potential to receive more targets in the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense with a clean bill of health entering Week 1.
ShareWhat Dallas will miss without Micah Parsons
Dallas dealt Parsons to Green Bay last week, and it’s sure to affect the team’s defense.
Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Parsons and Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only two players to post 12+ sacks in each of their first four seasons. Parsons’ 52.5 sacks are the fifth-most by any player through his first four seasons.
ShareNew offensive coordinator for Jalen Hurts
This season, the Eagles quarterback will yet again be working with a new offensive coordinator, his fourth OC in as many years.
After helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl last season, OC Kellen Moore was named head coach of the Saints. With Moore leaving, Kevin Patullo was promoted to OC, becoming the Eagles’ fourth different offensive coordinator in five seasons under head coach Nick Sirianni. This will be Patullo’s first coordinator job at any level.
But while the Eagles have a new offensive coordinator, the unit on the field has stayed almost exactly the same from last season.
Philadelphia returns 10 of its 11 offensive starters from last season’s Super Bowl win (all but RG Mekhi Becton, who signed with the Chargers in free agency).
ShareCowboys season opener is a payday for local sports bars
Cowboys fans are glad the season opener is finally here. But those in the bar and restaurant industry are pretty excited, too.
Johnny Steward, general manager at Sidecar Social, said a good football season is better for business and keeps fans engaged and going out more.
“We are really excited. It’s kind of the kickoff for us and the fall season,” he said. “Cowboys are super important to us.”
Steward said planning for tonight’s season opener started months ago.
“We have to staff up and make sure we have enough people here,” he said. “My kitchen manager has to make sure they have enough food cooked, prepped and in the building. My bar manager has to make sure there is enough liquor, beer and wine in the building to keep everyone happy.”
ShareBest bets on tonight’s game
Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick reveal their best bets for the Cowboys and Eagles’ NFL season opener, reviewing Philadelphia’s team total, wide receiver props and Dallas’ strength as a second-half bet.
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NBC Dallas-Fort Worth Sports director Newy Scruggs shares his prediction for the Dallas Cowboys’ season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Ahead of the NFL kickoff tonight, “Football Night in America” host Maria Taylor joins “TODAY with Jenna & Friends” guest co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Willie Geist to preview the action on and off the field, including Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s marriage to Hailee Steinfeld, the Taylor Swift effect on the sport and more.
ShareDallas will be without former star pass rusher Micah Parsons
Four weeks after Micah Parsons asked for a trade from the Dallas Cowboys, only for the team’s owner to say he was not interested in granting such a request, the team agreed to deal the star pass rusher in a stunning trade with the Green Bay Packers just one week before the start of the NFL season.
In Green Bay, Parsons will earn the contract extension he had sought from Dallas, which had led to his trade request. The Packers have agreed to a four-year, $188 million extension with Parsons, 26, according to David Mulugheta, his agent — a contract that makes Parsons the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Of the $188 million, $136 million is fully guaranteed, according to Athletes First, the agency that represents Parsons.
In return, the Cowboys will get a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and Pro Bowl DT Kenny Clark.
ShareBland agrees to four-year extension with Cowboys
Mike Florio and Chris Simms stress the importance of not taking initial contract number reports as set in stone, because they’re often inaccurate, and discuss why DaRon Bland earned the security.
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Tom Llamas speaks with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth to discuss the kickoff game between two rivals, the new NFL rule for measuring first downs and who they think will perform at the Super Bowl.
ShareFanDuel helps restore express train service for Eagles season opener
Reporting from Philadelphia
The sports gambling company FanDuel provided $80,000 to restore express train service for the Philadelphia Eagles’ season opener tonight, SEPTA confirmed with NBC Philadelphia.
The Eagles issued a travel advisory Tuesday informing fans they would not be running their special sports express trains for the matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field because of SEPTA’s ongoing service cuts.
The Eagles advised fans to travel to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex only if they had tickets to the game and told those who were attending to arrive early and plan for extra travel time.
Yesterday, however, FanDuel announced it was providing resources to fully restore express train service on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line for the season opener.
ShareHistory not on Philadelphia’s side
The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in the 2017 season (they went 13-3 and beat New England in the Super Bowl). The following year, they went 9-7 and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.
No NFC team has gone to back-to-back Super Bowls since the Seahawks in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Before Seattle, the previous NFC team to reach back-to-back Super Bowls was the Green Bay Packers in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Dallas was the last NFC team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
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Kornacki joins “TODAY” to break down the matchups in week one of the NFL’s 2025 season kickoff and shares a look at the international games on the schedule.
ShareTracking shower and storm chances for the game
This afternoon, sunshine and a gusty southerly wind will push temps into the mid-80s.
The afternoon winds are coming ahead of a cold front that’s already pushing showers toward central Pennsylvania, and the wet weather is on track to arrive in Philadelphia during tonight’s game.
There is a low chance of severe weather, but isolated severe thunderstorms with damaging winds aren’t out of the question.
At this time, the stronger storms look likelier to occur west of Philadelphia than in the city.
ShareCowboys-Eagles an all-time great NFL rivalry
The Cowboys and the Eagles dominated the NFC East in recent years, combining to win each of the last four and eight of the last nine division titles (Washington won the division in 2020). Each of the last two times the Eagles won the division (2022 and 2024), they went on to reach the Super Bowl.
No team has won back-to-back NFC East titles since the Eagles won four straight from 2001 to 2004. The current 20-year run without a repeat division winner is the longest such streak in NFL history among any division.
The Eagles won both games against the Cowboys last season, sweeping Dallas for the first time since the 2011 season. They dominated in both wins, outscoring the Cowboys 75-13 (a 34-6 win in Dallas in Week 10 and a 41-7 win in Philadelphia in Week 17).
ShareCowboys looking to rebound in 2025
The Cowboys’ 2024 season was the exact opposite of the Eagles’, with Dallas going 7-10 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020 as quarterback Dak Prescott missed the final nine games with a hamstring injury.
Head coach Mike McCarthy was not retained after the season and was replaced by Brian Schottenheimer, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach (this will be Schottenheimer’s first season as a head coach at any level).
ShareEagles back in action after winning last year’s Super Bowl
The Eagles are coming off arguably their best season in history, tying the franchise record with 14 regular season wins in 2024 before dominating in the playoffs and beating the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX for the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP, running back Saquon Barkley was named Offensive Player of the Year (leading the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards), and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit ranked first in the NFL in total defense.