Instant Reactions: Cowboys fall to Eagles in season opener

The Brian Schottenheimer era was officially underway Thursday night, and despite a solid showcase from the offense, the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20.

Both teams traded touchdowns on the ground five times in the first half, CeeDee Lamb eclipsed 500 receptions for his career but dropped passes were also the story of his night, and Jalen Carter spit on Dak Prescott before the first play of the game which led to an ejection and became the first player on a defending Super Bowl champion team to be tossed in the opener.

Instant Reactions:

Ali Jawad

The best defense is a better offense, which was the case in the first half of the season-opening matchup as each side combined for 41 points and 456 yards over the first two quarters. On the other side of the break, it was a different story with the lone score coming off a third-quarter 58-yard field goal from Eagles kicker Jake Elliott. The Eagles’ rushing offense proved to be too much for Dallas’ run defense as Philly totaled 158 yards on the ground.

If there were any questions on how Dak Prescott would perform after not playing football in 10 months due to a hamstring injury, including the preseason, those questions were answered tonight with his mobility. While Javonte Williams wasn’t the star of the night, he paced the Cowboys with a pair of one-yard rushing touchdowns. Defense showed up better in the second half, but not enough to get the job done on the night.

Clarence Hill 

Defense was much better in the second half, holding the Eagles to just a field goal on the first three drives after giving up three touchdowns in the first half. Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and quarterback Dak Prescott were sharp despite not getting any snaps in the preseason. It was Prescott’s first game since last November after missing the final nine games of 2024 with a torn hamstring that required surgery.