Eagles overcome an ejection, a lightning delay, and shaky early defense to down Cowboys, 24-20

After rain drops (and thunderstorms) paused the Eagles’ home opener for an hour, drops plagued the Dallas Cowboys.

CeeDee Lamb’s dropped deep ball on fourth down just after the two-minute warning squashed the visitor’s attempt at a comeback, allowing the Eagles to protect their 24-20 lead until the buzzer.

The Eagles defense struggled early following the ejection of Jalen Carter and the unraveling of Adoree’ Jackson. But late in the third quarter when the Cowboys, still down 24-20, were at the Eagles’ 11-yard line, Jihaad Campbell punched the ball out of Miles Sanders’ hands and Quinyon Mitchell scooped it up, reigniting the defensive effort.

Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ season-opening win:

Carter ejected

Carter’s night was over before it even began. The third-year Pro Bowl defensive tackle incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and was ejected before the first play of the game for apparently spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

The Eagles sorely missed Carter’s presence on the interior early on, as the defense lacked the rush-and-cover balance they achieved in 2024. Prescott was kept clean for the majority of the first half, giving him ample time to exploit the deficiencies in the Eagles secondary, namely Jackson (more on him later).

Carter wasn’t the only Eagles player who lacked discipline, notably in an era when NFL officiating has blatantly stated that they would be cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct. Nolan Smith earned himself a taunting penalty in the second quarter when he made an impressive run stop on Sanders, then stood over him. Smith, the third-year edge rusher, was later flagged for roughing the passer when he hit Prescott late.

The Eagles were penalized seven times in the first half, conceding 93 yards total. For context, the Cowboys had 177 net yards of offense in the first half.

Hurts, Barkley have wheels

The passing game wasn’t very prolific throughout the game, save for a Jalen Hurts deep shot to Jahan Dotson for 51 yards two plays after the two-minute warning in the first half. A.J. Brown was targeted once for the second time in his career. Hurts was efficient, though — he finished the game with 19 completions on 23 attempts (82.6% completion) for 152 yards.

Still, when Hurts wasn’t pleased with his options in the passing game, he wasn’t afraid to scramble. He picked up two touchdowns on scrambles, one 4-yarder and one for 8 yards. Hurts didn’t have success on the ground on his own. The Eagles’ offensive line gave him plenty of time and space in the pocket, allowing him to take off unscathed.

Hurts, who finished the game with 62 rushing yards and the two touchdowns on 14 carries (including three kneel-downs), wasn’t alone in his rushing success. Coming off his 2,050-yard season, Saquon Barkley continued to thrive running the ball against a Cowboys run defense that was one of the worst units in the league in 2024.

One of Barkley’s most impressive gains came on the Eagles’ opening drive. On second-and-3 from the Eagles’ 48-yard line, Hurts pitched the ball to Barkley, who scampered to the left with Cam Jurgens leading the way for a 16-yard gain. Barkley collected 60 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Worry for Adoree’

Jackson won the battle for the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Mitchell, albeit not very resoundingly. Prescott tested — and exploited — Jackson from the outset of the game. On the third play of the Cowboys’ opening series, Lamb shook Jackson and hauled in a 32-yard pass to move Dallas into the red zone. On the ensuing play, Jackson was flagged for pass interference as he grabbed at Lamb’s collar while the ball was thrown his way.

Lamb registered yet another explosive play on Jackson on their second possession. The All-Pro wide receiver caught a 15-yard pass from Prescott on a crossing route, then turned upfield and gained another 11 yards with Jackson trailing in his wake. The 29-year-old cornerback managed to trip Lamb’s left foot.

On third-and-1 late in the third quarter, Jackson was also in coverage when Lamb made a catch over the middle of the field to keep the drive alive.

Jackson made one particularly positive play. In the second quarter, he registered a pass breakup on Lamb just outside of the red zone, which contributed to Dallas settling for a field goal. Jackson went to the tent briefly afterward to be evaluated for a concussion, allowing Jakorian Bennett to see the field for a drive, but the nine-year veteran cornerback was cleared to return.

Lamb finished with 110 yards on seven receptions, inflicting the most damage against Jackson.

Injury report

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Landon Dickerson gingerly walked off the field to the sideline with a back injury. The three-time Pro Bowl left guard, who was just three weeks removed from meniscus surgery in his right knee, had sustained a back injury in practice that caused him to miss Monday’s session. Brett Toth took his place at left guard for the rest of the game.

During the opening kickoff, Ben VanSumeren went down with a knee injury. He threw his helmet to the grass in frustration. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Will Shipley, the Eagles’ second-string running back, went back to the locker room with a ribs injury before halftime with a trainer. While he was initially announced as questionable to return, he never did.