The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles open the NFL season on Thursday, September 4. Philly will celebrate their Super Bowl LIX title by raising their second championship banner. Then Jalen Hurts will take the field against a Dallas defense without Micah Parsons. Before the Cowboys and Eagles square off to start Week 1, we have bold predictions for the game.
Last season, the Eagles took both games against the Cowboys. They won 34-6 in Arlington in Week 10 and 41-7 in Philly in Week 17. Those wins helped the Birds clinch the division and the bye week to start the postseason. Meanwhile, the ‘Boys fizzled out to miss the playoffs and changed coaches in the offseason. Brian Schottenheimer looks to flip the script this year, while Nick Sirianni is looking for a sequel with the Eagles.
The Cowboys and Eagles will open the NFL season on Thursday, but will these bold predictions come true?
AJ Brown leads all receivers in catches, yards
The Cowboys' defense lost its north star when Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers. Their pass rush made cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs better at their jobs. But without that rush and an elite receiver on the other end, things are going to get ugly for the Dallas defense. AJ Brown will lead the game in catches and yards and even pick up a touchdown.
Brown was excellent for the Eagles last year, totaling 1,079 yards in 13 regular-season games and scoring two touchdowns in the playoffs. He had 145 yards combined in the two games against the Cowboys last year. He knows this matchup, should be fully healthy, and he has the home crowd behind him.
This bold prediction has the Eagles tossing the ball around the yard, mostly to AJ Brown.
Cowboys running backs struggle
The Cowboys revamped their running back room this offseason, bringing in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. While that may be better than last year's Rico Dowdle/Ezekiel Elliott combo, it still is not elite. Without a difference-maker on defense anymore, the Cowboys will have to dominate time of possession to win. That combo is not going to succeed against a dominant Eagles defensive line.
Dak Prescott will be relied on to move the Cowboys' offense all season long. In the past, that has not worked for Jerry Jones' squad. Prescott's injuries cost them disproportionately because they lack a running game that can change things. Even when that became very obvious last season, Jones did not change anything this offseason.
Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and the rest of the Cowboys running backs will combine for fewer than 75 yards.
The Eagles win by at least a touchdown
The Eagles will beat the Cowboys by at least a touchdown on Thursday night to open the NFL season. They crushed Dallas in both matchups last year and finished the playoffs with two blowout wins to secure the Super Bowl. Philadelphia kept many of its core members this offseason and is in a great spot to repeat as champions. That quest starts with a dominant win over the Cowboys.
The storyline going into the game will be what the Cowboys look like without Parsons. That is Jerry Jones' goal after all, to get everyone talking about the Star. But by the end of the night, everyone will be talking about the Birds crushing their rivals and looking like the champions again.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Eagles are 7.5-point favorites over the Cowboys and are -390 on the moneyline. AJ Brown's receiving over/under is set at 71.5, while Javonte Williams' rushing total is 38.5. The NFL season kicks off on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. Eastern with this classic NFC East rivalry.
