Four takeaways from the Cowboys 24-20 loss to Eagles

Written by: Miles Jordan •

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CeeDee Lamb hauls in reception on the sideline

A revamped and healthy Dak Prescott, a newly signed George Pickens, and a franchise with high expectations, with a lot to prove.

The Dallas Cowboys started the 2025 NFL season in Philadelphia against the Eagles, aiming to end a two-game losing streak to their NFC East rival. The Eagles dominated the Cowboys in two games last season, winning by a combined score of 77-13. Although Dallas narrowed the gap this time, it couldn't secure a win and suffered their third straight loss to the Eagles.

Top takwaways from Cowboys' 24-20 loss to Eagles:


CeeDee Lamb hasn’t missed a beat:

CeeDee Lamb has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers, cementing his place among the league’s best with multiple All-Pro honors.

He backed that up on Thursday night when he recorded four catches for 86 yards in the first half. The rest of the Cowboys' receiving core tallied just 41 yards in the opening two quarters.

 

Despite sharing a George Pickens, Lamb is still Dak Prescott's favorite option and was targeted 6 times, leading all receivers.

After a breakout campaign in 2022, Lamb earned his first Second-Team All-Pro selection, proving he was ready to step into the spotlight as Dallas’s offensive centerpiece. He followed that up in 2023 with his finest season yet, capturing a coveted First-Team All-Pro nod. That recognition not only validated his production but also placed him in the same conversation as the league’s most dominant pass-catchers.

In 2024, Lamb once again landed on the Second-Team All-Pro, giving him three straight seasons of All-Pro recognition.

While he did have three drops that should have been catches and for significant gains late in the fourth quarter, he was still the focal point of the Cowboys' offense. He is now searching for his fourth straight 1,000-yard receiving season and third straight year with 100+ catches, and he got off to a good start against the Eagles.

He entered the medical tent after Dallas's final drive of the game, where he lay out for what would have been a first down, but did not seem to have any significant injury. He finished with seven catches and led the game in receiving yards with 110.

Does Dallas have a new RB1?:

Last season, the Cowboys had a 1,000-yard rusher in Rico Dowdle, who recorded 63.2% of the Cowboys' team rushing yards (1,705), and posted 853 more yards than Ezekiel Elliot, who finished second in rushing yards (226).

Dallas has struggled to find a lead running back in the past few seasons, even with Dowdle’s performance last season, but now that Dowdle departed for the Carolina Panthers, questions swirled around about who would take the reins in the Cowboys' backfield.

Javonte Williams seemed to have that answer.

The fifth-year back out of North Carolina had 12 carries in the first half for 49 yards and two touchdowns, matching how many touchdowns Dowdle scored in 2024.

He started his career with the Broncos and played four seasons in Denver, where he played 54 games, recording 2,394 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dak Prescott looks good as new:

Dak Prescott endured one of his toughest career setbacks in November 2024, suffering a partial avulsion of his right hamstring in Week 9. The injury required surgery, and with it, the abrupt end of that season. The Cowboys, already sitting at 3–5, watched in frustration as their leader was forced to the sideline for the remainder of the year.

Now, Prescott entered his 10th year fully recovered, and he looked healthier than ever.

Before the lightning delay, he had 12 completions for 127 yards and had yet to give up a sack.

But honestly, his biggest play of the night might have been his shoestring tackle on Quinyon Mitchell, to prevent a would-be 90-yard scoop and score touchdown off of the Miles Sanders fumble.

Prescott, who was a good 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage after handing the ball off, quickly bolted back to be the last line of defense, lunging at Mitchell to contain the Eagles' fumble return to just six yards.

He looked agile and made quick and accurate decisions, and if the Cowboys can figure out how to get Pickens more involved throughout the season, Dallas can look like more of a threat in the NFC East than most predicted, especially after the departure of Micah Parsons.

He hit Lamb in the numbers and hands late a few times, for what would have been massive gains, but his numbers do not necessarily reflect his performance. He wil have more time to adjust, and so will the Cowboys.

Cowboys defense without Micah Parsons?:

The Dallas Cowboys enter their Week 1 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles facing a new reality—competing without star edge rusher Micah Parsons, the two-time All-Pro who helped define their defense in recent years.

The trade of Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just days before the season opener sent shockwaves across the locker room and forced Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer to pivot swiftly.

The Cowboys also received help in the trade package. Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark now anchors the interior line, tasked with shoring up both run defense and pressure up the middle. His leadership and experience are seen as critical to supporting a defense now missing its previous focal point.

With Parsons gone, the Cowboys only recorded a single eight-yard sack against the Eagles and Hurts, and gave up 158 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Hurts and Barkley combined for 122 rushing yards, and seemed to be playing with the Dallas defense at times, with Hurts scrambing at will, and Barkley utalized only when needed.

Malik Hooker and Kenneth Murray Jr. led the Cowboys in tackles (9), but Dallas couldnt penetrate Philadelphia's defensive line. The Cowboys finished with five tackles-for-loss, but two were against the Eagles in victory formation to end the game.

While they contained Hurts and his cast of characters at times, it is clear that Dallas's defense still has a lot of work ahead.

Up next for Dallas: Sunday, September 14 vs. New York Giants (1:00 p.m. ET on FOX)

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