Charean Williams ,
Facebook
It’s going to be hard to beat Thursday night’s season opener. None of the rest of the 272 games might live up to what the Cowboys and Eagles delivered.
It had everything, including an ejection before the first offensive snap, an hour-long weather delay and plenty of chippiness from the NFC East rivals.
The Eagles, after raising their Super Bowl LIX banner, outlasted the Cowboys 24-20.
The game got off to an ominous beginning for the Eagles. They lost fullback Ben VanSumeren to a knee injury on the opening kickoff and saw defensive lineman Jalen Carter ejected during the injury timeout for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys then marched 53 yards in six plays and 3:11 to take a 7-0 lead.
The teams traded punches, with points coming on eight consecutive possessions.
The Cowboys, though, didn’t score on their fifth possession despite going 61 yards to the Philadelphia 11. Miles Sanders, who had a 49-yard run before Zack Baun saved the touchdown, fumbled. Jihaad Campbell forced the fumble, and Quinyon Mitchell picked it up and would have been off to the races with a 90-yard touchdown if not for Dak Prescott’s first career tackle.
That was the final play before a weather delay just before 10:30 p.m. ET. The game ended at 12:18 a.m. ET.
Neither team scored after the thunderstorm, with five punts and Dallas turning it over on downs on their final possession.
The Cowboys’ last chance for a comeback victory ended on fourth-and-3 at their own 45. Prescott lofted a long ball to CeeDee Lamb, who earlier in the game uncharacteristically dropped two balls. The All-Pro receiver dove for the pass and got his hands on it but couldn’t haul it in, with the Cowboys turning the ball over on downs.
The Eagles were able to run out the clock when Jalen Hurts scrambled for 4 yards on third-and-3 with 1:29 remaining. The Cowboys used their final timeout, and Hurts got into victory formation three times to end it.
Hurts and Prescott have played only four times, and the series now is tied 2-2.
The Eagles gained 302 yards, including 158 rushing. Hurts had 62 yards on 14 carries, scoring on scrambles of 4 and 8 yards, and Saquon Barkley gained 60 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Hurts completed 19 of 23 passes for 152 yards. A.J. Brown did not have his first target until1:45 remained, catching one pass for 8 yards, but Jahan Dotson had three catches for 59 yards, including a 51-yarder.
The Eagles had nine penalties for 110 yards.
The Cowboys gained 307 yards. Prescott was 21-of-34 for 188 yards, while Javonte Williams ran for 54 yards and a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and Sanders went for 53 yards on four carries but had the costly fumble. Lamb finished with seven catches for 110 yards.
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
Football is back and so are Mike Florio and Chris Simms! Watch PFT Live for the latest news coming out of training camps Monday to Friday at 7 a.m. ET on Peacock and the NBC Sports NOW channel.
