The 2025 NFL season is officially underway. On Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys made the trip to Lincoln Financial Field to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Right off the bat, the bitter rivalry lived up to the hype. Jalen Carter was ejected just six seconds into the game for spitting at Dak Prescott.
Sunday Night Football on NBC shared a video of the incident between the two players on X. Their video showed a potentially much different scenario than what the referees caught on the field.
That was not the end of the chippy behavior throughout the game.
When all was said and done following a lot of on the field drama and a rain delay, the Eagles were able to pull out a hard-fought 24-20 victory. After celebrating last year's Super Bowl win pregame, Philadelphia started off their attempt to repeat with a key win.
As for the Cowboys, it was the start of a new era. Micah Parsons, who has been one of the faces of the franchise over the last four years, was traded to the Green Bay Packers last week. While they did not come away with a win, Dallas showed signs of a team who could very well end up being a contender.
In the win, Jalen Hurts led Philadelphia with 152 passing yards and completed 19 of his 23 passes. He also ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Saquon Barkley opened his 2025 campaign with 84 total yards, 60 of them coming on the ground along with a rushing touchdown.
Prescott put together a solid but uninspiring performance, completing 21 of his 34 attempts for 188 yards. He did not throw a touchdown or an interception. Javonte Williams scored both Cowboys touchdowns and ran for 54 yards on 15 carries.
Each time Dallas and the Eagles clash with each other, fans are treated to pure football entertainment. There is nothing better than a good old-fashioned rivalry, which was seen once again last night.
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense celebrates a forced turnover against the Dallas Cowboys. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesLooking ahead to the rest of Week 1 action, the NFL has a great slate of games on deck for fans to consume.
On Friday night, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will square off in the NFL São Paulo Game in Brazil. There will be plenty of marquee matchups to watch on Sunday as well.
Some of the more intriguing games to watch on Sunday include the Green Bay Packers playing host to the NFC North rival Detroit Lions, Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers facing off against Justin Fields and the New York Jets, another rivalry matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, and then a huge showdown on Sunday Night Football between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.
Finally, on Monday Night Football to cap off the NFL's opening week, the Chicago Bears will take on the Minnesota Vikings at the iconic Soldier Field.
Fans can now celebrate the NFL being back. It's official and the season opener did not disappoint. Now, it's time to get ready for a full 18-week regular season before the playoffs arrive.
As for the the Cowboys and Philadelphia, the two teams will meet again in Week 12 on November 23. The Eagles will begin preparations for a Super Bowl rematch next week against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Dallas will head back home for another rivalry game in Week 2, this time against the New York Giants.
Evan Massey has been a sports journalist for the last 16 years, being featured on many different publications including Forbes, Sports Illustrated, and Newsweek. He is now a publisher for Roundtable. You can follow him on X at @massey_evan.