The Dallas Cowboys loss to the Philadelphia Eagles had a little bit of everything.  There was some good, some bad, and some pleasantly surprising.

Dak Prescott delivered, CeeDee Lamb’s costly drops, the defense looked shaky without Micah Parsons, and in a shocking twist the run game might have been the Cowboys' best weapon of the night. 

The good: Prescott’s performance 

Despite the loss and the critical drops, quarterback Dak Prescott was outstanding in his first game back from an injury that ended his 2024 season. Prescott earned an excellent Pro Football Focus grade with a 90.0 overall.

He especially excelled in the passing grade, proving that he has elite pocket presence and playmaking ability even under pressure. 

The bad: Lamb’s costly drops 

All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb, who of course, recently signed a major contract, had a mixed performance.  While Lamb had a high yardage total with 110 receiving yards, his mistakes were the most direct reason the final drive of the game failed.

Lamb dropped two critical deep passes from Prescott on the last drive, one of which was a crucial game-altering drop.  He needs to move past this performance quickly and get ready for the New York Giants game they have coming up. 

The defense suffers without Parsons 

The trade of star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers had an immediate and noticeable impact on the Dallas defense. The Cowboys’ pass rush was nonexistent for much of the game as Jalen Hurts had a field day picking apart their defense.

The defense did make adjustments after the weather delay and had some key stops in the second half. There is potential there, it will just take some more time. This was game one after all. 

The surprising: A competitive run game 

The new tandem of running backs, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, ran for 107 of the teams total 119 yards. The offensive line held its own providing good run blocking (and a solid pass protection while we’re at it). The stand out was left tackle, Tyler Guyton, who is returning from injury. He played every snap and performed very well.  

Ultimately, the Cowboys close game with the Eagles proved that they can be competitive agains the NFL’s top talent. If Prescott continues to have a season like he played game one, Dallas stays competitive and can be real contenders in the NFC East.

Lamb should recover and move on from those costly drops, the run game will continue to develop, and the defense will find their footing. Game one jitters have passed and Dallas is now focusing on their upcoming opponent in the Giants.