The Eagles survived horizontal rain and some vertical spit to open up the NFL season Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
Jalen Hurts was masterful in making the Eagles’ offense hum in mid-season form, for most of the game, helped erase an ugly incident just six seconds into the game, when Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Eagles came out on top of a rollercoaster ride 24-20 victory, behind two Hurts’ rushing touchdowns,
while Dallas ripped through the vaunted Eagles’ defense for 307 yards of total offense, scoring on its first four possessions.
The Eagles’ first punt of the game came with 3:16 left in the third quarter. Dallas’ first punt came with 14:53 left to play.
The overriding storyline, however, will not be the offense. It will be the spitting incident.
During an injury timeout for Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren following the opening kickoff, a replay showed Prescott spit down on the ground standing behind two Dallas teammates with a smile on his face. That appeared to elicit Carter’s response.
He got up in Prescott’s face and spit on him as he peeled away. Game umpire Bryan Neale was right behind Carter and saw it.
Carter now carries the great distinction of being the first player in NFL history on a defending Super Bowl champion to ever be ejected in a season opener. Carter smirked as he walked off the field. Maybe he just doesn’t get that spitting on someone whether it is in the toy department of the NFL or in real life is a disrespectful, heinous act.
“One of the officials observed (Carter) spitting on an opponent … it’s a disqualifiable foul in the game. It’s a non-football act,” said referee Shawn Smith.
Carter, who had three unnecessary roughness penalties during the 2024 season, which was tied for the most in the NFL, did not seem to grasp the weight of what he did.
“It was a mistake on my side and it won’t happen again,” Carter said after the game. “I feel bad for teammates and the fans that were here. I’m doing it for them, but I’m doing it for my family also. The fans showed the most love. It won’t happen again. I don’t try to do anything out of the ordinary. I don’t think I did anything that Dak provoked.
“I heard the refs talking and I heard them say this was a tossable offense, something like that. That’s when I knew (he was going to get ejected).”
It was very significant that Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni called Prescott over after the game and whispered something into the ear of the Cowboys’ quarterback, probably an apology for what happened earlier. The Eagles are now 5-0 in season openers under Sirianni.
“I wanted to be out there with the guys so bad. I made a promise to the guys it won’t happen again,” Carter said.
Carter also said that he had no spoken to Sirianni yet, and he did not appear to be contrite.
The game featured a 64-minute weather delay with 4:44 left in the third quarter, and when play resumed at 11:30 p.m. EST, defense ruled the rest of the game. Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus switched from a man-to-man defense to a zone, forcing Hurts to stay in the pocket darting blitzes from the secondary.
AJ Brown was not targeted until the final two minutes of the game, though his eight-yard catch came at important time. Carter’s absence undercut the Eagles’ pass rush, and pretty much the entire Eagles’ defensive scheme, though Jordan Davis held up and Byron Young saw significant snaps, causing the game’s only turnover.
There was some good, some bad, and one, big ugly blotch in a game no one will remember except for one dumb act in the Eagles’ 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The Good
Receiver A.J. Brown’s first target and first catch for eight yards on a second-and-11 at the Dallas 45 with 1:45 to play. The next play, Hurts scrambled for four yards and a first down, which clinched the game as the Cowboys called their final timeout with 1:29 to play.
Defensive end Jalyx Hunt coming up to stop Javonte Williams for a two-yard loss with 6:50 to play.
Punter Braden Mann keeping the ball away from the Cowboys’ dangerous KaVontae Turpin in the fourth quarterwith a punt that landed at the Cowboys’ 11 with 7:20 to play. Mann did it again with 3:02 to play, booming a 51-yarder that landed at the Dallas 18.
Barkley’s one-handed catch for five yards to the Eagles’ 45 on a second-and-three on the Eagles’ first drive of the fourth quarter.
The Eagles’ first drive. Theyrammed it right down the Cowboys’ throats with a 10-play, 70-yard drive. The big play was Will Shipley’s 20-yard run that put the Eagles on the Dallas; five. The Eagles ran the ball on eight of the 10 plays for 56 yards. Of the 10 plays, the Eagles faced only one third down, which they converted into a touchdown.
Jalen Hurts scoring on a four-yard on the Eagles’ opening drive. It tied the score at 7-7, though more importantly it put the Eagles right back on a positive course, after Jalen Carter started them backward by spitting on Prescott right after the opening kickoff.
The Eagles’ second offensive drive. They went 65 yards on 12 plays, eating up 8:10. The Eagles did it by picking away, picking away, picking away, with five- and six-yard gains. The play of the drive was a 15-yard Hurts’ scramble to the Dallas nine on a third-and-five. The Cowboys looked like they Hurts contained, but he slipped through the middle of the field and dodged a few Cowboy defenders, before finally sliding in at the nine.
Hurts’ scoring for the second time on an eight-yard scramble to tie the game at 14-14. Hurts was totally in control of the offense, and of the field, calmly directing the Eagles through scrambling and with clutch completions on third down. Hurts was simply unstoppable, catching the pylon for his second score. Hurts became the first Super Bowl MVP to score two first-half touchdowns in the season opener of the following season.
The Eagles’ third offensive drive. They went 81 yards on eight plays, with the big play coming on a 51-yard reception by Jahan Dotson on a third-and-six at the Eagles’ 23. Until that completion, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown had a combined one catch for six yards. Five plays later, Saquon Barkley scored his first touchdown of the season on a 10-yard run. The 51-yard catch was the longest for Dotson since his rookie season in 2022.
Barkley’s three-yard, tip-toe sideline catch on third-and-two at the Dallas 15 on the Eagles’ last drive of the first half. Barkley topped it off with his 10-yard muscle run through the middle of the field. Right guard Tyler Steen did a great job, first hitting Cowboys’ nose tackle Jay Toia, then reaching the second level where he took out linebacker Damone Clark.
Kicker Jake Elliott’s 58-yard, third-quarter field goal that gave the Eagles a 24-20 lead. The boot equaled Elliott’s total for 50-plus yard field goals for all of 2024, when he was an uncharacteristic one-of-seven from 50-yards plus, his worst single-season rate in his career.
Linebacker Jihaad Campbell showing why the Eagles took him in the first round, knocking a pass away down the middle of the field intended for Brevyn Spann-Ford. Unfortunately, Sydney Brown was hurt on the play. Campbell combined with fellow 2025 draft choice Andrew Mukuba to stop Turpin for a two-yard gain with 6:12 to play on a second-and-12.
Safety Reed Blankenship showing what appeared to be some rare discipline by the Eagles in not retaliating against George Pickens on the Dallas personal foul inside the Eagles’ 10 on the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half. Blankenship was yanked down by Pickens and jumped up in his face, though Blankenship retrained him to place the Cowboys in a first-and-22 at the Eagles’ 23.
Linebacker Zack Baun chasing down former Eagle Miles Sanders on a touchdown-saving tackle after a 49-yard run on the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half. On the same series, Baun came back to deflect a pass away from Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson on a first-and-22 from the Eagles’ 23.
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s fumble recovery with 4:44 left in the third quarter at the Eagles’ 16. It marked the first turnover of the game and enabled the Eagles to offset another Dallas offensive charge to possibly take the lead.
Defensive tackle Byron Young, getting significantly more snaps than expected due to Carter being ejected, causing the Sanders’ fumble in the third quarter just before the weather delay.
The Bad
Blowing their first timeout of the second half with 8:26 left in the game because the Eagles could not get the play in fast enough. At the time, the Eagles had the ball at their 45 looking at a second-and-14.
Mitchell holding on to Pickens with his left hand on a second-and-23 play that was flagged for a 34-yard interference call. It led to the Cowboys’ second touchdown.
Defensive end Nolan Smith getting a 15-yard flag for taunting after making a nice play on former Eagle Miles Sanders on the Cowboys’ third drive. It preserved the Dallas drive, and led to a Cowboys’ field goal and a brief 17-14 lead. Smith was later nailed for roughing the passer on the Cowboys’ last drive of the first half, which resulted in a Dallas field goal.
Blankenship’s personal foul on Ferguson in the end zone with 4:52 to play in the third quarter. It came on a third-and-22 at the Eagles’ 23 and gave Dallas new life. The personal foul, a 12-yard walk off, was the Eagles’ fourth personal foul of the game for 57 yards. Fortunately, Mitchell picked up a Sanders’ fumble at the Eagles’ 10.
The Ugly
Jalen Carter getting tossed from the game for spitting on Dak Prescott before the first NFL snap from scrimmage six seconds into the 2025 season. Carter might as well had spit on Nick Sirianni, his teammates, and the fans that came to see him. There is no other way to say it, than it was just flat out dumb. It is also the reason why a lot of teams passed on Carter coming out of the 2023 draft. To spit on Prescott, or any player for that matter, and to do it right in front of an official made no sense. Carter came right over to Prescott during an injury delay for Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren following the opening kickoff, for what reason Carter may only be able to say, then spit on Prescott with umpire Bryan Neale right behind him. What happened was unprofessional, immature, and selfish. Carter let his emotions get the better of him. He tried to come off as an intimidator and walked off the field as a national joke. He not only got tossed from the game, Carter may be facing a substantial fine and possibly a suspension for his stupidity. The Eagles watched as their best defensive player was tossed. He also fired up a Dallas team that already came into the game highly motivated. Instead of focusing to his injured teammate VanSumeren, Carter had to get into it with Prescott. Hopefully, Carter will show some class and apologize to Prescott. Maybe Carter just doesn’t get it that spitting on someone in the toy department of NFL football or in real life is a disrespectful, horrendous act.
Eagles’ personal fouls, and nine penalties for 110 yards. The Eagles got an ejection and seven total penalties for 93 yards in the first half alone. Simply unacceptable. That’s on Sirianni to lay down the hammer. Carter, and two on Smith, shows just how a team better than the Cowboys could live rent free in the collective heads of the Eagles’ defense. Will Vic Fangio survive the Dallas film session?
The Eagles’ defense on Dallas’ opening drive. After Carter got tossed, the Eagles looked and played dumbfounded. With ideal field position starting at the Dallas 47, with a huge thanks to Carter, Prescott then proceeded to carve up the Eagles. They traveled 53 yards over six plays and made it look easy. Over the six plays, the Cowboys faced one third down.
Cornerback Adoree’ ‘Don’t Call me Izel Toast Jenkins’ Jackson getting roasted on the Cowboys’ first drive, when Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb with a 32-yard reception to the Eagles’ 2. Jackson was five yards away. The next play, Prescott, recognizing his pigeon, looked Jackson’s way again in the end zone, trying to cover Lamb again. This time, Jackson interfered with Lamb and the Cowboys banged it in for a 7-0 lead with 11:49 left in the first quarter. Jackson later missed Lamb on a tackle on the Cowboys’ second drive. Lamb caught a 26-yard pass on a third-and-two with Jackson on him, which brought the ball to the Eagles’ 33. Late in the third quarter, on third-and-one at the Dallas 35 after the weather delay, Prescott hit Lamb for 14 yards across the middle—with Jackson nowhere to be found. Jackson looked lost.
The Eagles’ defense on Dallas’ second drive. This time, the Cowboys traveled 88 yards on nine plays, chewing up 5 minutes, 59 seconds. As stated above, the big play was Prescott to Lamb for 26 yards on a third-and-two, over Jackson. The drive was helped considerably by Mitchell’s 34-yard interference penalty when he clearly held Pickens with his left hand. The Eagles’ first quarter defense. They allowed the Cowboys nine first downs, allowed them to go two-for-two on third-down conversions, pound away for 117 yards of total offense, and an average of 7.8 yards a play, controlling the ball nine of the 15 minutes in the opening quarter.
