NFL Kickoff is upon us. The 2025 season gets underway with a bitter divisional rivalry between the reigning Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and a Dallas Cowboys team that has spent most of the offseason under the spotlight.
Who holds the advantage heading into the opening game of the year? Our Cowboys vs. Eagles prediction contains all the details of the rivalry’s head-to-head record, the most recent grades for both teams from PFSN’s Impact metrics, and the keys to the game that define our final score projection.
Cowboys vs. Eagles Details
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
- Predicted Weather at Kick: 75 degrees, mostly clear, 9 mph winds
- How to watch: NBC, Peacock
Cowboys vs. Eagles Head-to-Head Record
The Eagles and Cowboys share a long-standing rivalry, having competed in the same division for over five decades. Dallas holds the edge in the all-time series with 74 victories compared to Philadelphia’s 58. Both teams have enjoyed frequent postseason appearances, yet they have faced each other in the playoffs only four times, with the Cowboys winning three of those matchups.
Last season, however, the rivalry was one-sided, as the Eagles swept both games by a combined score of 75-13. Does our Cowboys vs. Eagles prediction hold hope for a turnaround of fortunes for Dallas or more of the same for Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys Grades
PFSN Impact offers a range of team and positional metrics, using advanced data to create an impact score and letter grade. Below are the team and positional grades for the highest-ranked players set to be featured in this Cowboys vs. Eagles matchup. As this is the season-opener, the grades are from the 2024 season.
PFSN NFL OFFi
- Philadelphia Eagles (78.0, C+)
- Dallas Cowboys (68.4, D+)
PFSN NFL DEFi
- Philadelphia Eagles (85.9, B)
- Dallas Cowboys (71.0, C-)
PFSN NFL OLi
- Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles (93.3, A)
- Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys (88.7, B+)
PFSN NFL QBi
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (90.4, A-)
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (68.0, D+)
PFSN NFL RBi
- Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles (89.1, B+)
- Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys (64.5, D)
PFSN NFL WRi
- AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (91.9, A-)
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (81.4, B-)
PFSN NFL TEi
- Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (83.1, B)
- Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys (69.8, D+)
PFSN NFL EDGEi
- Nolan Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (70.6, C-)
- Carl Lawson, Dallas Cowboys (67.8, D+)
PFSN NFL DTi
- Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles (86.7, B)
- Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys (81.9, B-)
PFSN NFL LBi
- Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles (90.9, A-)
- DeMarvion Overshown, Dallas Cowboys (69.5, D+)
PFSN NFL CBi
- Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles (85.0, B)
- Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys (73.7, C)
PFSN NFL SAFi
- Reed Blankenship, Philadelphia Eagles (76.5, C)
- Malik Hooker, Dallas Cowboys (82.0, B-)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Prediction
The Eagles and Cowboys will have their juices flowing on Thursday night in Philadelphia, as both teams enter the 2025 season with high expectations. Head coach Nick Sirianni will be tasked with leading a title defense charge, as opposing teams will have the Eagles circled on their calendars with hopes of taking down the reigning champion.
Dallas has been in the headlines recently, as they dealt away superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers after deciding not to pay him top-of-the-line money despite his two All-Pro honors in four seasons. They got back three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who will aid in helping against the run.
That has been a significant deficiency for the Cowboys in recent years, as they allowed 137.1 rush yards per game (17th in the league) last season and 112.35 yards per game in 2023. That’s precisely where Philadelphia excels offensively, as they were second in the NFL last season in rushing for 179.3 yards per game.
Star running back Saquon Barkley is back after a banner 2024 campaign: 345 carries, 2,005 yards, and 13 touchdowns. He capped it off by running for 442 yards in the Eagles’ postseason run.
.@Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is ranked No. 1 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025!@NFLFilms @Saquon pic.twitter.com/HU2x7kL8r2
— NFL (@NFL) September 2, 2025
It’s hard to see a complete flip in the run-stopping abilities for Dallas, potentially spelling doom for them as the game wears on. Offensively, for the Cowboys, they’ll be heavily reliant on quarterback Dak Prescott and the pass game. Their running back room, headlined by former Denver Broncos’ Javonte Williams, is arguably the weakest unit on the roster.
Meanwhile, the wide receiver room has the potential to be the strongest, as they’ll trot out a star-studded duo of CeeDee Lamb (1,194 yards, six touchdowns last season) and newly acquired wide receiver George Pickens (900 yards, three touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers).
Philadelphia features a strong secondary led by second-year cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who played significant roles in last season’s Super Bowl run and are poised to take another step forward in their “sophomore” season.
On offense, the Eagles boast an elite receiving tandem in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who combined for 1,912 yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago, giving quarterback Jalen Hurts two Pro Bowl-level targets.
While there are several intriguing individual matchups in this game, the overall roster depth strongly favors Philadelphia. The Eagles are superior in the trenches on both sides of the ball, possess a far more talented secondary, and may also field the league’s best rushing attack.
Expect a heavy workload for Saquon Barkley to exploit Dallas’s vulnerable run defense, with the Eagles pulling away in the second half behind a fired-up home crowd.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Cowboys 13
