As Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles will kick off the 2025 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4 at Lincoln Financial Field.
While there will be some who take joy in seeing Dallas witness the unfurling of Philadelphia’s championship banner, the Washington Commanders may have been a better option to challenge Philadelphia's vaunted defense in the NFL’s season opener.
The Commanders underwent significant organizational changes over the past few years, and they reaped the benefits in 2024. After winning just four games in 2023, Washington emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl contender last season under new head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington bolstered their roster this offseason despite finishing as the fifth-best scoring offense in the league last season. Dallas, on the other hand, has done little to inspire confidence on either side of the ball.
The Commanders were deserving of a NFC Championship rematch in Week 1
Although the Eagles won two of their three matchups against Washington last season, the Commanders were the only team to defeat the Eagles after September. Washington’s impressive 2024 campaign came to an end with a 55-23 loss against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, but they retooled their roster with exciting new pieces this offseason.
The Commanders acquired left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel in trades this offseason. Perhaps more importantly, Washington bolstered their defense with the additions of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman and Deatrich Wise. Along with veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones and second-round rookie cornerback Trey Amos, the Commanders should be better positioned to handle Philadelphia’s offense this season.
The last time the Eagles faced the Cowboys in September was in 2021. Perhaps the logic behind getting the heated rivals to face each other early this season is to ensure both fanbases still have optimism heading into the matchup. Last year, the Cowboys had already lost all hope in their season before even facing Philadelphia.
The Eagles swept Dallas in their divisional matchups last season, outscoring the Cowboys 75-13 in the two contests. Dallas did not have quarterback Dak Prescott available for either of those matchups, but that was unlikely to change the inevitable outcome of those games.
The Eagles and Cowboys have only faced each other in Week 1 three times throughout their storied rivalry, per CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr. All three of those prior matchups took place in Dallas, the last of which took place during the 2000 season and resulted in a 41-14 victory for Philadelphia.