The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will kick off the NFL season on Thursday night. The Eagles hope to avoid a Super Bowl hangover with an early-season victory over their hated rival, while the Cowboys are a mere week removed from trading arguably the best defensive player in football in Micah Parsons. It's been an eventful week for both of these clubs, and that will only continue on the gridiron.
But this article isn't about what will happen on the field. No, we'll let the teams decide that for themselves. However, given the hype of a season-opening game, there is plenty left to be decided prior to kickoff. Who will sing the National Anthem? Who did the experts pick to win this game and the Super Bowl as a whole? Why should fans be upset with the officials, and when can Eagles' supporters start booing?
Who's singing the Nationals Anthem in Eagles vs Cowboys NFL season opener?
You have to hand it to Roger Goodell, the NFL and the Eagles — they booked a banger for the National Anthem. The game is on NBC, so fans should be able to watch the performance — that's not always the case on ESPN for Monday Night Football — and thank goodness they can. The soulful singers of Boyz II Men will take center stage just minutes before kickoff. While they're up there, we might as well jam out to some instant classics like 'On Bended Knee', 'End of the Road' and 'I'll Make Love to You'.
All three members of Boyz II Men are Philadelphia natives and die-hard Eagles fans, so the band's manager Joe Mulvihill knew he didn't have to ask twice.
"Well, we have to do it because Wan' will kill us if we don't," Mulvihill recalls Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman, the other two members of the band, saying, per the Eagles website. "There's like an unspoken word that when it comes to the Eagles, the answer is 'Yes.'"
Now, Philly-area media had some fun with the Eagles' Boyz II Men announcement, suggesting the band perform 'End of the Road', which the local NBC affiliate called the official Cowboys theme song. After Dallas dealt Parsons away before the start of the season, it's tough for Cowboys fans to say much in response.
Eagles and Cowboys fans can agree on the officials for once
The NFL's opener will be refereed by Shawn Smith's crew. Smith is a respected official, whose most recently-officiated game came in the Eagles' postseason victory over the Los Angeles Rams. His postseason experience suggests he is trusted by the league office for such an important assignment. The last thing the league needs — or either of these teams for that matter — is a controversy to open the season. Here's how Smith's crew compares to the rest of the NFL referees.
Category | Smith's crew | NFL average |
|---|---|---|
Penalties per game | 12.59 | 12.80 |
Penalty yards per game | 97.65 | 103.67 |
Home team win % | 58.82 | 54.74 |
Home team penalty % | 45.79 | 49.21 |
The Eagles record in games officiating by Smith's crew is 2-2, including their win over the Rams last postseason. The Cowboys record is the same at 2-2, with Smith's last Dallas assignment coming in their blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints last season. At the end of the day, it's a good sign that Smith's crew is close to the league average in just about every important penalty statistic. Eagles vs Cowboys is always a fun rivalry no matter if Parsons is involved or not. The best thing Smith's crew can do is disappear altogether.
Eagles vs Cowboys expert picks: Dallas hangs in there
FanSided's Cody Williams gave his against the spread picks for Week 1 of the NFL season on Thursday morning. Per Williams, the Eagles will win the game, but not by the 8.5-point predicted spread. Philadelphia is set to receive their Super Bowl rings on Thursday night, as is custom for the first game of the season. While an Eagles Super Bowl hangover would be a surprise to most, a slow start in Week 1 wouldn't be. These two teams know each other better than most, so close games are to be expected.
However, Williams also did say the Eagles could be subject to a mini-Super Bowl hangover of sorts. While he predicted the Eagles to go 12-5, they might have to sweat it out in the NFC postseason seeding race:
"The Super Bowl hangover for the Eagles is going to result in Philadelphia winning 12 games instead of 13 or 14, which I think is something every fan would take in that equation. Look, this team still has elite talent on both sides of the ball and the clear class of the NFC East. They'll slip up on occasion, but will still prove to be a viable contender to return to the Super Bowl," Williams wrote.
Philadelphia should be favored on Thursday. In all likelihood, they will win, especially as the Cowboys adjust to life after Parsons. However, don't be surprised if it's closer than Vegas thinks.