It's always a particular challenge to face a division rival in Week 1 but the Dallas Cowboys have it even tougher than that ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
On Monday, the league announced the Cowboys will visit the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFL Kickoff, in which the latter will take the field as the reigning, defending Super Bowl champion.
For fans, the news couldn't be any more exciting. It's a Cowboys vs. Eagles matchup in primetime. Dak Prescott will make his return against a team he knows very well and has a 9-4 record against. For Brian Schottenheimer, the news isn't great.
It's difficult to beat a Super Bowl champion at his own place. It's even more so for a team taking the field with a new head coach, offensive play caller, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. If you factor in injuries, the Cowboys are already down DeMarvion Overshown and Trevon Diggs, as both are expected to start the season on the injured list.
Additionally, the Cowboys offensive line that needs Tyler Guyton to make a second-year leap and first-round rookie Tyler Booker to settle in quickly will be challenged by one of the best defensive lines in the NFL right away. On top of it all, Prescott will be suiting up for the first time since Nov. 3, 2024, when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.
I don't mean to be a pessimist here and I'm not trying to say the Cowboys don't have a chance here but the reality is the timing for a matchup versus the Eagles is about as bad as Schottenheimer could've asked for.
Now for the other side of the coin: The Cowboys have a unique chance to make a statement early on. The last time they faced a Super Bowl champion in the NFL Kickoff, Prescott went toe-to-toe against Tom Brady in an epic 31-29 loss in what ended up being a good omen for the rest of the year.
Iron sharpens iron, they say. Schottenheimer sure has a strong motivator for the group ahead of his head coaching debut.
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