Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
Final Score: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
We are so back!! What looked to be a shootout to start the season is just what the doctor ordered. Jalen Carter spat on Dak Prescott right after the opening kickoff, which got him ejected and set the stage for a scrappy divisional matchup. Dallas’ run game was strong, featuring Javonte Williams as the clear-cut lead back who converted both carries from the 1-yard line for TDs. But let’s not forget how powerful Philly’s rushing game is. Jalen Hurts scrambled for two rushing TDs of his own, and Saquon Barkley scored a third. Some missed opportunities stalled drives for Dallas, but were converted to field goals by Brandon Aubrey to send us to a 21-20 halftime. Jake Elliott hit a 58-yarder of his own to start the second half, and then a long drive by Dallas comes up empty-handed due to a Miles Sanders fumble on the goal line. Unfortunately, a lightning storm in the area caused the teams to take an hour-long delay in the locker room. After the storms settled, so did the scoring. Six straight drives went without points and were punted away until the Eagles held onto their last possession for the win. A notable story was the dropped passes from CeeDee Lamb – potential first downs, perhaps even a touchdown – on the last two Cowboys possessions.
Three Up
- Javonte Williams – For a player whose career has been a winding path, it’s poetic to see him return to form and take over a backfield that looked like it might’ve been a timeshare.
- Jalen Hurts – A very well-rounded game from Hurts. He used his legs to extend both plays and drives continuously throughout the game.
- Jake Ferguson & Dallas Goedert – The Mr. Ole Reliables. Both TEs were peppered as outlet options for easy short gains all game long.
Two Down
- Miles Sanders – He broke off a nice run to start the second half, but coughed up his goal-line carry.
- A.J. Brown – Brown’s only target came with under two minutes left in the game. This one burns for fantasy owners, but don’t expect this to be a typical trend.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 21/34, 188 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
It might not have been a great fantasy game, but Dak played fairly well. He looked strong in the pocket, made his way through progressions, and looked as mobile as ever. He was nearly sacked for a potential 10-yard loss that he fought off, though it will only show up as a 3-yard gain on the stat sheet. There were a couple of inaccurate passes sprinkled in throughout the game, but his biggest fault is throwing a hospital-ball to Jake Ferguson that Jake paid the price for. Other targets to the endzone failed to convert due to penalties or broken up passes. I personally have shares of Dak (some that I started this week), and I feel solid about having him for the season. He’ll shake off the Week 1 rust, sort out the chemistry with Pickens, and convert on those many missed chances. The big play drops from CeeDee should also cease to continue.
Running Back
Javonte Williams: 15 Carries, 54 Yards, 2 TDs | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
It was a renaissance for Javonte after many thought his career was over following his time in Denver. Sure, Philly lost Jalen Carter for the night, but Williams really looked like his old self. There was certainly volume, but he had patience with longer-developing blocking schemes and the strength to gain those hard-earned yards up the middle. Dallas’ line was a question mark coming into the season, and at the very least, they looked good enough not to be a hindrance. I obviously wouldn’t expect 2 TD nights from him from here on out, but it was very clear that he is the featured back in what should be a capable offense.
Miles Sanders: 4 Carries, 53 Yards, 1 FUM | 1 Target, 1 Reception, -3 Yards
It was all the Javonte show early, but Sanders was given some more chances in the second half. He broke off a really nice run for 49 yards, but was caught from behind by Zach Baun. If getting run down by an LB isn’t a yellow flag, the red flag was raised by fumbling on the goal line a few plays later.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
CeeDee Lamb: 13 Targets, 7 Receptions, 110 Yards
Simply put, CeeDee is that guy. Having Pickens on the other side of the formation to take some pressure off of him feels like free money. He’s either open or drawing penalties, and even the few times that the coverage was solid, he finds a way to make the catch. He did have two very uncharacteristic drops (with another difficult diving catch he got his hands on but didn’t haul in) and a potential TD target that drew a penalty. Outside of that, he was all over the field and heavily involved – business as usual. It felt like a lot of meat was left on the bone, but a solid day from the alpha wide receiver nonetheless.
Jake Ferguson: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 23 Yards
Two potential TD targets came Ferguson’s way. One was a seam route that Dak underthrew, which allowed Zach Baun to break it up. The other was a lobbed ball, a hospital pass that he dropped before getting lit up by Reed Blankship (which drew a targeting penalty). For much of the game, Ferguson was a safety valve in the flat and along the sidelines.
George Pickens: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards
Dak’s first pass of the game went his way for a simple 6-yard gain. A deep ball to him later on the drive drew a holding penalty on the defender, but he almost still caught it one-handed. He had another endzone target later, but the ball was overthrown through the back of the endzone. The success in the run game pulled away from his production, and Dak often found his safety outlet in Jake Ferguson. His usage gave very boom-or-bust vibes, but if everything went his way, it could’ve been a massive game. Unfortunately, not much did.
KaVontae Turpin: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards| 2 Carries, 9 Yards
The box score doesn’t suggest it, but Turpin was more involved in this game than we would’ve expected. He’s obviously utilized in special teams, but he found his way to a decent snap share at WR. The speedster was also used in & as an extension of the run game, which could be a trend to follow given the question marks at depth behind Javonte.
Jalen Tolbert: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
Luke Schoonmaker: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Brevyn Spann-Ford: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 19/23, 152 Yards | 14 Carries, 62 Yards, 2 TDs
The most classic ‘Jalen Hurts box score’ you could imagine. Hurts didn’t throw an incompletion until less than 2 minutes left in the first half, and it was a throwaway pass after avoiding pressure. Neither of his rushing TDs came from the brotherly shove, and his mobility looked crisp all game. He definitely plays conservatively, but his deep ball to Jahan Dotson was a thing of beauty.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 18 Carries, 60 Yards, 1 TD | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 24 Yards
We might’ve expected a bigger game from the reigning OPOY, especially given the recent trade of Micah Parsons, but credit to Dallas’ defense for not allowing more than they did. We’re well aware of Saquon’s explosiveness, and we were teased with a few sprinkles of it here in Week 1 – a strong stiff arm and a one-handed catch. He didn’t appear to be on much of a snap count, but the other RBs did rotationally find the field.
Will Shipley: 3 Carries, 26 Yards
Shipley saw some decent field time in the first half, but there were reports that he may have sustained an injury that kept him out of the rest of the game. Shipley’s time on the field was decently productive, but probably not enough to warrant fantasy relevance without the absence of Saquon.
AJ Dillon: 3 Carries, 10 Yards
After Shipley was kept out of the first half, Dillon saw some field time – mostly in the 3rd quarter. His first carry was a bruiser, but the other two were stuffed for no gain. It was a close game, so Saquon continued to see most of the action as the game progressed.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
A.J. Brown: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
The cameras might not have shown it, but I have a feeling AJ made some solid progress on his current book of choice. In all seriousness, the defense made it a point not to allow AJ’s quick slants to be a factor in this game – each time Hurts looked his way, the outside backer had already gained enough width to condense the window. The first and only target to him came with under 2 minutes left in the game. We have our first stinker of the fantasy season. My apologies to any other fellow owners who share this pain with me.
DeVonta Smith: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 16 Yards
It was also an extremely quiet game for DeVonta, who only had a 6-yard catch in the first half. He had a quick out and a screen in the second half that would be the totality of his stat sheet. He often ran intermediate-level routes, but Hurts was under pressure and checked it down to Goedert or Saquon. My concerns are with the depth of Philly’s line, as Landon Dickerson left the game early with an injury.
Dallas Goedert: 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 44 Yards
With Hurts under pressure on nearly half of his drop-backs, Goedert was the go-to guy of the game. The Eagles play the game of ball possession and continual short gains to play keep away while wearing out the defense, and Goedert’s 100% catch rate points to how reliable he is in those short-area targets.
Jahan Dotson: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 59 Yards
It was a rewind of the Super Bowl – Dotson’s first catch came on a 51-yard bomb late in the second quarter that was a nice contested grab. He was also employed as a punt returner.
Kylen Granson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard