The primary Dallas Cowboys sport of the season is within the books, with a gut-wrenching loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that kicked off the 2025 season with the NFC East within the highlight. This might be a well-recognized place for a division the Cowboys hope to get again to contending on this season, and so too might be a variety of “open Sundays” for Cowboys followers.
We’re properly conscious that many Cowboys followers have their very own traditions and rituals that make a Cowboys Sunday particular, myself and colleagues included, however every so often there’s something uniquely gratifying about being open to look at extra of the motion across the NFL, and achieve this a bit extra stress free in comparison with when watching America’s Crew.
These Sundays are most noticeable when the Cowboys play on both a Thursday or Monday, which they are going to do 5 extra occasions this season together with on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but in addition when the Cowboys play a Sunday evening sport leaving the early and late afternoon kickoffs open for Dallas followers “ready all day for Sunday evening”. This provides two extra video games to the full this season, with the Cowboys internet hosting the Packers on SNF in week 4 and the Vikings in week 15.
So, what are some issues which may peak the curiosity of Cowboys followers watching on the sofa proper out of the gate this season on its first Sunday? Listed here are a few video games of notice.
Early kickoff: New York Giants at Washington Commanders
That is an apparent place to begin for thus many causes. By the top of week one, the complete NFC East can have seen how they fared towards one in all their closest rivals. The Cowboys got here up 4 factors brief towards the Eagles, and now the staff the Eagles hosted in final yr’s convention championship will begin the season at house towards the Giants.
Some Cowboys followers could also be watching this sport with extra of an curiosity in what the Commanders will appear like in yr two underneath Dan Quinn and with Jayden Daniels at quarterback, in addition to a participant that’s been a thorn of their facet prior to now, Deebo Samuel. The highway staff is subsequent week’s opponent coming to AT&T Stadium, and if the Cowboys are going to proceed their dominance towards the Giants, they’ll must do it towards a brand new quarterback.
Russell Wilson might be making his debut for the Giants on this early kickoff sport. Wilson wasn’t precisely the reply for the Pittsburgh Steelers final yr (who the Cowboys didn’t face once they beat the Steelers both), however he provides a degree of viability at crucial place within the sport the Giants haven’t had in a while. Mobility additionally isn’t his sturdy go well with anymore, however given the Cowboys’ defensive struggles towards Jalen Hurts scrambling within the opening loss, it is going to be one thing to regulate just a bit bit.
The Commanders swept the Giants final season with a 21-18 win in week two and 27-22 win on the highway in week 9.
Afternoon kickoff: Detroit Lions at Inexperienced Bay Packers
Whether or not or not Micah Parsons goes to make his debut for the inexperienced and gold on this sport stays up within the air, with the go rusher formally listed as questionable. Even studying that there is perhaps extra than simply gamesmanship occurring when it got here to the timing of Parsons’ again harm relative to his standing with the Cowboys pre-trade has not utterly quenched the flames of Dallas followers nonetheless upset about Parsons not being in blue and white. His presence was actually missed towards the Eagles, with the Cowboys making good on their aim of being higher towards the run, however missing Parsons’ pace to chase down Hurts at different occasions.
If Parsons does play on this sport, the native DFW space received’t have a tough time tuning into the NFC North battle.
Past the low hanging fruit that’s the Parsons storyline on this sport, in a extra common sense all Cowboys followers no matter their ideas on the commerce must be rooting towards the Packers for the foreseeable future. Dallas owns their subsequent two first-round picks.
This sport can be a gathering of groups which have been within the playoffs the final two seasons, with younger rosters seeking to construct endurance throughout the NFC. The Cowboys will see the Packers shortly after in week 4 at house. The NFC North was probably the most aggressive division in soccer in 2024, and just like the NFC East, they are going to undergo week one all taking part in one another. Vikings at Bears places a bow on week one on Monday Evening Soccer.
The Lions swept the season sequence towards the Packers for the second time in three years final season as a part of their 15-win marketing campaign, and have received three in a row at Lambeau Area. The strain is firmly on the Packers to take the following step this yr, they usually’ll be examined straight away towards the Lions.
Early kickoff: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
We go from a former Cowboys participant making his debut elsewhere, to a former coach making his debut as a head coach for the primary time. Kellen Moore’s first sport with the New Orleans Saints comes at house towards the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The Saints are one of many groups projected to be in competition for the primary total decide this yr, and whether or not or not that’s truthful to a coach who was simply the Tremendous Bowl-winning offensive coordinator (in Philadelphia) will begin to be came upon in week one. The Cardinals misplaced 5 of their final seven video games a season in the past, so this is perhaps an early alternative for the Saints to get a win that will nonetheless come as a shock. They’re a 6.5-point underdog at house on FanDuel.
As offensive coordinator for the Eagles, Moore was in a position to lean into the run sport because of Saquon Barkley in methods the Cowboys might solely dream of throughout his time in Dallas. Will probably be fascinating to see the following evolution of Moore’s offense with one more roster the place his finest talent participant is within the backfield with Alvin Kamara. The Saints additionally named the cell Spencer Rattler their week one starter. Rattler began six video games a season in the past as a fifth-round decide. Former Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks might be one in all Rattler’s targets on this sport.
The Saints are the rationale this sport is on the watch record, however the Cowboys additionally will see the Cardinals this yr in week 9 on Monday Evening Soccer.
Early kickoff: Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
At first look, this sport being the ultimate one on the record would possibly really feel utterly out of left discipline. Enable me to elucidate, as a result of there are literally numerous connections to the Cowboys in Jacksonville on Sunday.
For starters, it is a battle of two groups that drafted large receivers (at the very least partially for the Jags) within the first spherical of this yr’s draft. This was a place the Cowboys have been anticipated to focus on, and never solely did the primary spherical not enable them to take action, thanks largely to the Panthers drafting Tetairoa McMillan eighth total, however they got here away from the draft with out a single rookie receiver. How a lot the Cowboys might be haunted by this stays to be seen, as they struggled to get contributions exterior any receivers previous CeeDee Lamb in week one.
The Jaguars drafted uber-athlete Travis Hunter second total in a trade-up scenario, a participant that loads of followers from across the league will need to tune in to see just a little little bit of how Jacksonville plans on utilizing him – each on offense and protection. This might be one of many important duties for a fellow first-time head coach to Brian Schottenheimer for the Cowboys, Liam Coen with the Jaguars. Coen is equally getting his first shot at a head job after being an assistant coach within the NFL on and off since 2018, and spending final season as offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers.
When Travis Hunter is on the sphere defensively for the Jaguars, he might be teamed up with longtime Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis who left in free company this March. They are going to be tasked with defending one other former Cowboy as properly, working again Rico Dowdle who emerged final season. The Cowboys didn’t have many notable gamers depart in free company this offseason, however Lewis and Dowdle have been two of them, and in a a lot lesser sense backup lineman Chuma Edoga can be now with the Jaguars.
Additionally in a really bizarre scheduling quirk, week six on the highway this yr for the Cowboys would be the third yr in a row they play the Panthers. They’re a staff trending in the correct route that’s confirmed to be pesky earlier than, and for week one they journey to a staff seeking to lastly put all of it collectively round Trevor Lawrence and compete within the AFC South.
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