Cowboys-Eagles Thriller Highlighted by Dak Prescott’s Brilliant Return Performance

When the Dallas Cowboys faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, many believed they had no chance to win the game. Dallas entered Week 1 as the biggest underdog (+8.5 points) of any team on the entire slate.

While the Cowboys ultimately did not pull off the upset over the defending champs, Dallas played much better than many expected they would. If CeeDee Lamb was able to haul in one of the three passes he dropped in the fourth quarter, there’s plenty of reason to believe the Cowboys would have pulled off the shocking upset.

Despite the loss, there was plenty to be excited about. Many Cowboys exceeded expectations on Thursday night, but none did so more than Dallas’ quarterback Dak Prescott. The 32-year-old looked like his old All-Pro self, earning him this week’s game ball.

After his season-ending hamstring injury last season, some doubted whether Prescott would still have the mobility that made him such a weapon for the first nine seasons of his NFL career. The signal-caller put that narrative to rest Thursday night, looking every bit as comfortable and elusive in the pocket as he possibly could.

While Dallas’s offensive line played well, Prescott still faced some consistent pressure, especially in the second half. The former All-Pro was pressured 13 times during the contest but did not get sacked once. Prescott was able to consistently keep plays alive and avoid sacks time and time again throughout the night.

On the surface, Prescott’s stats from Thursday night (21-0f-34 for 188 yards) may not look all that impressive, but they clearly don’t tell the whole story. Prescott made four big-time throws (according to Pro Football Focus) over the course of the game, and was PFF’s highest-graded offensive player of the contest (90.0) on either side.

As mentioned above, if CeeDee Lamb hauls in one of Prescott’s perfect passes late in the fourth quarter, Dallas’ quarterback’s outstanding return would be the talk of every sports show all weekend long.

Given Prescott’s recent injury history and advanced age for his position, there are valid reasons to be concerned about whether he can stay healthy and on the field for the entirety of this 2025 season. If, however, he’s able to do so, there’s no denying he will be one of the most productive quarterbacks in football.

It’s clear that last season, Prescott’s shortcomings were more a product of Dallas’ inability to build around him on offense rather than plain poor performance from the quarterback himself. It’s extremely early, but on Thursday night in Philadelphia, Prescott looked like the guy who finished second in MVP voting back during the 2023 season.

If Dak Prescott can maintain this level of performance throughout the regular season, the Cowboys will win plenty of games and have one of the most productive offenses in football.