A look at the Dallas Cowboys’ record in season openers
The Cowboys have a stellar record in their NFL campaign kick-offs, but face high-calibre opposition on the league’s opening night.
The Dallas Cowboys must beat the odds today if they’re to protect their historic record in season openers, as the NFL returns for the 2025 campaign.
In Brian Schottenheimer’s debut as an NFL head coach, the Cowboys visit the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, on the league’s curtain-raising night.
Stepping up from his previous role as Dallas’s offensive coordinator, Schottenheimer replaced Mike McCarthy in January, after a 2024 campaign in which the Cowboys failed to make the postseason.
What is the Cowboys’ record in NFL season openers?
Since joining the league in 1960, Dallas has posted a 41-23-1 record in its opening games of the season. As is noted by the NFL insider John McMullen, this is the highest winning percentage in the league.
The Cowboys’ unparalleled record is thanks, chiefly, to a 17-game victory streak in campaign kick-offs between 1965 and 1981.
Dallas heads into the 2025 season on a two-game winning sequence in Week 1 encounters, having earned a blowout triumph over the New York Giants in 2023 (40-0), before beginning 2024 by beating the Cleveland Browns in commanding fashion (33-17).
What’s more, Dallas boasts a 3-1 all-time record against the Eagles on the season’s opening weekend. And in its overall series with Philadelphia, the team leads 74-58, per Pro Football Reference.
But the Cowboys, who last week traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, are the clear underdogs in Philadelphia today.
What are the Cowboys’ odds vs the Eagles tonight?
Schottenheimer’s men have moneyline odds of +350 for victory in Pennsylvania, per Oddschecker. Meanwhile, the Eagles are valued as firm favorites on -430.
Philadelphia, who in February won the second Super Bowl title in franchise history, have certainly held the upper hand in their most recent meetings with the Cowboys.
In each of the teams’ two matchups in the 2024 regular season, Nick Sirianni’s men powered to comprehensive victories: in Week 10, the Eagles won 34-6 in Texas; and at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 17, Philadelphia triumphed by an even greater margin, thumping the Cowboys 41-7.
The Cowboys’ season-opening record in full:
- 2024: at Browns - W (33-17)
- 2023: at Giants - W (40-0)
- 2022: Buccaneers - L (3-19)
- 2021: at Buccaneers - L (29-31)
- 2020: at Rams - L (17-20)
- 2019: Giants - W (35-17)
- 2018: at Panthers - L (8-16)
- 2017: at Giants - W (19-3)
- 2016: at Giants - L (19-20)
- 2015: Giants - W (27-26)
- 2014: 49ers - L (17-28)
- 2013: Giants - W (36-31)
- 2012: at Giants - W (24-17)
- 2011: at Jets - L (24-27)
- 2010: at Washington - L (7-13)
- 2009: at Buccaneers - W (34-21)
- 2008: at Browns - W (28-10)
- 2007: Giants - W (45-35)
- 2006: at Jaguars - L (17-24)
- 2005: at Chargers - W (28-24)
- 2004: at Vikings - L (17-35)
- 2003: Falcons - L (13-27)
- 2002: at Texans - L (10-19)
- 2001: Buccaneers - L (6-10)
- 2000: Eagles - L (14-41)
- 1999: at Washington - W (41-35)
- 1998: Cardinals - W (38-10)
- 1997: at Steelers - W (37-7)
- 1996: at Bears - L (6-22)
- 1995: at Giants - W (35-0)
- 1994: at Steelers - W (26-9)
- 1993: at Washington - L (16-35)
- 1992: Washington - W (23-10)
- 1991: at Browns - W (26-14)
- 1990: Chargers - W (17-14)
- 1989: at Saints - L (0-28)
- 1988: at Steelers - L (21-24)
- 1987: at Cardinals - L (13-24)
- 1986: Giants - W (31-28)
- 1985: Washington - W (44-14)
- 1984: at Rams - W (20-13)
- 1983: at Washington - W (31-30)
- 1982: Steelers - L (28-36)
- 1981: at Washington - W (26-10)
- 1980: at Washington - W (17-3)
- 1979: at Cardinals - W (22-21)
- 1978: Colts - W (38-0)
- 1977: at Vikings - W (16-10)
- 1976: Eagles - W (27-7)
- 1975: Rams - W (18-7)
- 1974: at Falcons - W (24-0)
- 1973: at Bears - W (20-17)
- 1972: Eagles - W (28-6)
- 1971: at Bills - W (49-37)
- 1970: at Eagles - W (17-7)
- 1969: Cardinals - W (24-3)
- 1968: Lions - W (59-13)
- 1967: at Browns - W (21-14)
- 1966: Giants - W (52-7)
- 1965: Giants - W (31-2)
- 1964: Cardinals - L (6-16)
- 1963: Cardinals - L (7-34)
- 1962: Washington - T (35-35)
- 1961: Steelers - W (27-24)
- 1960: Steelers - L (28-35)
Cowboys vs Eagles: when, where, how to watch?
The Dallas Cowboys visit the Philadelphia Eagles today, Thursday September 4, with kick-off at Lincoln Financial Field scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch the Week 1 game on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo and NFL+. You can stream NBC, Telemundo and Universo on fubo, which offers new users a free trial.
Dallas vs Philadelphia live with AS USA
You will also have the option of following live-text coverage of the Cowboys vs the Eagles right here at AS USA. Jen Bubel will be talking you through all the action in Pennsylvania
When did the Cowboys last win the Super Bowl?
With five Super Bowl titles, the Cowboys are the joint-second most-successful team in NFL history, behind only six-time champions the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers
However, Dallas lifted the last of their quintet of Vince Lombardi Trophies back in 1995.
Since beating the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX, the Cowboys haven’t even made it back to the NFC Championship Game. The best they have managed in the postseason has been the Divisional playoffs (in 1996, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022).
Ahead of the 2025 season, Dallas is priced back at +6000 to end its Super Bowl title drought, according to Oddschecker. Philadelphia is rated among the favorites, at +700.
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