Cowboys’ biggest weakness is clear - and the Eagles have the perfect weapons to exploit it
The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 1 with major concerns at cornerback, which doesn’t bode well at all against the Philadelphia Eagles’ dangerous offense.
The NFL season kicks off this Thursday with the defending Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles couldn’t ask for a better matchup to open the season. On Thursday night, Jalen Hurts and one of the NFL’s most dangerous receiving corps will face a Cowboys secondary that’s already limping into Week 1.
Eagles WRs poised to feast on Cowboys’ injury-riddled secondary
The Cowboys’ cornerback depth chart is a mess. Trevon Diggs is trying to return from a torn ACL in 2023 and a knee procedure earlier this year. Even if he suits up, there’s no telling how close he’ll be to the ballhawk who once terrorized opposing quarterbacks. DaRon Bland, who broke out with nine interceptions in 2023, battled a foot fracture last season and hasn’t looked like the same playmaker since. New addition Kaiir Elam, once a first-round pick in Buffalo, arrives in Dallas with plenty of speed but even more question marks after flaming out with the Bills.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs said he did everything in practice today. No limitations. He wouldn't commit to being on the field against the Eagles. He said it would be depend on how he feels. He didn't rule it out. But he feels good. His knee is ready.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 31, 2025
Behind them, the Cowboys don’t have much. Injuries have wiped out most of the depth, leaving the Cowboys with a mix of waiver pickups and special teams bodies. It’s hardly the safety net you want against A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson.
That trio gives the Eagles every type of weapon. Brown is a nightmare after the catch and a bully at the catch point. Smith is one of the NFL’s best route runners. Dotson, acquired in the offseason, adds yet another reliable option who can stretch defenses vertically. Hurts won’t lack for matchups to exploit.
A.J. Brown Set To Play Week 1
— Draft Sharks (@DraftSharks) September 1, 2025
"Hell yeah," Eagles WR A.J. Brown said Sunday when asked whether he'll play in Thursday night's season opener vs. the Cowboys. Brown missed most of August with a hamstring injury, but it always seemed like the Eagles were playing it extra sa... pic.twitter.com/tqT91Ubdcm
The Cowboys know this is a problem, and their best hope might be that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus can scheme up enough help to hide it. But when you’re leaning on a corner fresh off knee surgery, another coming off an injury-lost season, and a reclamation project who couldn’t crack Buffalo’s rotation, “hiding it” only goes so far.
Simply put, this might be the single biggest mismatch on the field Thursday night. The Eagles’ wide receivers already posed headaches for healthy defenses last season. Against a secondary this banged up, it could get ugly in a hurry.
If Dallas can’t hold up on the outside, it won’t matter how much their defensive line improves or how dynamic CeeDee Lamb looks on the other side of the ball. The Eagles have the firepower to turn this opener into a statement, and it may start with their receivers roasting a Cowboys secondary that isn’t ready for what’s coming.
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