Even the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles, who won 16 of their last 17 games, including a Super Bowl, weren’t fully formed until October.

The Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys, 24-20, on Thursday night in the opening game of the NFL season, but it was a lot tougher than anticipated. And had CeeDee Lamb not dropped a couple of huge passes that were in his hands in the final minutes, they might not have won at all.

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The normally reliable Lamb had a massive drop on a deep pass in the final three minutes with the Eagles clinging to a four-point lead. Had Lamb held on, the Cowboys would have had the ball inside the 20-yard line with a chance to take a lead.

“Man, that’s terrible,” Lamb told reporters postgame of his four drops in the game, two of them happening on Dallas’ final drive. “I can’t point the finger at anybody else.”

The Eagles forced a turnover on downs, with Lamb again having a shot at a big play on fourth down, but the pass was a little too far and he couldn’t make a diving grab. (You can debate among yourselves if that last one could be called a “drop.”) It would have been a great catch, but he had a shot at it.

The Eagles held on for the win.

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It wasn’t the prettiest night for the Eagles on either side of the ball. Their defense had a rough first half after defensive tackle Jalen Carter was shockingly ejected before the first play from scrimmage for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Philly’s offense was able to move the ball in the first half, but had a difficult time in the second half and couldn’t put the game away when it had the chance.

Part of the problem was No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown was rarely found. He didn’t have a target until the final two minutes of the game, and finished with one catch. Saquon Barkley was fine, but his 60 rushing yards was well off his 2024 pace.

The Eagles were close to being upset at home after unveiling a championship banner. They got the win and will improve. And for a team that rarely had any issues after a slow start in September last season, there will be plenty to fix.

Both offenses start fast

The Cowboys suddenly didn’t have to worry about Carter, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Prescott said postgame that it changed their game plan. Dallas’ offense moved the ball easily on a defense that led the NFL in yards allowed last season and shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

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The Cowboys scored on each of their first four possessions, with two 1-yard touchdowns from Javonte Williams and two field goals. The Eagles got a touchdown from Saquon Barkley with 51 seconds left in the half, and last season’s defense would have probably taken that 21-17 lead into halftime. But the Eagles aren’t close to midseason form, especially without Carter, and allowed Prescott to put together a quick drive to give Brandon Aubrey a shot at a field-goal attempt. Aubrey hit it and the Cowboys trailed just 21-20 at halftime.

Luckily for the Eagles, their offense had no signs of a Super Bowl hangover. Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns, and neither one was on a tush push. He scrambled for a 4-yard score and an 8-yard score, and his 51-yard deep pass to Jahan Dotson set up Saquon Barkley’s 10-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the first half. That helped them keep up with the Cowboys, who were moving it very well.

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Even though the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last week, they still have talented players. If anyone tuning in expected a blowout by the reigning champions, they had a surprise.

Delay in 3rd quarter

Just before 10:30 p.m. ET, the game was delayed with 4:44 left in the third quarter due to lightning. The Eagles led 24-20 at that point. The delay lasted a little more than an hour, with the game resuming at 11:30 p.m.

The delay came right after Cowboys running back Miles Sanders lost a fumble at Philadelphia’s 11-yard line. That big play, right after Sanders had broken free for a 49-yard gain only to be caught from behind by linebacker Zack Baun for a touchdown-saving tackle, seemed to wake the Eagles’ defense up.

The Eagles forced a couple of punts right after the long delay. The Cowboys ‘defense also settled in and forced a couple of punts, but had to get another stop when the Eagles took possession with 4:43 left, leading 24-20. Dallas got a quick three-and-out, giving Prescott the ball again with 3:02 left and a chance to take a late lead.

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The Cowboys almost had a game-changing play in the final three minutes. Prescott threw a perfect pass deep downfield and Lamb dropped it. That would have set the Cowboys up inside the 20-yard line. But Lamb, one of the best receivers in the NFL, had it bounce off his hands and incomplete. Three plays later Prescott tried Lamb deep against the blitz, and Lamb had a shot at a diving catch but couldn’t haul it in. The Eagles took over possession and ran out the clock.

The Eagles were pushed by the Cowboys. Being tested like that isn’t something they experienced much last season.