Dallas Cowboys Preseason Finale Recap & Season Opener Preview

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Finale Recap & Season Opener Preview

Cowboys Close Preseason with Win, Now Face Eagles in Season-Kickoff Clash

That’s more like it Milton! Much, much better performance Joe Milton III. Now you can take a well-earned seat next to Dak on the sideline where you hopefully won’t be needed again the rest of the season. Joe Milton III finally looked comfortable, prepared, and much more natural out there on the field. He played in a way that he can feel good about the rest of the season. It’s the kind of performance Cowboys fans having been waiting for and expecting to see. You just wanted to see some indication that Milton III could put a drive together that moved the chains and put points on the board without stalling out more often than not. I think Milton III showed that and then some, giving fans their first real chance to see what caused the Cowboys to spend draft picks to bring him to Dallas. Now, if all goes according to plan, hopefully we won’t see or hear about him again the rest of the season. Now he has the luxury to sit and soak up as much information as possible like a sponge, so that if he is ever needed, he’ll be ready. However, for now, I think Joe Milton III ended the preseason in a way that he can be proud of, and I’m happy for him about that.

Dallas wrapped up their preseason on a high note, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 31–13 behind another strong showing from QB Joe Milton III. With momentum on their side, eyes now turn to a challenging Week 1 match-up against their NFC East rivals, the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

As a Cowboys fan, it’s easy to forget that the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season. It seems like the Chiefs win every year, so even when they don’t, it still feels like they do. I probably blocked the memory already, or have a hard time believing it or something. It seems like just yesterday the Eagles still had zero Super Bowl trophies, and now they already have two. What is the deal? What kind of world are we living in? Some people think they even have a great chance to win again this year. Can you imagine them having three Super Bowl trophies in what feels like the blink of an eye? Talk about a nightmare for the rest of the NFC East. It makes it feel like they’re catching up to the Cowboys 5 quickly, or at least have the potential to.

With all that being said, the Cowboys have a great, “measuring stick,” game to test themselves with kicking off the season against the defending champ Eagles. They will have the ability to tell right off the bat how close or far away they are from having the ability to play with and beat last year’s champ. If they play well, they’ll gain confidence knowing they can play with anybody for the rest of the season. If they don’t play well, then they will learn how far away they are and what they need to work on.

Preseason Game 3 Recap: Cowboys vs. Falcons

Final Score: Cowboys beat the Falcons 31–13 in their preseason finale.

Offensive Highlights:

QB Joe Milton III accounted for two touchdowns: a rushing score and a passing TD, demonstrating marked improvement over the prior two games.

Jaydon Blue found the end zone early on a 1-yard rush, while rookie Phil Mafah added another touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Brandon Aubrey capped the half with a stunning 64-yard field goal and continued a flawless kicking streak.

Defensive & Roster Notes:

Shemar James intercepted a pass and aided with tackles; Robert Rochell also snagged an interception.

Rookie pass rusher James Houston made disruptive plays including a sack and a tackle for loss.

Broad improvements across the roster: Ryan Flournoy caught key passes and flashed in run support; the offense showed balance with both ground and aerial threats.

Emerging Contributors:

New faces like Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, James Houston, and Shemar James bolstered their cases for final roster spots.

Backup quarterback play looked much better with improved execution and command.
It has to make the team and fans feel better about their backup quarterback situation to see Joe Milton III play better, but I still wouldn’t rule out a more veteran option later in the year if a playoff spot is on the line.

Regular Season Game 1 Preview: Cowboys vs. Eagles

Matchup Info:

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles (defending Super Bowl champions)

Date & Time: Thu. 9/4/25 at 7:20pm CST

Storylines: A tough divisional showdown sets the tone for a season of expectations and rivalry between two teams with a shared history.

Team Context & Key Players:

Linebackers Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn are expected to play pivotal roles on defense, adding experience and scheme versatility.

Cowboys rookies to watch: OG Tyler Booker and edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku could contribute early; Shemar James and others could see rotational snaps after preseason flashes.

I know we didn’t see him play in the preseason, but from what I can tell, Dak looks great! He looks like he’s possibly in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in during his career. He looks like he has trimmed down some, and he just looks ready to go. Sometimes when God plans or permits a setback in a person’s life, it can propel them forward. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to his purpose.” I don’t know why Dak had to get injured last year, but I do hope it served a good purpose in Dak’s life and career. Dak was thrust into the starting role and had the weight of the team on his shoulders from pretty much the first moment he got here. He’s handled it and everything else in his life admirably. Most quarterbacks wouldn’t have been ready and able to step in and do what Dak did his rookie season. So, when I saw Dak sitting up above in the coach’s box last season looking down on the game from a different perspective and taking notes, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be good for him. I’m hoping it allowed him to just sit back without pressure and digest the game from a new perspective that he could then combine with his nearly ten years of experience. I hope it solidified some foundational things about the game that maybe he never had the chance to fully grasp during the start of his career when he was named the starter instead of sitting on the bench for years the way most quarterbacks do. The time he took recovering from his injury definitely looks like it was good for him physically. I hope it was good for him mentally and spiritually also. If it was, I think we might see the best version of Dak yet, or at least a very good combination of what he was as a rookie and the quarterback that he is now nearly ten years in the league.

Opponent Overview:

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts continues to be a dual-threat leader with poise and playmaking ability.

Their offense is efficient and opportunistic—even amid disruptions—making them a challenging opening opponent.

Final Thoughts

Dallas enters the regular season with positive momentum—thanks to a confident preseason finale and real emergence of depth. But a stiff test awaits against the Eagles. Can the Cowboys ride the wave of emotions on opening night with so many new faces in new places doing things for the first time? Or will Philadelphia’s championship-level execution expose them early and often?

Everybody undoubtedly expects the Eagles to win. However, the Cowboys may enter the game with the more interesting storylines, because you just have no idea what this version of the team will look like. There are so many new players and coaches, especially the head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, and most of the starters did not play in the preseason. So, what will this year’s version of the Dallas Cowboys look like? Your guess is as good as mine. It will be fun to find out though, and thankfully we won’t have to wait long since they play the very first game of the season on opening night! We’ll all find out together!