Cowboys great Michael Irvin makes bold prediction for Week 1 starter vs Eagles

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin believes his former team will shock the NFL by defeating the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the season opener. His forecast comes as the Cowboys prepare for their first campaign under new coach Brian Schottenheimer.

Irvin, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who won three Super Bowls with Dallas, spent 12 seasons with the franchise as a standout wide receiver.

The former Cowboys star made his prediction during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday. Irvin went through the Cowboys' schedule game by game, starting with their high-profile Week 1 matchup.

"Week one, Dallas wins at Philadelphia. Philadelphia is getting pat on the back," Irvin said. "Pat on your back. Good job last year. And Dallas, with the new head coach, focuses in new players. They get down to the little things knocking them down, and they win that game. That's going to be the opener, Thursday night. That's going to send everybody crazy."

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This season opener, slated for September 4, will be Schottenheimer's first test as a coach, taking over the Cowboys that finished 7-10 in 2024. According to DallasCowboys.com, this is the first time since 2010 that Dallas will play games on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day in the same season.

Michael Irvin's remaining prediction signals Cowboys' resurgence

Dallas Cowboys Introduce Brian Schottenheimer as New Head Coach - Source: Getty

Michael Irvin didn't stop with his Week 1 prediction. He continued through the entire Cowboys schedule, painting a picture of a bounce-back season for Dallas. The Hall of Famer expects the Cowboys to start strong with wins against the Giants in Week 2 and the Bears in Week 3.

"Come on. All right. Yeah, we know that," Irvin said about facing the Giants, noting Dallas hasn't lost to New York since 2022.

For the Bears matchup, he added:

"Ben Johnson's gonna try to put in a lot of things … but Dallas wins early."

Michael Irvin predicts the Cowboys' first loss will come in Week 4 against the Packers. However, he sees the team rebounding with consecutive victories against the Jets and Panthers.

According to Irvin's prediction, Dallas will finish the regular season 12-5, defeating Washington at home, Denver, Arizona, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Los Angeles before winning against the Giants. He predicts defeats to the Packers, Eagles, and Chiefs in consecutive weeks (12-13), the Lions in Week 14, and at Washington in Week 17.

If Irvin's predictions hold, the Cowboys would secure a playoff berth.

About the author

Sanu Abraham is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda. As an avid football fan, he provides unique perspectives and novel ideas to the coverage of the sport and its many fascinating personalities.

His goal is to write lively and engaging articles that further demonstrate his expertise in the game. Sanu also has an exceptional ability to analyze team strategies and report on the latest developments on the field.

In addition to his sports writing, Sanu holds a postgraduate diploma in filmmaking and creative writing. As a firm believer in the power of storytelling and a keen observer, Sanu aims to document impactful moments through his passionate journalism and image-capturing.

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Edited by Krutik Jain