Cowboys: Ex-Cowboys All-Pro makes feelings known on facing Saquon Barkley in 2025 season-opener on TNF

The Dallas Cowboys will take on the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, in their 2025 regular-season opener. The Eagles swept their NFC East rivals through two games a season ago during their 14-3 campaign, outscoring the Cowboys 75-13 through two games, their two largest margins of victory of the entire season.

Looking ahead to their first matchup of 2025, Cowboys legend Dez Bryant discussed how Dallas can upset Philadelphia at home on Thursday Night Football.

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"As long as we slow down Saquon Eugene Barkley, we'll be fine," Bryant said in a tweet.

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Bryant was responding to a tweet from a fan who called Dallas' talent into question, along with quarterback Dak Prescott's ability to maintain mental toughness. The former No. 24 pick played eight seasons for the Cowboys, making three trips to the Pro Bowl and earning one first-team All-Pro selection in 2014.

To Bryant's credit, Barkley torched the Cowboys in 2024. In two games, the rushing champion carried the ball 45 times for 233 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. In 2025, Barkley could eclipse 1,000 career rushing yards versus the Cowboys, entering the season with 814 yards through 12 matchups.

Cowboys enter season tied for fifth-toughest 2025 schedule

Making it to the postseason will be no small task for Brian Schottenheimer in his first year as Dallas' head coach. His Cowboys are coming into the new season with one of the hardest schedules of any team in the NFL.

The Cowboys are tied for the fifth-toughest schedule in the league. Their 2025 opponents posted a combined record of 161-128, tied with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Only the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles face tougher schedules.

Here is a look at Dallas' 2025 opponents as the team gears up to kick off its offseason programs in a couple of weeks.

Week 1 - @ Philadelphia Eagles*
Carolina Panthers - TBA
Chicago Bears - TBA
New York Giants* - TBA
Washington Commanders* - TBA
Green Bay Packers - TBA
Minnesota Vikings - TBA
Arizona Cardinals - TBA
LA Chargers - TBA
Denver Broncos - TBA
Detroit Lions - TBA
Las Vegas Raiders - TBA
New York Jets - TBA

* - Division matchup (two games)

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

Know More

Dallas Cowboys Fans! Check out the latest Cowboys Schedule and dive into the Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Alvin Amansec