Cowboys vs. Eagles suspended: What time will Eagles vs. Cowboys restart? Latest update after lightning delay in season opener

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were having themselves an exciting Kickoff Game on Thursday that saw eight straight scoring drives until a forced fumble ended the streak. And then, it all came to a halt.

Shortly after Quinyon Mitchell stole the ball off a Jihaad Campbell strip on Miles Sanders, reports came in that lightning strikes had been seen in the vicinity of Lincoln Financial Field, forcing the game to be stopped.

In the aftermath, The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov revealed that play would not be expected to resume until around 11:30 pm ET, 15 minutes after the lightning strikes were hoped to cease:

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This is not the first time a Cowboys road game has been affected by adverse weather. Last season, their visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers started late after a hailstorm hit the city just before kickoff.

They would win 20-17 after Dak Prescott found Jalen Tolbert for a touchdown with only 20 seconds left.

What is the NFL's lightning policy? Weather delay rules explored

The NFL has no policy regarding games being delayed due to lightning strikes. However, the following is a summary from the “GUIDELINES ON HANDLING PRACTICES AND CONTESTS DURING LIGHTNING OR THUNDER DISTURBANCES” jointly issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC).

As soon as lightning is heard or seen, play is suspended immediately. The delay shall last around 30 minutes, and any lightning strikes heard during this interval will reset the clock. Play may resume only after lightning activity ceases after 30 minutes.

During the delay, all players, related team personnel, and spectators must head to a designated safe place. According to the NFHS and SMAC, this can be any fully enclosed establishment with plumbing and wiring, like a school.

Lightning-detection devices or mobile phone apps may be used to decide to suspend play in case a lightning strike occurs within 10 miles of the event location. However, they must have been independently verified beforehand, and even then, witnesses are expected to prioritize actual visual sight and hearing of lightning over information that may be gleaned from such devices and apps.

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

Know More

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Edited by Andre Castillo