Which players do you think will be the difference, one way or another, in Week 1?
The beginning of the NFL regular season is coming soon. On September 4th, the Dallas Cowboys will visit the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles will surely celebrate their second championship since 2017 before the kickoff, the Cowboys will be in attendance and be an unwilling bystander for the celebration.
That said, the Cowboys could spoil the party by beating the Eagles in front of their home crowd and taking the first step in what they hope will be a championship season of their own. The Eagles boast a star-studded roster that features the likes of A.J. Brown, Saquon Barkley, and many others. However, the Eagles have a lot of depth, and many other players could impact the game. In our first edition of the opponent x-factor series, here’s a look at the Eagles players who could tip the scales on opening night.
Cam Jurgens, Center
Originally known as the replacement for Jason Kelce, Cam Jurgens has stepped out of the shadow of Kelce and carved out a pretty decent name for himself. Jurgens took over as the Eagles’ starting center after Kelce announced his retirement after the 2023 season. As expected, the Eagles continued using the Tush Push after Kelce’s retirement and for Jurgens and the Eagles, it’s been business as usual. It has been reported that last season, the Eagles converted 39 of their 48 attempts on the play for a success rate of 81.3%. After a solid campaign last year, Jurgens was named to the Pro Bowl and rewarded with a new 4-year, $68M contract.
To beat the Eagles, the Cowboys have to be ready to stop this play with Jurgens front and center. That said, Dallas also has to stop the Eagles from running the football on first and second down as well to deter the Eagles from doing the Tush Push in the first place. Dallas understands their shortcomings with stopping the run and how much their defensive tackles need to hold up in that area.
Per PFF, Jurgens graded out with a 68.5 run-blocking grade among centers. However, Jurgens isn’t nearly as effective as a pass blocker For Dallas to win, Jurgens has to be disrupted and prevented from seeing success in what he does best, reaching the second level of the defense. Jurgens is still a young player gaining playing experience. We’ll see if Matt Eberflus calls some twists or stunts to try to confuse Jurgens in pass protection.
Grant Calcaterra, Tight end
It’s the ones you least expect. Grant Calcaterra is far down the list of the type of players you expect to be prepared for when playing the Eagles. Again, that speaks to their depth. The fourth-year tight end brings a varied skillset that could play a factor if the Cowboys aren’t ready for everything they can throw at them. Calcaterra is arguably just as good a blocker as starting Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. Also, Calcaterra can make explosive plays when given space.
He’s got good speed for his size and can get downfield quickly. Last season, he started 13 games while Dallas Goedert battled injuries and the Eagles offense fared fairly well with Calcaterra in the starting role. He made the best of his opportunities and caught 24 passes for 298 yards, with his longest reception going for 34 yards against the Cleveland Browns. If the Cowboys show to be susceptible to the misdirection early, don’t be surprised to see the Eagles look to Calcaterra to make a play later in the game.
Azeez Ojulari, Edge rusher
At one time, Azeez Ojulari was thought to be an up-and-coming pass rush specialist for the New York Giants. While there were flashes, he never quite reached his potential in New York, and over the years the Giants added more edge rushers with higher ceilings making Ojulari expendable. He now finds himself with the Eagles who have two excellent defensive tackles inside to occupy blocks and afford Ojulari more opportunities at one-on-one matchups. For the Cowboys’ young offensive line, they will have their hands full versus Philadelphia.
It’s going to be all eyes on the offensive tackles especially. Tyler Guyton looks stronger than he did as a rookie and has taken a workman-like mindset in building from his 2024 season. Meanwhile, Terence Steele has proven to be a good run blocker but pass blocking has been an area he has struggled in. If the Cowboys can avoid being one-dimensional it takes away the impact Ojulari could have on the outcome and also lets Guyton and Steele play forward versus on their heels.
