Eagles edge Cowboys in thrilling season opener

Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles overcame the loss of an ejected player and a rain delay to open the NFL season with a 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles had to stop a Cowboys threat in the closing stages of the game. They were leading 24-20 with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter when the game was halted for 1:05 due to lightning in the area around Lincoln Financial Field.

Dak Prescott threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-3 with 1:54 remaining in the game, ending Dallas' final comeback attempt. He passed for 188 yards.

The inaugural match between two bitter rivals had it all.

Hurts wore down a Cowboys defense missing Micah Parsons, who was traded off the season. The Eagles quarterback ran touchdowns of four and eight yards.

And it didn't require the tush push, the controversial play the Eagles used last season on their short drives and which was ratified as legal by the NFL for this season.

Saquon Barkley also ran for a 10-yard touchdown, though his final haul of 60 yards was minuscule compared to last season, when he topped 2,000.

Hurts celebrated a touchdown by throwing the ball into the stands and shrugging his shoulders like his friend and mentor, Michael Jordan, who received a standing ovation when it was shown on the giant screen.

Before the game, Hurts, Barkley, and the rest of the Eagles remained in the locker room during a ceremony to raise the 2024 championship banner. Coach Nick Sirianni doesn't want the players to be distracted this year by last year's accomplishments. Jalen Carter returned to the locker room early.

Prescott and Carter argued after the opening kickoff, and Carter spit on Prescott's jersey before backing away. The quarterback quickly pointed out the incident to a nearby official, who threw a flag and ejected Carter.

The fans booed as Carter slowly walked away. The standout defensive tackle held his helmet in his hands behind his back.

Social media detectives analyzed the play to see if Prescott, in fact, spit first.

Either way, Carter could face a hefty financial penalty, if not worse, in the first major test of the NFL's promised increased emphasis on fair play this season.