The Dallas Cowboys opened the 2025 NFL regular season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
No one knew what to expect from the Cowboys, especially on the defense, after they traded superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last week. Without Parsons, Dallas knows that one player can’t make up for the loss of production, and that everyone will have to contribute.
That said, if there’s one silver lining from the Week 1 loss on the defensive side of the ball, it was the play of second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
The former second-round pick had a good performance against the Eagles, racking up three combined tackles, a quarterback hit, and his first career sack. Kneeland’s sack came at the perfect timeas it forced the Eagles into a 3rd and 18, and ultimately, they had to settle for a long 58-yard field goal.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott converted the kick from that distance, but it doesn’t take away that Kneeland was able to put Philly’s offense in a tough spot. In addition to his sack, the former Western Michigan standout also did a good job in helping to stop the run against superstar RB Saquon Barkley in the second half.
The Eagles' running back, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry in the first half, was held to one yard on seven carries during the second half after the weather delay. Kneeland and the rest of the defensive line did a great job winning at the line of scrimmage and getting into the backfield.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kneeland had the third-highest defensive grade among Dallas players at 73.1, behind safeties Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson. Kneeland posted a 73.2 run defense grade, along with three stops.
Meanwhile, his pass rush grade was 59.6, which isn’t spectacular, but the highest pass rush grade by a Cowboys lineman was 65.7 (Kenny Clark). That said, if you’re defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, this is a good foundation to start with for Kneeland, who has the talent to be a playmaker off the edge.
Now, let’s see if he can carry his performance from Week 1 over to Week 2 against the New York Giants, who will be visiting AT&T Stadium.