The Philadelphia Eagles spent the offseason retooling their offense. New coordinator. New scheme. New weapons at receiver and a shiny new running back in Saquon Barkley. On paper, it looks like a team trying to stay ahead of a division that keeps getting tougher.
But there’s a real fear inside the building that the Dallas Cowboys might be the ones hitting their stride right now, not the Eagles. ESPN’s Tim McManus laid out the concern plainly: the Eagles’ offense could take a while to click, and the Cowboys’ offense already looks ready to roll.
“The Eagles’ overhaul on offense will certainly add some much-needed flavor and should lead to more receivers being schemed open and more lanes for Barkley to barrel through over time,” McManus wrote. “There could also be some significant growing pains, seeing as it can take players a full season to acclimate to a new system.”
That part matters. Because while the offense learns on the job, the defense might need to carry the team. And the Cowboys? Their offense is essentially the same unit that lit up scoreboards last season. Dallas also hired a new defensive coordinator, Mike Parker, who the Eagles know well. Parker was previously their linebackers coach. Now he’s scheming against them twice a year.
The receiver room is a question mark
Philadelphia’s wide receiver depth chart looks solid in theory. In practice, it’s unproven. DeVonta Smith has never been a true WR1 in the NFL. He’ll have to prove he can handle that role now that A.J. Brown is gone. Behind him, rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon is slotted as WR2, and Dontayvion Wicks — acquired in a trade with Green Bay — rounds out the starting group.
Then there’s the depth. Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, and Darius Cooper are fine players, but none of them scream reliable Plan B if Lemon or Wicks struggle. Brown could end up starting by Week 4 if things go sideways. That’s not where a team with Super Bowl expectations wants to be.
New scheme, old question marks at quarterback
Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is installing a system with more motion and more under-center looks. That’s a major shift for Jalen Hurts, who has now had seven different playcallers in six-plus seasons as a pro. Some quarterbacks adapt fast. Some don’t.
There’s no guarantee Hurts will seamlessly pick up the new system and replicate his 2025 production. And if he doesn’t, the defense is going to feel the pressure. The Cowboys’ offense, by contrast, has continuity and a coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer who has been with the team for years. They know what they are.
Dallas also has a defense that, while undergoing its own adjustments, has a coordinator with inside knowledge of Philly’s personnel. That’s not nothing. It could be the difference in a division that might come down to a single game.
Fans online have already started buzzing about the shift in power. Some Eagles supporters are optimistic the new offense will click early. Others are bracing for a slow start while Dallas jumps out to a lead in the NFC East race. Either way, this feels like a season where one team could take a step back while the other hits its stride.
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