Stephen A. Smith Sounds Off on Dallas Cowboys After Eagles Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 1:27 PM ET

The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles edged the Dallas Cowboys 24-20 at Lincoln Financial Field in a Thursday night opener that included a 65-minute lightning delay and a first-quarter ejection of Eagles DT Jalen Carter for spitting on Dak Prescott.

Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns (four and eight yards), Saquon Barkley added a 10-yard score and Jake Elliott hit a 58-yard field goal. Dallas led 17-14 late in the second quarter behind two Javonte Williams goal-line TDs and a 53-yard Brandon Aubrey kick, but the Cowboys were held scoreless after halftime as Philadelphia’s defense forced Dallas' first punt and then closed it out in the fourth.

On Friday, during an episode of "First Take," Stephen A. Smith, reacting to Thursday’s game, said his expectations for the Cowboys "haven’t really changed," adding he still pictures Dallas around third in the NFC East and "out of the playoffs or one of the last ones in" partly because of the Parsons departure and continuing front-office questions.

Dan Orlovsky pushed back, asking for a yes/no on whether Dallas is a playoff team; Smith answered "No," while also praising Prescott’s and the receiving corps' performance.

Jerry Jones’ Micah Parsons trade to Green Bay and Expectations After Week 1

In the week leading into the opener, Dallas traded All-Pro edge Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and Pro Bowl DT Kenny Clark; Green Bay then signed Parsons to a four-year deal reported at $188 million, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

On Thursday, Jerry Jones publicly framed the move as "based on mathematics" when speaking on CNBC's "Closing Bell: Overtime," arguing the capital could fund "five of maybe the very best players as you could get in the NFL" and diversify on-field availability.

Critics countered that Dallas diminished its defensive ceiling, with ESPN's Adam Schefter saying Jones could likely have asked for (at least) another third-round pick to close out the deal.

I think Jerry Jones could've got another first round pick for Micah Parsons..

"I think the Packers would've thrown in another pick at the very end if the deal was close" @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nFpKhUqw1g
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 4, 2025

Steven Ruiz of "The Ringer" compared the swap unfavorably to past Dallas blockbusters, noting it undercut near-term contention in a year when the team had already committed major deals to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

Jones, meanwhile, cited run defense and roster building, with Clark as an anchor, as part of the rationale while acknowledging the cost trajectory of paying Parsons at market-setting levels.

Preseason betting and projections placed Dallas around third in the NFC East with playoff odds trailing Philadelphia and the Washington Commanders, though some analysts outlined a plausible path if Prescott stayed healthy and Schottenheimer’s offense clicked.

Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna's game-by-game forecast saw early adversity in Philadelphia but left room for a midseason climb, posting their final record at 10-7.

After Thursday's loss, ESPN BET has the Cowboys projected win total at just 7.5, projecting a record between 7-10 and 8-9, which would likely leave them outside of the playoff picture.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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