Happy Victory Friday, Eagles fans! Check out some of the top stories following the Eagles' 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys in our Official Review, presented by AAA. ICYMI, check out Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro's 10 observations from the triumph and our in-depth Game Recap.

Jihaad Campbell makes a splash in NFL regular-season debut

Eagles first-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell made his debut playing for the team he grew up rooting for, and he made an impact right away.

Campbell had a pass breakup deep downfield and later combined with defensive tackle Byron Young to force a key fumble that helped flip the game.

"It was very special just to come out here and represent [the] Philadelphia Eagles organization," Campbell said. "My family, I appreciate them for coming out and supporting me. This brotherhood and this amazing staff that we have here, I'm blessed and I'm honored to be in this position that I'm in today. Everybody that was on the field was just trusting me and welcoming me to just be myself out there on the field."

Campbell played more than 90 percent of the defensive snaps, getting extended action next to Zack Baun. Baun missed a lot of Training Camp due to a back injury, limiting the reps they had together, but in the season opener, everything looked smooth between the two.

"I think it's just the mindset of the linebackers in our room in general and the standard that we play with, for our whole team, all around the board," Campbell said. "So once we got on the field, we understood the communication factor. We understood where to line up and just how to play together."

Teammates laud Zack Baun's hustle on game-changing tackle

When Miles Sanders broke a long run late in the third quarter, it looked like he might take it the distance. But All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun didn't give up the play, reaching 20.68 miles per hour, the fastest scrimmage run of his career, to track down the Cowboys' running back before the end zone.

Jihaad Campbell and Byron Young combined to forced a fumble on Sanders a few plays later, and that helped flip the game.

"He does it in practice, run to the ball," Campbell said postgame. "Even if the whistles blow and Saquon [Barkley], he's running all the way downfield, Zack is still chasing him just to get that conditioning, just to get that muscle memory in his brain. That's something that I admire."

Head Coach Nick Sirianni said that Baun had a "seven-point tackle" as Dallas didn't score for the rest of the game. His teammates also praised him for leading by example.

"That's the standard that we set," safety Reed Blankenship said. "Obviously, you can talk about (the standard) all you want, but when you put it on film, that's another thing. Zack's a heck of a player. That's why he's been voted captain – the effort, physicality, the mentality, he's got all the things you need. We listen to him, but just watching him chase that guy down, he's a freak."

Said defensive back Cooper DeJean: "It's big-time, especially with how that drive ended, being able to get that fumble and get the ball back to our offense, so that's huge. Coach (Sirianni) talked all week about relentless effort to the football, especially early in the season when things aren't going to be perfect or the way you want them to be with tackling, miscommunication, maybe someone missing an assignment, but relentless effort can help you out of those things and that's what he's been preaching."

Jake Elliott drills 58-yarder as special teams shines

Jake Elliott drilled a 58-yard field goal early in the second half with room to spare, in what ended up being three crucial points in the Eagles' win. Elliott made two long kicks against the Jets in the preseason finale and started the regular season on a high note.

"He's one of the most clutch guys I've ever been around," Head Coach Nick Sirianni said. "His mental toughness is something that kids and all sorts of athletes should study at all times and say, 'Man, how does this guy handle the ups and the downs?' Everyone's saying how bad he is (after some misses in 2024), and then he comes back and he responds. That's what it's about."

The Eagles' coverage units also had strong games, pinning the Cowboys deep in their own territory. The fourth quarter came down to a field position battle, and the Eagles won it on the backs of their special teams units.

"(Special Teams Coordinator) Michael Clay just did a great job with his plan today, and (Assistant Special Teams Coordinator) Joe Pannunzio and Tyler Brown [Special Teams Assistant], they did a great job of their plan," Sirianni said. "Braden (Mann) and Jake did a great job of placing the ball where it needed to. Our coverage units, I was really pleased with how we defeated blocks and how we tackled when we had to tackle because Braden put some placements on some balls that were really good."

Lane Johnson: 'One of the more memorable ones for me'

Lane Johnson joked that he watched the documentary on the Dallas Cowboys on Netflix to get ready for Thursday night's opener. The All-Pro and longest-tenured Eagle has been a part of some memorable chapters in the rivalry.

Thursday night's win was another for the history books.

"It's one of the more memorable ones for me," Johnson said. "It was an ugly win. I'll remember this game for a long time, but we'll take it.

The Eagles scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and added Jake Elliott's field goal on the fourth drive. In all, the Eagles rolled up 158 yards on the ground, converted 62 percent of their third-down opportunities, held the ball for nearly 35 minutes, and didn't turn the ball over.

"It was a slugfest. Those guys played tough. They always have. All the years I've been here, it's usually been back and forth," Johnson said. "We weren't as effective as we want to be in the run game, so I think moving forward we'll have to adjust until we find ways to combat it, that's what they're going to bring."

And, most importantly, the Eagles got the win ... against a division rival to kick off the season with a weekend to rest. Johnson appreciates the value of starting fast out of the gate, as the Eagles are now a perfect 5-0 in Head Coach Nick Sirianni's career in season openers.

"The first four or five weeks of the season are very pivotal," Johnson said. "You see what guys are going to do try and stop you and you try to counter-act what they're doing."

A.J. Brown came up in the game's biggest moment

Wide receiver A.J. Brown went more than 58 minutes without getting a target, but his first and only of the game came in a huge spot. Leading by four on the final drive with the Eagles facing a 2nd-and-11, Jalen Hurts found Brown for a 8-yard gain on the sideline, setting up Hurts' game-sealing scramble.

After the game, Hurts praised Brown for staying ready when his number was called.

"There are some things we got to be better at and great job by him staying patient and in the big moment, making a play, the most important play of the game in my eyes, and then we were able to get ourselves in a position to convert that third down and wind down the clock," Hurts said. "So great play by him."

Head Coach Nick Sirianni added postgame that the trio of Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert are selfless and know some games can present limited opportunities. They also know that some weeks it will be their turn to shine.

Brown only got one opportunity against the Cowboys, but he made it count in a big moment.

"That's something that I can't control," Brown said on the lack of targets. "The only thing I can control is what I do with the balls (that come my way)."

Jalen Carter takes responsibility for ejection

All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected before the first scrimmage snap for unsportsmanlike conduct after referees caught him spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

Carter took full responsibility for his actions in the locker room after the win.

"It's a mistake that happened on my side and it won't happen again," Carter said. "I feel bad for my teammates and the fans out there. I'm doing it for them. I'm doing it for my family also, but the fans, they show the most love."

Video showed that Prescott spit towards the defensive huddle to instigate the interaction with Carter, but the defensive tackle refused to use that as an excuse for his behavior. While he couldn't help on the field, Carter was able to support his teammates in the locker room during the 63-minute weather delay.

"You could tell he's absolutely gutted," tackle Lane Johnson said. "He's human. He's going to learn from his mistakes just like I did when I was a young player. The one thing I'll say is here at halftime and the break he was in here coaching guys up. He was in there being a great teammate. We wish we had him out there and he'll learn from this."

With Carter out, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo each played 50 snaps (89.3 percent), which were career highs for both players, with Byron Young contributing 21 snaps and helping with the forced fumble.