You hear coaches and players say it all the time: You win as a team and you lose as a team in the game of football. It's the truth, because a game doesn't "come down to one play," or one player. It is all about T-E-A-M, and a great illustration of that is the way the Eagles beat Dallas on Thursday night to open the 2025 season.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was a dominant player and he is a prime reason for the NFC East victory, but there were many under-the-radar players who contributed. Let's take a look at some of those players …

1. DT Jordan Davis

The fourth-year defensive tackle played one of the best games of his NFL career in the opener. He recorded six total tackles, one for loss, and added some pass-rush pressure, and he stepped up with Jalen Carter out of the game. Davis played stout against the run, was consistent with his pad level, and kept his energy level high, playing 53 snaps.

2. WR Jahan Dotson

The rise we saw in the summer translated to the start of the regular season for Dotson, a key piece in the Eagles' offense as a slot receiver. He hauled in a perfectly thrown 51-yard pass from Hurts to convert a third-and-6 situation and the catch led to a touchdown by running back Saquon Barkley just before halftime. Look for more from Dotson moving forward.

3. RB Will Shipley

It is clear, at least from the first game, that the Eagles want to utilize all of the talent in their offensive backfield. There is more than just Barkley back there, and Shipley and A.J. Dillon are likely to be factors moving forward. Shipley was productive in the early going with three carries for 26 yards, including a gain of 20 yards on a swing pass that was executed perfectly. Shipley's night ended early when he went out with a rib injury, but the early production is an indication of what he can provide to the offense.

4. S/Special teamer Sydney Brown

Brown played 14 snaps rotating with Andrew Mukuba at safety alongside Reed Blankenship and played well there, and he also led a very strong kickoff coverage team working against a dynamic Dallas kickoff return game. We saw a lot of big kickoff returns on Sunday as nearly 80 percent of the kickoffs were returned in Week 1, but Dallas averaged only 20.2 yards on five returns. Brown had one tackle and one assist in a great effort by the entire coverage unit.

5. LB Jihaad Campbell

Three total tackles, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. That is the statistical line for Campbell, playing in his first NFL game. He did a lot more than that, moving from off-ball linebacker to edge player, showing versatility, playing with speed and recognition and fitting in perfectly with a defense that shut out the Cowboys in the second half of the game. The best part of all of this: Campbell is only going to get better and better.

6. P Braden Mann

Imagine staying on the sidelines for the entire first half and into the second half and then, after a long weather delay, being counted on to make some huge-moment punts. That's what it was like for Braden Mann, who other than doing an excellent job holding on Jake Elliott's kicks – including that booming 58-yarder (tied for second longest in Week 1 through Sunday) that would have been good from at least 65 yards – came on late in the second half and delivered a 51-yard punt that Dallas fair caught and flipped the field late in the third quarter, a 44-yarder that bounced out of bounds at the Dallas 11-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, and another 51-yarder that flipped the field and rolled out of bounds at the Cowboys' 18-yard line with 3:02 remaining in the game. Three punts, 48.7-yard gross average, 48.7-yard net average. Outstanding.

7. LB Zack Baun

It is hard to say that he is "under the radar," because Baun is already one of the very best linebackers in the NFL. But on this night, his big play was chasing down running back Miles Sanders after a 49-yard gain and keeping him from going the distance. A few plays later, the Eagles forced and recovered a Sanders fumble, keeping Dallas from putting more points on the board. Baun was active in the coverage game, and he led the defense with nine total tackles, one for a loss of yardage.

8. WRs DeVonta Smith/A.J. Brown

Neither receiver was particularly active in the passing game in the opener, but they sure made a difference blocking in the running game as the Eagles piled up 158 rushing yards and three touchdowns to beat Dallas. Head Coach Nick Sirianni talks about "contribution over credit" as a 2025 mantra and what Smith and Brown and Dotson did in the running game is a great example of the mindset of this team.