Eagles-Cowboys: Start time, how to watch and stream ‘Monday Night Football’

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will make his Monday Night Football debut tonight on ESPN, when the Birds take on the Dallas Cowboys under the lights at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

In the booth will be play-by-play announcer Steve Levy, whom most sports fans probably know from his years as a SportsCenter anchor (and his famed “bulging disc” blooper from 1995). Alongside Levy in ESPN’s three-person booth will be former Eagles executive and scout Louis Riddick and former NFL quarterback Brian Griese. Reporting from the sidelines will be King of Prussia native Lisa Salters.

Last year, the ESPN crew called the Eagles’ Week 12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which featured Carson Wentz’s last touchdown pass as a member of the Birds. This time around they’ll get Hurts, who has impressed Griese despite the fact he’ll only be making his seventh NFL start.

“I’ve watched all the games that he’s played … the thing that really jumped out to me is his poise. It doesn’t look like it’s too big a stage for him,” Griese said. “I’ve been impressed and I think he’s gotten better each week.”

» READ MORE: Eagles beat writers make their predictions for the Dallas Cowboys game in Week 3

So much for the idea Hurts isn’t qualified to be a starting quarterback. Despite last week’s loss, Hurts is the ninth-highest-rated quarterback in the league using ESPN’s Total QBR rating, ahead of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Dak Prescott, to name a few. But that’s not to say the young quarterback doesn’t have room to improve.

“It’s like any other young quarterback — it’s reading defenses, going through progressions, and operating from the pocket,” Griese said, who expects Dallas to send defenders Randy Gregory and Micah Parsons rushing up the field to try to keep Hurts from making big plays with his legs.

But Dallas is also coming into the game with an ailing defense that’ll be without defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence (broken foot) and Dorance Armstrong (high ankle sprain), defensive tackle Carlos Watkin (knee), and linebacker Bradlee Anae (reserve/COVID list).

“If I’m [Eagles head coach] Nick Sirianni, I’m going to go after this team by running the football — see if we can run the ball and wear down that defensive front,” Griese said. “And then, and only then, would I start to use Jalen Hurts’ legs and a compliment to that. So that’s an opportunity for Jalen in this game.”

If you want to skip the traditional broadcast, you can tune into ESPN2 to listen to brothers Peyton and Eli Manning jaw back and forth on the network’s alternate Monday Night Football telecast. Last week, Peyton accused the New England Patriots of cheating (something Eagles fans know a lot about), and the week before Charles Barkley bonded with Eli over getting booed at home.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Eagles-Cowboys on Monday Night Football:

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Zach Ertz in for Monday night game vs. Dallas Cowboys, Jordan Mailata out

For the first time in 12 seasons, the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry game isn’t scheduled to take place on Sunday Night Football, ending the longest run for any matchup on the primetime broadcast package, dating back to ABC in 1970.

ESPN can thank the NFL’s low expectations for the Eagles following last year’s 4-11-1 season. It’s also the first time since NBC took over the package in 2006 that the Eagles weren’t scheduled for a single Sunday Night Football game.

All hope isn’t lost for NBC. The Eagles face the Cowboys again in Week 18, and if the game has playoff implications (like last year’s Washington-Eagles game), the NFL could flex it to Sunday Night Football.

As with every Eagles game, staff writers Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, and Josh Tolentino will be covering the action live on Twitter. Notes and observations about the game will be at Inquirer.com/eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Early Birds newsletter.

Monday Night Countdown begins on ESPN at 6 p.m., hosted by Philadelphia native Suzy Kolber alongside NFL analysts Randy Moss, Steve Young, and Booger McFarland. Singer and Cowboys fan Post Malone will also be part of ESPN’s open. Postgame coverage on SportsCenter will be anchored by Scott Van Pelt, who is on record pointing out that some of his best friends are Eagles fans.

Coverage on NBC Sports Philadelphia begins at 6:30 p.m. with Birds Huddle, a new show focused on sports betting and fantasy football featuring Taryn Hatcher, Brad Feinberg, Barrett Brooks, and John Clark.

Eagles Pregame Live, hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Seth Joyner, Ray Didinger, and Barrett Brooks, will air live at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Eagles Postgame Live will air immediately following the game.

In Week 15, two out of five games chosen by the NFL will be played on Saturday, with the rest played Sunday. Eagles-Washington is one of the five games chosen, and the specific dates and times will be announced by Week 11.