Why Was Eagles vs. Cowboys Game Delayed? When Will NFL’s Week 1 Game Resume After Suspension?

The NFC East’s grandest stage was set. Eagles. Cowboys. Prime-time lights. From the fireworks in the pregame festivities to the opening roar of the Philadelphia taking the field, it all screamed a classic rivalry. The energy inside Lincoln Financial Field hadn’t yet reached its peak before the action was brought to a grinding, surreal stop. Wonder what happened?

Around the midway point in the third quarter, as the Eagles had a 24-20 advantage, referee Shawn Smith directed both teams to the locker rooms. Lightning had been reported within six miles of the stadium. At 10:27 p.m. ET, play became officially suspended, leaving the fans in limbo.

Though thunder and lightning compelled a temporary halt, the league verified that the game was merely interrupted, not called off. Players will return as soon as conditions improve, and the action shall resume shortly. But the time that did see the two teams in action recorded a rather static first quarter, but the ruckus really kicked in with

Jalen Carter’s shocking ejection. The call came right after the Pro Bowler spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after an injury timeout. Carter’s absence deprived the Eagles of their biggest defensive disruptor before he even made a snap.

But the offense didn’t waste time and quickly jumped into action. Jalen Hurts ran in for two rushing touchdowns, and Saquon Barkley added another score on the ground. Dallas countered with Javonte Williams‘ two rushing TDs, as well as a couple of Brandon Aubrey field goals. Philadelphia took a 21-20 halftime lead, then pushed the lead after Jake Elliott booted a 58-yard start the third quarter. Dallas’ next drive stalled when Miles Sanders coughed up the ball in the red zone, paving the way for another Eagles drive. And then—the sky intervened, stopping the play.

However, the storm couldn’t stop Cris Collinsworth from giving a stormy hot take: “Whichever team loses this one, the story will stay the same. Neither has the pass rusher they need—be it Jalen missing for the Eagles or Micah Parsons gone from the Cowboys.” Even with the game on pause, Micah’s name still surfaced in Cowboys’ conversations. Somehow, the trade hasn’t silenced his presence.

When will the Eagles vs. the Cowboys clash resume?

The NFL has announced an official resumption time for the Eagles-Cowboys game. The broadcaster Mike Tirico disclosed during NBC’s broadcast that the league was considering a window between 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. ET for the game to resume, if the weather clears.

Officials reminded that the 30-minute rule applies to every lightning strike. That is, if lightning is detected again within this radius, the clock is reset, delaying the restart even further. Till the first announcement, officials were still working in collaboration with local weather trackers to monitor conditions in real time.

Through late updates, hope increased that the storm would pass. Tirico informed that weather reports indicated clearing skies around 11:15 p.m. ET, setting up a potential restart minutes later. The game officially kicked back off at 11:30 p.m. ET, resuming after a weather delay that stretched nearly 65 minutes.

The fireworks, the drama, and the mayhem of Jalen Carter’s ejection are only one chapter. The inclement weather authored a different chapter, one that forced fans to wait out football’s return.