Unsportsmanlike Conduct

With Philadelphia’s 24-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in a game that lasted well past midnight due to a lengthy weather delay, the 2025 NFL regular season has now officially begun.

Perhaps the most memorable moment from Thursday night’s contest occurred before the first offensive snap had even taken place.

Philadelphia’s Ben VanSumeren was injured during the opening kickoff, necessitating a temporary stop in the action for medical personnel to check on his condition. During that stoppage, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter walked towards the Dallas huddle, where he began to engage in conversation with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

After a brief exchange, Carter intentionally spat on Prescott, prompting the nearby official to flag him for unsportsmanlike conduct, which ultimately led to his ejection from the contest before he even played a down.

While Carter’s actions would have likely led to an ejection in past seasons, the timing of last night’s incident was interesting, as it occurred immediately after the NFL informed teams that they would be cracking down on unsportsmanlike behavior.

In fact, Carter’s blunder was not the only unsportsmanlike conduct penalty the Eagles received in the opener. Pass rusher Nolan Smith was also assessed a 15-yard penalty for taunting an opposing player after registering a tackle for loss.

These were distractions that took away the focus on everything that was going (and has gone) well for the reigning Super Bowl Champs.

Although Philadelphia was able to overcome the unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to win the game, those penalties definitely appeared to impact the team negatively.

With Carter not anchoring the center of the defensive line, Philadelphia struggled to stop Dallas’ rushing attack in the first half, giving up a pair of rushing touchdowns to Javonte Williams.

Smith’s penalty, meanwhile, set Dallas up with a first down in scoring territory, which eventually led to a successful field goal from Brandon Aubrey.

When reflecting on this game, it's remarkable how much one person’s poor behavior in sports can detrimentally impact an entire team.

Of course, the same principle can also apply to life. As followers of Jesus, we are all a part of the body of Christ, which, in many respects, functions similarly to a team.

Because we are a part of a group that is larger than simply us as individuals, the decisions we make impact our “teammates” and reflect upon the “team” as a whole. They can distract people from focusing on the great things God is doing through the team.

Although we won't always be “penalized” for unsportsmanlike conduct when we misbehave, we can certainly demonstrate un-Christlike conduct that reflects poorly upon Christians as a whole and our great Savior.

For that reason, we must strive with all diligence and the help of the Holy Spirit to live lives that are above reproach. We should desire that our character and manner of living serve as a powerful witness to the truths of Christianity and to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His people.    

One of the clearest places we see this principle taught is in Paul's instruction to older women in Titus 2:3-5 (NASB): “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored.”

The main takeaway for us today is that Paul clearly makes a connection between the way a Christian woman lives her life, in a way that honors rather than dishonors the Word of God.

Just a couple of verses later, Paul writes, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8; ESV).

Of course, all of us are still warring with our flesh, so there will be times when we fall into sin. However, we must ensure that ungodly behavior, which brings reproach upon the name of Christ or His people, doesn't characterize our lives.

As we model godliness, character, and integrity in our lives, we proclaim the gospel of God, serving as a powerful witness to the work that He has done in us.

Today, let’s give careful consideration to our actions, recognizing that un-Christlike conduct has a widespread impact that can damage the entire “team.”

After all, we should act like the “Super Bowl Champions” we truly are!

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times that I have dishonored You with my behavior. Please help me to live a godly life and to adorn the gospel so that people might see Your goodness and give You the glory You deserve. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.