Every teams enters the new NFL season with a certain level of pressure and expectation placed on them by their fans. The reality, though, as that more is expected from some teams than from others. You can certainly argue that the Steelers, Packers, Cowboys, and Patriots have a higher level of expectation than most, with fans of those teams expecting a Super Bowl every year. For the Dallas Cowboys, a championship is now a long way off in the rearview mirror, but there is renewed hope this season, with a new head coach in town to try and turn things around. Let’s look ahead to the Cowboys schedule to get an idea of what we might expect this coming season and what their NFL odds are.
Dallas Cowboys Schedule Analysis
Strength of Schedule
One of the things that we all look at as soon as the new NFL schedule is released is the strength of schedule that every team will have in the coming season. While this gives us a little insight into how a team might do, we still have to remember that some teams are going to be better than they were last season, so strength of schedule can sometimes be a little deceiving. That said, the Cowboys must feel as though they have a shot at the playoffs this season given that they have, on paper at least, one of the easiest schedules. The teams they face this season had a combined record of 117-138-1 last year.
Could This Be the Cowboys Year?
It is perhaps a bad idea to look at the strength of schedule and start assigning wins before games are played, but you do have to feel that the Cowboys have a legitimate shot at winning the NFC East this season. 11-5 would probably do it, and with a core group of offensive players still on the books, they certainly look to be a solid unit. The new coaching staff will try to fix the holes from previous seasons. It’s a very good staff, so there is certainly reason to be optimistic.
Primetime and Featured Games
The Dallas Cowboys have long been known as America’s Team, so it’s never a real surprise to see them get a lot of primetime dates on the schedule. This season is no different, as they will have 5 of those games on national TV in primetime, starting with their Week 1 game on the road versus the LA Rams, who will likely be in their new stadium. They will also be in primetime in Week 6 versus the Arizona Cardinals, Week 8 versus the Eagles, Week 13 at the Ravens, and Week 15 versus the San Francisco 49ers. They will also have their usual national TV slot on Thanksgiving Day, when they will face the Redskins.
The final 5 weeks of the season appears to be the toughest stretch for the Cowboys, with 3 of those 5 games set to be played on the road. They will have 3 teams that made the playoffs last season – Eagles, Ravens, and 49ers – included in that run.
The Dallas Cowboys Complete Schedule
- Week 1 – at Los Angeles Rams
- Week 2 – home Atlanta
- Week 3 – at Seattle
- Week 4 – home Cleveland
- Week 5 – home New York Giants
- Week 6 – home Arizona
- Week 7 – at Washington
- Week 8 – at Philadelphia
- Week 9 – home Pittsburgh
- Week 10 – BYE
- Week 11 – at Minnesota
- Week 12 – home Washington
- Week 13 – at Baltimore
- Week 14 – at Cincinnati
- Week 15 – home San Francisco
- Week 16 – home Philadelphia
- Week 17 – at New York Giants
