The Dallas Cowboys schedule was released just over two weeks ago. There were many positives and negatives about their schedule. For starters, they will face off against the defending Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on opening night.
After their tough week one matchup, their schedule lightens up a bit. From week 2 to week 10, the Cowboys face eight straight opponents that had a record under .500 in 2020. The best teams that Dallas plays during that span are the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings, all of whom finished 7-9 last year.
Then, the Cowboys have an all-important game against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 11 where quarterback Dak Prescott will go head to head with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The following week, Dallas will play the Las Vegas Raiders on their annual Thanksgiving day game.
With another quick Thursday night game, the Cowboys will head to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The last time Dallas played the Saints on Thursday, they ended New Orleans’s 10-game winning streak.
Finally, Dallas will end the season playing their division opponents in the last four of five weeks. Here are three best games on the Dallas Cowboys schedule.
1) Week 1 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Every Cowboys fan is likely marking this game down on their calendar. This matchup has the potential to be one of the best games of the season for the Dallas Cowboys.
Quarterback Tom Brady goes head to head with Prescott. This has the makings of one of the craziest storylines of the season. How will Prescott recover from his ankle surgery? Can America’s Team upset the Buccaneers on opening night? Will the Cowboys be able to stop the Buccaneers’ offense which is returning all 11 starters?
It’s a tough matchup for the Cowboys as all 22 starters on offense and defense are returning for Tampa Bay. Additionally, this Dallas team ranked bottom five in many defensive categories in 2020. They ranked in the bottom half of the league in rush yards allowed per game (158.8), opponent’s yards per pass completion (11.1) and points allowed per game (29.6). On the other hand, the Buccaneers ranked second in points per game in 2020 (30.8).
This opening night matchup is the best one of the season for the Dallas Cowboys.
2) Week 11 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Dak Prescott vs. Patrick Mahomes, two of the best quarterbacks in the league going head to head in this high-scoring affair. According to sbnation.com, this Chiefs and Cowboys game is expected to be the highest-scoring game of the season.
If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best and this is Dallas’ second time in the first 11 weeks to do so. First with Tampa Bay in week 1 and now with Kansas City in week 11.
This matchup can likely feature no defense whatsoever as both offenses have elite weapons. It’s going to be difficult to cover both pass-catchers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. However, hopefully, by week 11, the Cowboys defense has adjusted and improved a ton since last year. This game could give the Cowboys some recognition in the league if they can defeat the Chiefs.
3) Week 15 vs. Washington Football Team
This will be the second meeting between these two teams. This matchup will be featured on Sunday Night football with division implications likely at stake. Last season, Washington won the NFC East, so Dallas will try to take the crown back from them.
Also, with Washington having a top-five defense in the league, Dallas must prove that their offense can’t be stopped. This game can very well determine who wins this division. Could we see a Dak Prescott vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick matchup or will it be Taylor Heinicke? Either way, the Dallas defense will have to step up and get to either quarterback.
Nonetheless, these are the type of games that Dallas will have to win if they want a shot at the postseason.
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