The Dallas Cowboys schedule is officially here. The 2021 season is one for promise and potential as Dak Prescott hopes to return to form as an elite-level passer. Dallas was on the fringe of the playoffs without Prescott and with an injury-riddled offensive line. Will getting healthy and the defensive-oriented draft propel Dallas back into the driver’s seat in the NFC East?
The 2021 Dallas Cowboys schedule is here! pic.twitter.com/RDKslOXokU
— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) May 12, 2021
Dallas Cowboys Schedule Breakdown
-
At Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 1)
Dallas has a difficult matchup to kick the season off. Coming off a Super Bowl-winning season, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers look to start right where they left off. Tampa Bay’s relentless pass rush will look to take advantage of the Cowboy’s offensive line much like they did against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Superbowl LV. Brady looks to pick apart the Cowboys struggling secondary with help from Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and other talented pass catchers. Dallas will face its toughest test of the season to kick off the NFL on Thursday night in September.
[pickup_prop id=”6163″]
-
At Kansas City Chiefs (Week 10)
It’s no secret the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best teams in football. Recent off-season signings have bolstered the Chief’s offensive line, the only apparent weakness of the NFL’s premiere high-octane offensive. Mahomes and company will be well into their playoff push and looking to find a rhythm heading into the AFC playoff picture. This will likely be a shootout of two of the great young quarterbacks in the NFL.
-
At New Orleans Saints (Week 12)
The New Orleans Saints have long been a matchup nightmare for Dallas. The Saints have worked hard to secure one of the best rush defenses in the NFL. The Saints’ strength will meet head to head with Dallas’ strength as Ezekiel Elliott will look to get free and establish a run game to jump-start Prescott and the passing game. The only thing keeping this game outside the top two toughest matchups is Drew Brees’ retirement. Question marks at quarterback may be the one thing standing in the way of New Orleans towards another playoff run. The Dallas Cowboys Schedule is much more difficult with the Saints right in the middle of their end-of-season gauntlet.
-
Arizona Cardinals (Week 16)
Dallas has a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in week 16. As both teams look to securer playoff spots, Dallas will face one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in Kyler Murray. Dallas will have matchup issues with DeAndre Hopkins as well, exposing their struggling secondary. The defensive side of the ball is another problem. J.J. Watt recently signing with Arizona adds a whole new layer to the Cardinals. The former defensive player of the year looks to return to form against the Cowboy’s ancient offensive line.
-
At Philadelphia Eagles (Week 17)
The Philadelphia Eagles will be a tough opponent in week 17. The NFC East should be much improved this season headlined by Jalen Hurts and Daniel Jones. The Eagles drafted well adding DeVonta Smith and improve the talent in their wide receiver room. These divisional matchups late in the season will prove to be difficult and decide who represents the NFC East in the playoffs.
-
At New York Giants (Week 14)
The New York Giants will be another tough matchup late in the season. As Dallas nears the end of the year, their schedule will be a gauntlet with difficult away games against former playoff teams and divisional opponents. The Giants had a great off-season and draft acquiring Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. If the divisional race is tight, Dallas could struggle down the stretch with all these divisional matchups late in the season.
[pickup_prop id=”6768″]
-
At Washington Football Team (Week 13)
Yet another divisional matchup late in the season. The Washington Football Team has fortified its wide receiver core adding Curtis Samuel to its ranks. With the emergence of Terry McLaurin, the Washington Football Team could prove problematic for the Boys in Blue. Washington also has a tremendous defense spear-headed by Chase Young. With the recent signing of Ryan Fitzpatrick, WFT could make another appearance as the NFC East representative.
- At Los Angeles Chargers (Week 2)
The beginning of the season, after week one, looks to lessen a bit as Dallas travels to Los Angeles. The Chargers will be no pushover as Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen look to continue their dominance through the air. The struggling Dallas secondary will have their hands full in week two after facing the former Super Bowl champions. The Dallas Cowboys schedule is much tougher drawing the Chargers after Herbert’s emergence as an elite-level passer last season.
-
vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Week 3)
Following the Chargers, Dallas plays Philadelphia at home. This will be the easier of the two matchups with the Eagles as Dallas will be the home team. If the Cowboys can win this matchup, they will have momentum heading into further divisional play throughout the season. While this may not be the most difficult game on the schedule, this will be one of the most pivotal games.
-
At New England Patriots (Week 6)
Dallas has had recent struggles against the New England Patriots. This season should be different as Tom Brady is out of town. The new-look Patriots and Mac Jones, if able to win the starting job from Cam Newton, will prove a tough foe in the middle part of the season. New England has a dangerous rush attack and is one of, if not the best coached teams in the NFL. The one bright spot for Dallas lies in how poorly New England performed against the run last year. Los Angeles Rams fans will remember as Cam Akers ran all over the Patriots late in the season. Dallas will look to capitalize similarly to control the game from the start.
-
vs. New York Giants (Week 5)
Dallas hopes to establish an early lead in the NFC East before the season is halfway over. The Cowboys have a much easier early portion of their schedule compared to later in the season. This matchup, being in week five, has the potential for Dallas to dominate the division early. The Giants will be a tough out in any game this season, but Dallas will have the home-field advantage and will have benefitted from learning from their mistakes early in tough matchups against teams like Tampa Bay.
-
vs. Washington Football Team (Week 15)
This game is in a tough spot for Dallas. The Cowboys play Washington Football Team in D.C. in week 13, then turn around and play them at home in week 15. This will be one of the last chances for Dallas to secure a playoff spot. Given they will have just played WFT, and the game is at home, this should be one Prescott and company have circled as a must-win.
-
vs. Las Vegas Raiders (Week 11)
The Cowboys will get a break in week 11 as the Raiders come to Dallas. The Raiders had bright spots last season, beating the Chiefs and Browns while holding on to playoff hopes late in the season. The Raiders are not overly talented on either side of the ball. If Dallas can put together a good defensive scheme, this could be one of the easier games on the schedule. This contest will be very important for Dallas to capitalize on non-playoff opponents.
-
At Minnesota Vikings (Week 7)
The Vikings are another team that will be susceptible to exposure by Dallas. The Vikings were involved in many shootouts last season. Prescott, Cooper, Lamb, Gallup, Elliott, and Jarwin could flourish in this week seven matchup. The Cowboys will need to make a concerted effort to limit the stellar sophomore Justin Jefferson, the savvy veteran Adam Thielen, and everyone’s new favorite tight end: Irv Smith Jr. If Dallas can take advantage, they could further separate themselves from the pack in the NFC East.
-
vs. Atlanta Falcons (Week 9)
The Atlanta Falcons are a struggling team with a subpar defense. Matt Ryan is coming off a down year and the Falcons could miss the playoffs for another consecutive season. Recent additions of Kyle Pitts and the overcrowding of the running back room could make things difficult for Dallas. However, Dan Quinn should be motivated to put together an impressive defensive game plan against his former team. As long as Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley can be slowed down, Dallas should have a secure lead in this contest.
-
vs. Denver Broncos (Week 8)
Week eight against the Denver Broncos should be an easy victory for Dallas. No victories are easy in the NFL, but as teams go Denver struggles in many aspects of the game. The Broncos are another aging defense and do not have a clear-cut quarterback on the roster. The addition of Teddy Bridgewater only makes the signal-caller waters murkier as the front office tries to name a starter for all 17 games. The Broncos have the potential to do damage in the secondary with Jerry Jeudy and Noah Fant, but Dallas should be able to overpower and out-class the Broncos in this week-eight matchup.
-
vs. Carolina Panthers (Week 4)
This should be the easiest game on the schedule. It’s no secret Sam Darnold doesn’t handle pressure very well. Dan Quinn is known for blitzing packages and should look to exploit Darnold’s Sixth Sense while the Panthers defense hopes to only slow down the Cowboys. The Panther’s main threats are Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Sam Darnold. The Cowboys desperately need to win these games to solidify their position as the leader in the NFC East as the end of the season approaches.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
