![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25121955_168402708_lowres-1024x683.jpg\")
These Games Might Not Be Flashy, But They Could Define The Season<\/h2>\nDallas Can’t Afford A Letdown In Chicago<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Chicago Bears<\/a> entered last season with stealth playoff hopes\u2014an outlook that turned out to be overly optimistic. They were a mess under Matt Eberflus, who was fired midseason, and Caleb Williams<\/a> never settled in behind an offensive line that gave up the most sacks<\/a> of any team in the league last year.<\/p>\nEnter new head coach Ben Johnson, one of the brightest young offensive minds in football. Williams is expected to take a leap in Year 2, and the Bears added two new weapons in this year’s draft: tight end Colston Loveland<\/a> and wide receiver Luther Burden<\/a>. They’ll be at home, motivated to make an early-season statement, and looking to prove they belong in a hyper-competitive NFC North. This won’t be the same Bears team as last year.<\/p>\nMeanwhile, Dallas could be walking right into a trap. If they drop a tough Week 1 game at the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>, and assuming they take care of the New York Giants<\/a> in Week 2, this game becomes an early pivot point. Win it, and they’re 2-1 heading into a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Green Bay Packers<\/a>. Lose it, and you\u2019re staring at the possibility of a 1\u20133 start\u2014a hole that could bury the season before October.<\/p>\nThis isn’t just about beating a team you’re supposed to beat. It’s about focus, discipline, and proving that this version of the Cowboys is capable of handling business on the road against a young, hungry team looking to make an early statement.<\/p>\n
Dallas Has A Denver Broncos Problem<\/h3>\n
Week 8 takes the Cowboys on the road to face a problem they haven’t solved in 30 years. Dallas hasn’t beaten the Denver Broncos<\/a> since 1995: they’re winless in their last seven meetings<\/a>, and 4-9 all-time in the regular season against the Broncos. Add in the Sean Payton factor, and this one feels personal.<\/p>\nPayton will want to stick it to Dallas. He has a history with the Cowboys organization and has publicly expressed doubts about their ability to build a sustainable culture and a long-term winner<\/a>. Shots fired. Now, he has a tough, physical team that made a surprise playoff run last year with a rookie quarterback and a rowdy home crowd that always creates a tough environment for visitors. If the Cowboys come into Mile High with anything less than full focus and intensity, they’ll get hit in the mouth.<\/p>\nThis game also lands in a dangerous part of the schedule. It’s the beginning of a three-game stretch\u2014with a bye week in between\u2014before Dallas enters its late-season gauntlet<\/a>. A win here could set the tone for a midseason run. A loss only ratchets up pressure heading into a brutal second half.<\/p>\nFor a team with playoff expectations, this is not a game they can afford to treat like a gift-wrapped ‘W’.<\/p>\n
The Cardinals Have the Cowboys’ Number<\/h3>\n
Inexplicably, the Cowboys struggle with the Arizona Cardinals<\/a>. There’s no logical reason why, but they do. Dallas is 1-7 in their last eight<\/a> matchups against Arizona, and while the rosters and coaches have changed, the results haven’t. For whatever reason, Arizona seems to bring out the worst in this team.<\/p>\nThe Cowboys will be back home for this matchup, but that’s hardly comforting. Kyler Murray has shone at AT&T Stadium, with a pristine 9-0 record<\/a> going back to his time as a star at Allen High School. Regardless of the stage, he’s always looked completely at home in Arlington.<\/p>\nThis matchup falls right before a bye week and in between road games at Denver and Las Vegas. This game is easy to overlook, but that would be a big mistake. Arizona might not be a contender, but they play fast and loose, and Dallas has a troubling history of letting games like these slip away. In a season where every win could be the difference between a home playoff game or traveling in January, this is the kind of matchup the Cowboys have to take seriously.<\/p>\n
Ignore the record. Forget the standings. Arizona always comes to play against Dallas, and the Cowboys need to be ready for it.<\/p>\n
Must-Win Matchup After The Bye Week<\/h3>\n
The Chicago Bears<\/a> entered last season with stealth playoff hopes\u2014an outlook that turned out to be overly optimistic. They were a mess under Matt Eberflus, who was fired midseason, and Caleb Williams<\/a> never settled in behind an offensive line that gave up the most sacks<\/a> of any team in the league last year.<\/p>\n Enter new head coach Ben Johnson, one of the brightest young offensive minds in football. Williams is expected to take a leap in Year 2, and the Bears added two new weapons in this year’s draft: tight end Colston Loveland<\/a> and wide receiver Luther Burden<\/a>. They’ll be at home, motivated to make an early-season statement, and looking to prove they belong in a hyper-competitive NFC North. This won’t be the same Bears team as last year.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Dallas could be walking right into a trap. If they drop a tough Week 1 game at the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>, and assuming they take care of the New York Giants<\/a> in Week 2, this game becomes an early pivot point. Win it, and they’re 2-1 heading into a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Green Bay Packers<\/a>. Lose it, and you\u2019re staring at the possibility of a 1\u20133 start\u2014a hole that could bury the season before October.<\/p>\n This isn’t just about beating a team you’re supposed to beat. It’s about focus, discipline, and proving that this version of the Cowboys is capable of handling business on the road against a young, hungry team looking to make an early statement.<\/p>\n Week 8 takes the Cowboys on the road to face a problem they haven’t solved in 30 years. Dallas hasn’t beaten the Denver Broncos<\/a> since 1995: they’re winless in their last seven meetings<\/a>, and 4-9 all-time in the regular season against the Broncos. Add in the Sean Payton factor, and this one feels personal.<\/p>\n Payton will want to stick it to Dallas. He has a history with the Cowboys organization and has publicly expressed doubts about their ability to build a sustainable culture and a long-term winner<\/a>. Shots fired. Now, he has a tough, physical team that made a surprise playoff run last year with a rookie quarterback and a rowdy home crowd that always creates a tough environment for visitors. If the Cowboys come into Mile High with anything less than full focus and intensity, they’ll get hit in the mouth.<\/p>\n This game also lands in a dangerous part of the schedule. It’s the beginning of a three-game stretch\u2014with a bye week in between\u2014before Dallas enters its late-season gauntlet<\/a>. A win here could set the tone for a midseason run. A loss only ratchets up pressure heading into a brutal second half.<\/p>\n For a team with playoff expectations, this is not a game they can afford to treat like a gift-wrapped ‘W’.<\/p>\n Inexplicably, the Cowboys struggle with the Arizona Cardinals<\/a>. There’s no logical reason why, but they do. Dallas is 1-7 in their last eight<\/a> matchups against Arizona, and while the rosters and coaches have changed, the results haven’t. For whatever reason, Arizona seems to bring out the worst in this team.<\/p>\n The Cowboys will be back home for this matchup, but that’s hardly comforting. Kyler Murray has shone at AT&T Stadium, with a pristine 9-0 record<\/a> going back to his time as a star at Allen High School. Regardless of the stage, he’s always looked completely at home in Arlington.<\/p>\n This matchup falls right before a bye week and in between road games at Denver and Las Vegas. This game is easy to overlook, but that would be a big mistake. Arizona might not be a contender, but they play fast and loose, and Dallas has a troubling history of letting games like these slip away. In a season where every win could be the difference between a home playoff game or traveling in January, this is the kind of matchup the Cowboys have to take seriously.<\/p>\n Ignore the record. Forget the standings. Arizona always comes to play against Dallas, and the Cowboys need to be ready for it.<\/p>\nDallas Has A Denver Broncos Problem<\/h3>\n
The Cardinals Have the Cowboys’ Number<\/h3>\n
Must-Win Matchup After The Bye Week<\/h3>\n