It would have been easy to mistake yesterday for a day in the peak of the NFL offseason, considering all the blockbuster moves made. The slew of trades and signings all surrounded the NFC, in particular, and that has caused my Cowboys schedule prediction to change.
Dallas’s schedule is one of the hardest in the league; that’s not up for debate. It’s going to increase in difficulty, however, because they play virtually every team that made a move yesterday.
I still think the Cowboys are set for an improved season, but it won’t be easy. Let’s get into the game-by-game of their 2026 campaign.
Cowboys – Giants Week 1 seems to be a yearly tradition at this point, and it is one that Dallas does not lose. Yes, John Harbaugh is in town for the G-Men now, and Jaxson Dart seems to be the quarterback of the future, but I have doubts that they are poised for a gigantic turnaround.
Odell Beckham, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and every other wide receiver that was good 5+ years ago may also be there for the Giants, but this isn’t 2016. I see Dallas’s offense going for 30+ and a new and improved defense holding their own.
Dallas opens their home games with a matchup against the Commanders, who need a bounce-back year after a disappointing 2025. Unfortunately for Dan Quinn and friends, I don’t see a win here against the Cowboys.
Washington has a lot of new faces, but a lot of holes remain, and I don’t see them being able to slow the Dallas offense enough to win it. Give me another 30+ point win for the Boys here.
I think the Cowboys’ first loss of the year comes against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 3. New HC Jesse Minter is the real deal, and he’ll have his guys fired up for this must-see matchup on Sunday, September 27th.
Jackson will bring difficulty with his elite running ability, much like Jayden Daniels will in Week 2, but I trust the Ravens offense a bit more than Washington’s, and I see their defense posing a stronger threat to slow down Dak Prescott and his wide receivers. 28-24 Ravens in this one.
I do see the Cowboys dropping consecutive games against Baltimore and then their in-state rival, the Houston Texans, in Week 4. C.J. Stroud does not impress me, but this elite defense does, and I don’t think Dallas is up to the task of knocking them off.
Expect turnovers in this game, though likely one or two more from Houston’s...
