On Wednesday, the 2024 Dallas Cowboys schedule was revealed.
And while the season remains months away, a few showdowns are guaranteed to make waves in the Cowboys season.
Every year comes with these big games and the ramifications down the line can be huge.
In 2023, Dallas saw an early season matchup with the San Francisco 49ers that stuck around for the entirety of the year.
On Sunday Night Football in the Bay, the Cowboys were embarrassed in a 42-10 blowout.
Any time Dallas would whoop up on a bad team, the narrative that they could not beat a good team carried weight.
Late-season losses against Buffalo, Miami, and Green Bay in the postseason showed that the 49ers loss was not just smoke.
The blow-out loss out west also likely cost Quarterback Dak Prescott an MVP Award.
With the new schedule, we can locate games that could carry similar significance.
So, let’s go ahead and take a look at three 2024 matchups that could make or break the Cowboys’ season.
Week 8, at San Francisco
If the Cowboys want to prove to the fanbase that they are for real this time, they have to take down the 49ers.
Dallas has lost their last three matchups with their old rival.
Two of those three came in the playoffs and ended in heartbreaking fashion.
Essentially, they must get over the 49ers’ mental block if they want to be considered real contenders in the NFC.
San Francisco is coming off a Super Bowl appearance.
They are the top dogs in the conference until somebody knocks them off the throne.
Excitement amongst the fan base in Dallas is as low as I have seen it, especially after such a disappointing off-season.
Few are buying the “all-in” rhetoric; they want results, not talk.
A win against San Francisco under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football could change the fanbase’s tune.
It won’t be easy, and they will be underdogs on the road.
However, as long as Dallas is keeping up the hype that they are contenders, they have to compete and win games like this one.
Winning on the road against the 49ers is a must in 2024.
Week 14, vs Cincinnati
Speaking of recent Super Bowl attendees, the Cowboys have a late-season matchup with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Don’t let a 9-8 2023 fool you, the Bengals are a fantastic team.
Since Burrow’s sophomore season, they are 31-19 with two AFC Championship appearances.
They are 1-1 in those games, both of which were against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
For Dallas, this out-of-conference matchup is their first in December and could play a major role in seeding once the postseason rolls around.
It is also another test for the Cowboys.
Can they really go toe-to-toe with the star teams in the NFL, or will they fall short again?
A matchup like this at home can help us answer that question.
Containing Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins will be a big task for the defense, but they will need to if Dallas wants any chance of winning this one.
Can the Cowboys continue their five-game-winning streak against Cincinnati?
Week 18, vs Washington
Back in January, Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn headed north to become the leader of the Washington Commanders.
Next January, he will face off with his former team in a Week 18 showdown.
I know what you’re thinking, the Commanders are not one of the harder teams on the Cowboys’ schedule.
At first glance, that is correct, but we need to look further.
The Cowboys are not that many years removed from a win-or-go-home season finale against an NFC East foe.
With Dallas taking a step back from their 2023 success, and Washington improving, that could happen in 2024.
One or even both teams could head into the final week needing a win to make the playoffs.
That makes this matchup as important as any in the 2024 season.
Regardless of if it looks intriguing on the Cowboys’ schedule right now, this could be a huge game.
Dallas will need all the wins they can get to make the postseason this year, and if fans overlook this matchup with the Commanders, it would be a huge mistake.