It has been a roller-coaster type of season thus far for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.
What we thought was a signature road win to start the season in Cleveland turned out to be the Cowboys just beating up on a bad team. The Browns have been terrible this season, and are currently on a four-game losing streak.
The next victory was over the New York Giants in a tight game where the Cowboys did just enough to pull out the victory. Their third and final win, to date, was over a tough Pittsburgh Steelers team.
As unimpressive as their wins have been, the Cowboys’ losses this season have been impressively terrible. In three home games (all losses), the Cowboys have lost by a combined total of 119-53.
The defense has been atrocious, ranking dead last in the NFL in both rush yards allowed per game and yards per attempt. It won’t get any easier over the course of the next few weeks. A brutal five-game stretch will define the rest of the Cowboys’ season.
Dallas’ range of outcomes in this stretch could see them emerge on the other side with as bad a record as 3-8, or completely flipped at 8-3.
Week 8 at San Francisco 49ers
The Dallas Cowboys were beaten down by the Detroit Lions in a game that was out of reach by the end of the first quarter. The final score of 47-9 was the worst defeat the Cowboys have experienced in AT&T Stadium, and they have a bye week to prepare for an equally tough matchup.
Dallas’ current arch nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers, will welcome the Cowboys to Levi’s Stadium for a date on Sunday Night Football. I have to admit it feels like when the school bully challenged the new kid to fight behind the school. Except the Cowboys aren’t new, and the 49ers have beat them down a handful of times already.
San Francisco enters the game with an equal 3-3 record as the Cowboys, and also dealing with many injuries. If there was a time for the Cowboys to take advantage and finally defeat Kyle Shanahan’s team, it’s never been a better time than now.
Week 9 at Atlanta Falcons
After a likely loss in San Francisco, the Cowboys get to visit the new-look Atlanta Falcons. QB Kirk Cousins is embracing his role in the locker room, and the Falcons are flying high with a 4-2 record and a three-game win streak.
Cousins has an array of weapons at his disposal. From running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to TE Kyle Pitts and wide receivers Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud.
The Falcons’ offense does a great job putting pressure on defenses, and the Cowboys defense isn’t equipped to handle any sort of pressure after so many key injuries.
Atlanta’s two losses were narrow defeats to the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, but they also had impressive wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Week 10 vs Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas’ first matchup against the division rival Eagles doesn’t come until week 10, and no matter what the teams’ records are, they will be in for a battle.
It’s extremely important that the Cowboys hold bragging rights over the Eagles, and it might be more important to the fans. Social media isn’t a fun place to be when the Cowboys are losing, and it’s a worse place to be when the losing comes at the hands of the Eagles.
Both teams have fallen short of expectations so far this season, but injuries at key positions mixed with new faces on both sides of the ball have them at a slow start. Both teams are trying to get their seasons on track, and it will be an added element to the game day drama.
I usually predict the Cowboys and Eagles to split their series with home victories. I still think that will happen, but if the Cowboys can’t stop the run, I fear the Eagles will leave AT&T Stadium with a better record.
Week 11 vs Houston Texans
The battle of the Texas teams gets another installment this season as the Houston Texans visit Arlington.
I don’t see this game ending well for the Cowboys. Houston HC DeMeco Ryans earned the job he has because, as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, he stifled Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ #1 offense in the playoffs.
The Texans are a team on the rise, and unless the Cowboys can get the wagon back on track, QB CJ Stroud is going to come in and do as he pleases. Stroud has play makers like RB Joe Mixon and wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell at his disposal.
If the offense can’t get into a shootout, it might be another long game for Cowboys fans.
Week 12 at Washington Commanders
Dallas will finally meet former DC Dan Quinn’s new team, the Washington Commanders, in week 12 of the regular season.
There are many former Cowboys on the Commanders’ roster, and they will be looking to show Jerry Jones and the Cowboys what they could have had on their team this season if they had been retained.
I’m sure the game will be chock-full of revenge stories, and we get the added excitement of seeing rookie QB Jayden Daniels make electrifying plays on the field. Hopefully, there aren’t too many against the Cowboys.
The last time Washington had such a dynamic, young, new quarterback was in 2012, after they drafted Robert Griffin III. We saw how he torched the Cowboys’ defense then, and we can only pray that Daniels doesn’t do the same to this version of the Dallas defense.
Dallas must play their best football during this five-game stretch or risk their season being over before we put our Christmas trees up.