The 2025 NFL schedule is not set in stone as far as dates and times for the games go, but the opponents for each team have been revealed. I don’t think mid-January is too early to take a look ahead at the opponents on the Dallas Cowboys schedule, because I’m sure teams have already circled the Cowboys on their calendars.
Our beloved Dallas Cowboys did not make the playoffs in 2024, and HC Mike McCarthy has been fired for it. The team finished with a 7-10 record and third place in the NFC East, marking the 19th consecutive season without a repeat winner. Philadelphia, sporting a 14-3 regular season record, took home the NFC East crown and the second seed in the conference.
Washington came in behind Philadelphia, qualifying for the playoffs with an unexpected 12-5 record. After Dallas in third place, the New York Giants round out the division with a 3-14 record, earning them the #3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Today, I start a series highlighting the quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys will face in 2025, and how one division rival will have a new face under center.
Philadelphia Eagles
I was forced to watch the hated Philadelphia Eagles win their Wildcard matchup over the visiting Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, and can say with confidence that Jalen Hurts will remain the Eagles’ starter for years to come.
Hurts is an above-average quarterback whose value is ballooned by his ability to rush the football. Using his legs as an extra advantage, teams cannot simply drop back and worry about coverage because Hurts can use his legs to move the chains.
The Cowboys have a 3-4 record when facing the Eagles with Hurts as their starting quarterback, holding him to below his career averages across those seven games. When the Cowboys can limit the threat of Hurts’ legs and force him to become a pocket passer, they have had success in the past.
With the Eagles posting a 14-3 record in 2024, I’d count a split of the season series as a win. We won’t know how that plays out for another several months.
Washington Commanders
One of the most surprising 2024 performances came out of Washington. The Commanders, in their first year under HC Dan Quinn, finished the season 12-5 and in second place in the NFC East.
Washington was one of the biggest spenders in free agency, acquiring free-agent mercenaries by the handful to overhaul the team in Quinn’s image. Perhaps their most important acquisition was drafting QB Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels, in former quarterback Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive system, used his elite talent to catapult himself into the NFL Rookie of the Year conversation by accounting for 4,459 yards and 31 touchdowns. He used his legs for 891 of those yards, rushing for 55 first downs on the season.
The Cowboys were able to corral Daniels in both games this season, but DC Mike Zimmer isn’t likely to be back in 2025. Will the next defensive coordinator be able to contain him in the same way?
New York Giants
The wildcard in the division for 2025 is the New York Giants. New York benched QB Daniel Jones halfway through the season, and eventually released him to waivers. Backups Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock aren’t exactly names for the Giants to be excited about for the future.
After a 3-14 record in the regular season, the Giants will enter 2025 with a clean slate at quarterback, and the #3 overall pick in the draft. There will be plenty of names to choose from like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward. Will the Giants even take a quarterback that high?
They could build in the trenches with that pick, and choose to find their quarterback on the free agent market. Maybe a name like Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold could bridge the gap for a year. Either way, the Giants will have a new quarterback under center next season.