We are one day away from the start of the 2024 NFL season in Kansas City. The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will host the Baltimore Ravens on a special edition of Thursday Night Football.
It’s the season of predictions, and today my predictions of how the Dallas Cowboys regular season will play out continues. If you read my previous installment, the Cowboys will start the season with a 2-2 record after dropping both opportunities versus AFC North opponents.
They open the next part of their schedule on the road versus another AFC North opponent, but this time with different results. The Cowboys will surge in the win column after a shaky start.
Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Night Football)
Mike Tomlin is a staple in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers have a new quarterback for the 2024 season. After acquiring both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields via trade, Wilson won the job.
Pittsburgh is still a team that relies more on its defense than it does on its offense, and that’s what will hurt them against the high-powered Cowboys offense.
Prediction: Win
The Cowboys continue their offensive onslaught in Pittsburgh. They don’t hit the 30 point mark this time around, but they don’t need to. The offense will grab an early lead and the defense will hold that lead until the clocks hit zeroes.
RT Terence Steele will keep Steelers’ star pass rusher TJ Watt off of Dak Prescott’s back, allowing Dak to pick apart the Steelers’ secondary on the way to victory.
Dallas Cowboys 27
Pittsburgh Steelers 20
Week 6: vs Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions reached the NFC Championship Game last season after finishing the regular season as the NFC’s third seed. Dan Campbell’s bunch collapsed in San Francisco after holding a big lead.
That feeling of defeat is what has them motivated to make it back, but they will hit a roadblock once again in Arlington.
Prediction: Win
The Lions are a physical team, but the Cowboys have injected some of that physicality into their game, and it will be a steel versus steel type matchup at AT&T Stadium.
Both defenses will get some crucial stops, but the Cowboys defense will get the final stop to keep Jared Goff and the Lions out of the endzone and into the losing column.
Dallas Cowboys 23
Detroit Lions 20
Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night Football)
The San Francisco 49ers appeared to finally show some chinks in their armor while LT Trent Williams and WR Brandon Aiyuk refused to report to the team without new contracts. Rumors were flying about the two being traded away, but the 49ers have reached deals with both of them.
San Francisco returns most of the team that embarrassed the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football last season at Levi’s Stadium. It was the most lopsided loss in recent memory for Dallas, and marked their third loss to the 49ers in three tries.
Dallas will be coming off of a bye week before traveling to the Bay Area, but I just don’t have the confidence that they can leave San Francisco with a win based on how they’ve played previously.
Prediction: Loss
The fourth time will not be the charm for the Dallas Cowboys against the San Francisco 49ers. They won’t be sent back home with their tail between their legs again, but they will go home with a loss.
Kyle Shanahan once again outmaneuvers the Cowboys defensive coordinator by using weapons like RB Christian McCaffrey and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk to create mismatches.
Dak Prescott and the offense will play better than their last outing in San Francisco, but it still won’t be enough to get in the win column.
San Francisco 49ers 26
Dallas Cowboys 21
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have a new look on offense after landing QB Kirk Cousins this offseason. They have also surrounded him with talent at the skill positions. RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts give Cousins several options to choose from.
WR Darnell Mooney came over from Chicago and provides a deep threat that Atlanta was lacking. Their offense was predicted to be more explosive, but a season-ending injury to WR Rondale Moore put a damper on that.
The Atlanta defense also gets a boost by adding LB Matthew Judon and S Justin Simmons, but until they show improvement on the field, I’ll still take the Cowboys offense over them.
Prediction: Win
Kirk Cousins is 2-9 as a starter versus the Cowboys in his career, and after this game, he will hit double digits in the loss column.
Mike Zimmer is familiar with the things Kirk Cousins does best, and his gameplan will reflect that. The defense, led by Micah Parsons, will fluster Cousins into at least two interceptions caused by pass rush pressure.
Mike McCarthy will call a masterful game on offense, and the Cowboys will cruise to a double-digit win in Atlanta.
Dallas Cowboys 28
Atlanta Falcons 17
Week 10: vs Philadelphia Eagles
The first matchup of the season between the Cowboys and the hated Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t come until week 10 at AT&T Stadium. It is one of the most anticipated games of the season for Dallas and most of the hype is driven by the fanbase.
Twitter/X will be a wild place to be leading up to the game, and pure devastation will set in if Jalen Hurts and the Eagles come into Arlington and leave with a victory. For the sake of the mental health of all of Cowboys Nation, this cannot happen.
Luckily for the fanbase, the Cowboys don’t lose at home to Philadelphia, and they won’t lose in week 10 either. Kellen Moore is the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia now, and if anyone knows how to combat his offenses, it’s the defensive coaches already in the building.
Prediction: Win
The NFC East clash will be a shootout, but the home crowd and home field advantage will prove too much for the Eagles, and the Cowboys will win the first of two matchups this season.
Dak Prescott will throw for over 300 yards and score four total touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a big division win to hopefully take the lead in the NFC East heading into the backstretch of the season.
Eagles’ wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith will have some splash plays, but the Cowboys secondary will knuckle down in the 4th quarter when it matters most to hold on to victory.
Dallas Cowboys 35
Philadelphia Eagles 31
Record: 6-3
After a shaky start to the season, the Cowboys will push themselves up the division and conference standings by winning four of their next five games to improve to 6-3.
Dak Prescott will take the lead once again in the MVP conversation, and the Cowboys will once again establish themselves as the favorites to win the NFC East after their 4-1 run.
We will cover the next four games on the schedule in the next installment of this series.