I don't know about you, but I took the opportunity during the bye week to look at the teams still remaining on the Dallas Cowboys schedule and what chance they have at possibly making a push for the playoffs. Taking into consideration how up-and-down the Cowboys have been this season, I think they still have a chance to sneak in the playoffs if a few things fall into place.
We still don't know what the Dallas Cowboys will look like after acquiring Wide Receiver Amari Cooper, so that makes it a little bit difficult to predict how they will perform moving forward. I decided to take the optimistic approach though and it really impacted my outlook on how the Cowboys could close out this season. Continue to read below to see my predictions of the remaining games on the Cowboys schedule.
Week 9: Cowboys Vs. Titans
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Out of all the teams remaining on the Dallas Cowboys schedule this season, the matchup against the Tennessee Titans might just be the most winnable. Nothings guaranteed in the NFL, but it's pretty obvious the Cowboys are the more talented team across the board.
I believe the defense will shut down the Marcus Mariota led offense and Dallas' offense will be able to have their way with the Titans defense. This will also be the first opportunity we get see how Wide Receiver Amari Cooper can help open up the offense and established himself in the passing game. This game could be the confidence booster the Cowboys need to make a playoff push.
Prediction: Cowboys, 27-10
Week 10: Cowboys @ Eagles
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On paper, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles are pretty evenly matched. Both teams are really talented, but inconsistencies in all phases of the game have kept them from playing up to that talent.
Since both teams are so evenly matched, I think this game will come down to the wire. With the way the Cowboys have played on the road this year and the fact the Eagles not only will have extra time to prepare coming off their bye week, but also home-field advantage, this game ends up favoring Philadelphia a little too much for my liking.
Prediction: Eagles, 23-20
Week 11: Cowboys @ Falcons
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This matchup has revenge written all over it for the Dallas Cowboys. It was against the Atlanta Falcons when things started to fall apart for Dallas last year and I'm sure they will be looking for some payback this season. This time they will have Tyron Smith and Ezekiel Elliott and that will make a huge difference.
Luckily, this isn't the same Falcons team they faced a year ago. They are still a talented offensive unit with plenty of playmakers who can cause some trouble for the Cowboys defense, but defensively they are decimated with injuries. I think the Cowboys defense can slow down the Matt Ryan led Falcons offense enough for QB Dak Prescott and his teammates to put more points on the board.
Prediction: Cowboys, 27-17
Week 12: Cowboys Vs. Redskins
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The last time these two teams faced off against one another should be fresh in our minds still. It ended in a controversial snap infraction penalty and a missed field goal for the Dallas Cowboys, allowing the Redskins to narrowly escape with the 20-17 victory. You can bet Cowboys players are looking forward to a rematch and I think that will make a big difference.
After being on the road for two consecutive games, the Cowboys get to come home to play in front of their fans and prove to them why they should be sitting atop the NFC East division, not the Redskins. I think will see an entirely different Cowboys team this time around than we saw in the previous matchup. I don't think the Redskins defense can contain Ezekiel Elliott again and I believe he will absolutely dominate.
Prediction: Cowboys, 24-17
Week 13: Cowboys Vs. Saints
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Watching the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints play on Thanksgiving day makes for some must watch TV. Playing a Thursday night game doesn't leave much time for preparation in a short week for either team, so whoever executes better will likely be the victor in this primetime matchup.
You may disagree with me, but I think these teams are pretty evenly matched. Having said that though, I think the Saints know how to get the best out of their talent and that will be the difference in this matchup. I think they probably have too much firepower on offense and are good enough defensively to keep the Cowboys from putting more points on the board. I don't believe it's going to be a blowout, but I also don't think Dallas' offense can outscore QB Drew Brees and his talented playmakers.
Prediction: Saints, 30-20
Week 14: Cowboys Vs. Eagles
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Unlike in the first matchup between these two teams this season, the Dallas Cowboys are the ones with a little extra time to prepare and the ones with home-field advantage. Those two advantages were the reason I gave the win to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, but this time the script flips in favor of the Cowboys.
Dallas plays like an entirely different team at home this season as opposed to when they're on the road. I think that will be the difference in this matchup. It will definitely be another slugfest, but I think the Cowboys will provide the knockout punch in the end. This game will have huge implications as to who wins the NFC East division and earns one of those coveted playoff spots.
Prediction: Cowboys, 17-13
Week 15: Cowboys @ Colts
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There are very few games left on the Dallas Cowboys schedule this season in which I believe they should absolutely win, but this one against the Indianapolis Colts is one of them. Anything can happen of course, but even considering how poorly the Cowboys have played on the road in enemy territory, this should be an easy win.
QB Andrew Luck has been improving as the season progresses, but he still doesn't look quite like his old self. The Cowboys defense should absolutely dominate this game because Luck doesn't have a lot of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Dallas should control the game offensively as well. I don't believe the Colts defense can stop Ezekiel Elliott, which plays right into the hands of what the Cowboys want to do on offense.
Prediction: Cowboys, 27-13
Week 16: Cowboys Vs. Buccaneers
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The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has “trap game” written all over it. The Cowboys could be in playoff contention by this point in the season and could be a little overconfident when squaring off against a Buccaneers team they should probably be able to beat pretty easily. That overconfidence could get them in trouble though.
The Buccaneers are just talented enough to pull off the upset on Dallas' home turf. The Cowboys coaching staff has to express the importance of this game to the players to get them locked in and focused instead of looking ahead. If they do that, the Cowboys should absolutely dominate this game both offensively and defensively.
Prediction: Cowboys, 24-13
Week 17: Cowboys @ Giants
Can the Dallas Cowboys sweep the New York Giants two years in a row? I think they can, especially considering QB Eli Manning might be seeing his time as the starter coming to an end. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Giants have a new QB being evaluated these last few games of the season, which should only help the Cowboys close out the 2018 regular-season with a victory.
As of now, I don't know if the Cowboys will have secured a playoff spot or need this game to do so, but I don't see any reason why they shouldn'd be playing to win. Luckily, the Giants already look like a team who are ready to lay down and die, and that should only continue to get worse as the season progresses. This should be a relatively easy win and something to build off of heading into the playoffs if my predictions are correct.
Prediction: Cowboys, 21-13
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I know I'm being a little optimistic with my predictions considering how up-and-down the Dallas Cowboys have been this year, but I do believe they have a chance to go 7-2 in their final nine games of the 2018 season. That means they finished the year 10-6 and have a real shot at not only winning the NFC East division, but securing a playoff spot. Wouldn't that be something after how frustrating things have been so far?
