This week the Dallas Cowboys (+2) will be kicking off 2024 training camp. The long offseason is finally almost over, and football, at least in some capacity, is nearing its return.
With the upcoming season on our mind, today we take a look at three games on the Cowboys’ regular season schedule the team must win if they want to return to the playoffs.
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1) Week 2: Cowboys VS Saints
The schedule makers love to challenge the Cowboys in Week 1, and this year is no different. Dallas kicks off their 2024 regular season by traveling to Cleveland to take on the Browns, who are widely viewed as one of the more underrated teams in the league.
With Dallas potentially starting two rookie offensive linemen this year, facing Cleveland’s talented pass rush right off the bat will be no easy task. The Cowboys could easily lose this game, making the Week 2 matchup against New Orleans one of the season's most important games.
History shows NFL teams that fall to 0-2 make the playoffs less than 40% of the time. So if the Cowboys do slip up in Week 1, they better take care of business at home against the Saints.
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2) Week 6: Cowboys VS Lions
When the Cowboys and Lions last met in Week 17 of the 2023 regular season, an instant classic took shape. Dallas edged out a 20-19 victory filled with plenty of drama and one of the more controversial endings in recent NFL history.
Part two this fall figures to be another outstanding matchup. Coming off making the NFC Championship game, the Lions beefed up their defense this offseason, including drafting two talented cornerbacks, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., with their first two draft picks. The Lions currently have the fourth-best Super Bowl odds (+1200), via DraftKings Sportsbook, behind only the Chiefs, 49ers, and Ravens.
The matchup with the Lions is important for the Cowboys for a number of reasons. Firstly, Dallas very well could be vying for a wild card spot with the Lions, making their head-to-head matchup very important for tiebreaking purposes. Secondly, after the Cowboys host the Lions they head into their toughest four-game stretch of the season, facing the 49ers and Falcons on the road, and hosting the Eagles and Texans.
Dallas will need to win their game against the Lions to head into their bye week with some momentum before tackling their four-game gauntlet.
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3) Week 14: Cowboys VS Bengals
While the Cowboys do have a tough mid-season stretch, things lighten up considerably in the second half of the schedule. Starting on Thanksgiving in Week 13, four of Dallas’ final six games are at home. Outside of their matchup at Philadelphia in Week 17, the Cowboys will likely be favored in five of those games, giving them a chance to put together a sizable winning streak down the stretch.
Other than Philadelphia, if there’s one game to really worry about post-Thanksgiving it’s Dallas’ Week 14 game against Cincinnati. With Joe Burrow back from injury, the Bengals are a very dangerous team, currently holding the fifth-best (+1300) Super Bowl odds, via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Dallas will have their work cut out for them, but if they can muster a win at home against Cincinnati, they have a shot of going into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.
