Cowboys schedule 2021: Win-loss record prediction heading into the new season
Here we are, just days away from the opening match of the 2021/22 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys face the reigning Super Bowl champs in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get their season started.
Dallas has one of the easiest schedules, ranking 31st out of a possible 32 teams, so there should be some improvement on last year's record.
As we know, however, games are not won on paper. They are won on the field, where the Cowboys were largely underwhelming last season.
When looking at the schedule, Dallas has some serious teams to match up against. Starting with Tom Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City away to go with games against the Vikings, Chargers, Saints and Patriots. All of which are away from home.
Just those teams on their own would be a tricky task, yet we have not even mentioned Denver, the Raiders, and the Falcons. Then add in the divisional games against Washington, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Could the Cowboys be knocking on the door of the playoffs this season?
Much of this will be determined how healthy Dak Prescott is. Coming off a career-threatening ankle injury, Dak was hampered by a shoulder injury that kept him out of all pre-season games, which is hardly ideal.
It is clear Dallas has some serious weaponry around Dak with Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb, Michael Gallup and tight end Blake Jarwin. But it is on the other side of the football where the Cowboys will need vast improvement.
Dan Quinn, the new defensive coordinator, will have his work cut out to improve a horror defense. The addition of Micah Parsons, who is thought to be by many the best defensive player in the 2021 draft, will certainly help.
It's no secret that Dallas has a rather youthful look to it in 2021 and coming up against experienced quarterbacks, this could spell disaster. Facing Brady and Justin Herbert in the opening two games, the Cowboys have a rather tough start, not to mention trying to slow down Patrick Mahomes.
Aside from those three, Dallas also has to contend with the likes of Matt Ryan, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones and Derek Carr. All of which have the tools and personnel to get after the Dallas defense.
The seven teams that the Cowboys come up against are difficult games to begin with and that is not even mentioning the divisional games either, who they face twice each. The “easy” schedule suddenly looks a little more daunting.
The Cowboys' hopes are pinned slowly on Dak Prescott’s shoulders. With back-up Andy Dalton, Dallas barely fired a shot after Prescott went down with his injury against the Giants.
When talking about what the Cowboys record could be for the upcoming season, 10-7 seems like a rather conservative record. That could deviate either way as the year goes on, but it seems feasible that Dallas will be knocking on the door of the playoffs.
After what can only be described as a year from hell, Dak Prescott must lead the Dallas Cowboys back to where they belong and that’s in the postseason.