Dallas Cowboys’ 2022 schedule: Early tests against Buccaneers, Bengals set the tone

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys’ 2022 schedule was launched together with the remainder of the NFL slate Thursday.

The 2022 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Buffalo Payments vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ESPN opens its schedule with Monday Evening Soccer on Sept. 12 that includes the Denver Broncos on the Seattle Seahawks.

The NFL expanded to 17 regular-season video games final season. The ultimate regular-season video games for the 2022 season can be performed Jan. 8, 2023. The playoffs start Jan. 14 and proceed by way of Tremendous Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Here is what’s in retailer for the Cowboys:

Schedule

Sept. 11: vs. Tampa Bay (SNF)

Sept. 18: vs. Cincinnati

Sept. 26: at New York Giants (MNF)

Oct. 2: vs. Washington

Oct. 9: at Rams

Oct. 16: at Philadelphia (SNF)

Oct. 23: vs. Detroit

Oct. 30: vs. Chicago

Nov. 7: Bye

Nov. 13: at Inexperienced Bay

Nov. 20: at Minnesota

Nov. 24: vs. New York Giants

Dec. 4: vs. Indianapolis (SNF)

Dec. 11: vs. Houston

Dec. 18: at Jacksonville

Dec. 24: vs. Philadelphia

Dec. 29: at Tennessee (Prime)

Jan. 7 or 8: at Washington

Energy of schedule: T-Thirty first, .462

Greatest takeaway

The Cowboys can be challenged early. 4 of their first six video games are towards 2021 playoff groups, together with the opener towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. By the way in which, quarterback Tom Brady is 6-0 vs. Dallas. That’s adopted by the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. After two NFC East video games, the Cowboys play the Tremendous Bowl champion Rams at SoFi Stadium after which on the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Cowboys can come out of that stretch at .500 or higher, then that would set them up for late-season success with solely three video games towards 2021 playoff groups (Inexperienced Bay, Philadelphia, Tennessee) within the last 9 weeks.

Revenge recreation

From 2006 to December of 2018, Mike McCarthy was the Inexperienced Bay Packers’ head coach. He received a Tremendous Bowl for the Packers. He has a road named after him, Mike McCarthy Manner. He nonetheless has a house exterior Inexperienced Bay, and household nonetheless lives within the space. Do you assume the Week 10 recreation at Lambeau Discipline will imply one thing to him? He’ll attempt to downplay it, in fact, however that figures to be the storyline of the week. It’s that or who’s underneath extra stress to win massive because the second half of the season unfolds, Aaron Rodgers or Dak Prescott? Go along with McCarthy.

What the oddsmakers assume

The win whole is 10.5 video games. A 12 months in the past, the Cowboys received 12 video games however don’t have Amari Cooper, Randy Gregory, Connor Williams or La’el Collins round this 12 months. They haven’t made the massive free-agent splashes. Their draft didn’t generate a ton of buzz, both. So why 10.5? They’re tied with Washington for the best power of schedule primarily based off final 12 months’s win percentages.

Daring prediction

The Cowboys break the NFC East jinx and win the division in back-to-back years. The final time the identical workforce received the NFC East in consecutive years was Philadelphia in 2003-04. The Cowboys haven’t gone to the playoffs in back-to-back years since 2006-07.