Cowboys schedule 2024: Every game on national TV this season

The Dallas Cowboys' 2024 schedule is out and while they should flirt with 12 wins for the third straight season, the league did them dirty in a variety of ways. They have a brutal opening set of games and they have a murderer's row of opponents coming out of their Week 7 bye.

It's no secret that the Cowboys are one of the biggest draws in the league. Sure enough, no team has more games on national TV. Two teams -- the Chiefs and Jets -- are tied with Dallas with six primetime fixtures.

It speaks volumes that the Cowboys continue to keep pace with the dynastic Chiefs even though they haven't been to an NFC title game in 28 years. They are a ratings monster regardless of their Super Bowl or even playoff potential.

With that, here's a rundown of Dallas' national TV matchups in 2024. Remember, national TV is not the same thing as primetime.

Week 4: Cowboys at Giants (Thursday Night Football)

The Giants are thanking their lucky stars they aren't facing the Cowboys to open the season. Dallas throttled New York in Week 1 last season in the form of a 40-0 beatdown at MetLife Stadium. Regardless of where these teams play in the Dak Prescott era, the Cowboys always come out on top.

Week 5: Cowboys at Steelers (Sunday Night Football)

This is a matchup of two of the most storied franchises in the NFL. Fittingly, the all-time series is almost dead-even: Dallas has a slim 17-16 advantage. Cowboys fans will remember the iconic 2016 victory over Pittsburgh when Ezekiel Elliott rushed for the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds left in regulation. How great would it be if history repeated itself in 2024?

Week 8: Cowboys at 49ers (Sunday Night Football)

It says a lot about how lopsided this rivalry has been that Cowboys fans are just hoping for a competitive game. Dallas got markedly more physical this offseason and Kyle Shanahan can no longer coach circles around Dan Quinn. This could be the Cowboys' best chance at toppling the 49ers.

Week 11 vs Texans (Monday Night Football)

Cowboys vs Texans was always going to be a primetime affair. Houston is a massive draw thanks to phenom quarterback C.J. Stroud. Thanks to Stroud, head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Texans' buttoned-up defense they will be a popular Super Bowl pick this year among NFL analysts.

Week 13 vs Giants (Thanksgiving)

The Cowboys and Eagles won't square off in primetime for the first time in two decades. Instead, they play the five-win Giants twice on national television. That is normally bad news for New York. Dallas beat the G-Men on Turkey Day two years ago and they'll look to make it back-to-back-to-back Thanksgiving wins against division rivals.

Week 14 vs Bengals (Monday Night Football)

Dak Prescott vs Joe Burrow. CeeDee Lamb vs Ja'Marr Chase. A matchup of two of the game's premier QBs and wide receivers. The Cowboys beat the Bengals in 2022 with Cooper Rush under center, so they'll be disappointed to not defend their home turf against Cincinnati.

Week 16 vs Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football)

This is perhaps the most surprising of the Cowboys' national TV games. The Buccaneers won the NFC South last year and re-signed several core pieces, including QB Bakey Mayfield, WR Mike Evans, LB Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield. Tampa Bay will be a tough out, but Dallas matches up very well.

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