The Dallas Cowboys will tackle a second-place schedule in 2023 after the Philadelphia Eagles steamrolled their way to a division title last season. The one silver lining of coming in second is that the Eagles will not only have the tougher schedule, but their strength of schedule is the most difficult of any team.
Of course, the Cowboys should focus only on what they can control: their 2023 opponents. They'll get the Eagles twice and will need to win at least one of those games to have a shot at supplanting Philly as the class of the division.
Returning most of the same starting lineup on both sides of the ball and with veteran stars Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks entering the fold -- to say nothing of an intriguing 2023 draft class -- the Cowboys, at minimum, should be expected to notch double-digit wins this upcoming season.
With that in mind, we've predicted all 17 games on Dallas' 2023 schedule. Before we dive in, here's a quick look at the final product:
- Week 1 at Giants (SNF)
- Week 2 vs Jets
- Week 3 at Cardinals
- Week 4 at Patriots
- Week 5 at 49ers (SNF)
- Week 6 at Chargers (MNF)
- Week 7: Bye
- Week 8 vs Rams
- Week 9 at Eagles
- Week 10 vs Giants
- Week 11 at Panthers
- Week 12 vs Commanders
- Week 13 vs Seahawks (TNF)
- Week 14 vs Eagles (SNF)
- Week 15 at Bills
- Week 16 at Dolphins
- Week 17 vs Lions
- Week 18 at Commanders.
Cowboys game-by-game predictions for 2023 season
Week 1 vs Giants (SNF):
Traveling to play a division rival on the road in primetime is not how most teams would want to start a season, but what better time to trek to East Rutherford than the first week of September? Not that Dallas would struggle vs New York in inclement weather late in the season, but the Cowboys own the Giants recently and that will continue to open the 2023 season. 26-20, Win.
Week 2 vs Jets
This has the potential to be one of the best games of the season. For whatever reason, Aaron Rodgers, already a top-five QB talent of all time, takes his game to another level against the Cowboys, and he arguably has the best supporting cast of his career on both sides of the ball.
The Jets won seven games last year with the worst QB play in the league and Rodgers has a knack for snatching Dallas' soul. New York wins on a late field goal as the Cowboys fall to 1-1 on the young season. 24-21, Loss.
Week 3 at Cardinals
The Cardinals will be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick next year. Kyler Murray is recovering from a torn ACL and is expected to miss the first several weeks. Dallas will in all likelihood face Murray given they play Arizona in Week _ and Murray has given them fits in the past, but the Cardinals’ roster is among the worst in the league. It stands to reason it will get worse once they trade star safety and locker room leader Budda Baker, who requested a trade this offseason.
Additionally, Arizona has a rookie head coach in Jonathan Gannon. They’re in a clear rebuild, meaning the Cowboys should win this contest pretty comfortably even though they have to make the trek to Glendale. 31-17, Win.
Week 4 at Patriots
The Patriots will be a tricky matchup for everyone given Bill Belichick is calling the shots, but there’s not enough firepower on New Englands’ matchup for us to be overly worried about a potential upset here.
Again, Belichick could brainstorm a game plan that confuses Mike McCarthy’s offense, but in the end the Cowboys have too much talent on both sides of the ball to lose this one. 24-17, Win.
Week 5 at 49ers (SNF)
The Cowboys have more playoff wins against the 49ers than any other team in their history, but San Francisco has dominated the recent history between these historic franchises. The last two playoff matchups were close on the scoreboard, but anyone who watched knows the Niners were too physical on defense. Dallas’ defense will keep this close, but until proven otherwise San Fran owns this matchup. 28-17, Loss.
Week 6 at Chargers (MNF)
A matchup between two perennially underachieving teams. The Cowboys beat the Justin Herbert-led Chargers back at the buzzer in 2021 thanks to a 56-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein. We expect more points this time around given the talent on both offenses. It could come down to which QB makes fewer mistakes, and we’re backing Prescot in that regard with a potentially monster game from Tony Pollard, who went for over 100 yards the last time these teams met. 27-21, Win
Week 7: Bye
Week 8 vs Rams
The Rams will be much-improved relative to last season when they finished 5-12 and navigated injuries to several key players. Matthew Stafford (nine games played), Aaron Donald (11 games played) and Cooper Kupp (nine games played) stick out like a sore thumb in that regard, but seemingly LA’s entire roster was banged up at one point or another.
That said, this version of the Rams shouldn’t scare the Cowboys, who won 22-10 the last time these teams played in October. Expect Dan Quinn’s defense to fly around and Dak Prescott and Co. to enjoy an efficient day at the office at the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium. 24-17, Win.
Week 9 at Eagles
It's interesting the Cowboys and Eagles don't lock horns until the ninth week of the season. Given how close these teams are on paper it's fair to assume they'll split their games again. Both clubs held serve at home last season and much of the same will happen this year. Cowboys lose a close one thanks to a late Eagles touchdown. 31-27, Loss
Week 10 vs Giants
The Cowboys have the Giants number. It’s as simple as that. While general manager Joe Schoen improved the roster in the draft – Deonte Banks, John Michael Schmitz and Jalin Hyatt is quite the haul in the first three rounds – this is still a middling roster that’s paying an average QB big-time money.
The fighting Brian Daboll’s could be headed for aggression in 2023 after they were surprisingly prolific in one-score games last year. The Cowboys complete the season sweep of the Giants and win their sixth straight overall against their rivals. 27-17, Win.
Week 11 at Panthers
The Panthers are trending up after they drafted Bryce Young first overall. There’s still questions about their WR room after they traded DJ Moore, but they have a young up-and-coming defense that is returning most of its starters. This game will be closer than expected, and we wouldn’t rule out a potential letdown game for the Cowboys, but we need to see Carolina’s offense perform before we give them any credit. 23-20, Win.
Week 12 vs Commanders (Thanksgiving)
The Cowboys need to sweep at least one of the Giants or Commanders to have a chance at reclaiming the NFC East crown from Philly. We expect a sweep of both teams. The Commanders are trending up, but are expected to start Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett. While Washington has nice complementary pieces on offense, Dallas can’t be losing to teams with average-level QB play.
As long as Dallas doesn't play into the Commanders' game plan -- control the game script by pounding the rock -- they'll win comfortably. 23-16, Win.
Week 13 vs Seahawks (TNF)
The Seahawks retooled after their (somewhat) surprising playoff appearance last season. They brought back Bobby Wagner to anchor the defense and drafted another weapon for Geno Smith in Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba to pair with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, as well as the best cornerback in the class in Devon Witherspoon to bring more physicality to the secondary.
This smells of a game that catches the Cowboys by surprise at home. Dallas digs itself too steep of an early hole before a second half comeback falls just short. 28-23, Loss
Week 14 vs Eagles
Like we said before, we expect the Cowboys to take care of business at home. Like Christmas Eve last season, Dak Prescott balls out in a Dallas win. He won't, however, have to overcome a ghastly turnover that led to an early Eagles touchdown. Bad memories, but this game won't be. 24-18, Win.
Week 15 at Bills
Call me crazy, but this will be the Cowboys’ statement win of the year. They typically have one or two per season – steamrolling the Vikings 40-3 on the road last season springs to mind – and this time it’ll happen in the hostile Highmark Stadium against one of the consensus Super Bowl favorites. Dak Prescott outplays Josh Allen, while Dallas’ rushing attack runs roughshod all over Buffalo’s defense. 27-20, Win.
Week 16 at Dolphins
A mouthwatering matchup, this game will test the Cowboys ability to defend speed. Between Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and rookie draft pick Devon Achane, Miami is far and away the fastest offense in the NFL. They also loaded up on defense after hiring Vic Fangio as their new defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys typically struggle against teams that boast tremendous speed. Expect that trend to continue in this matchup. 24-21, Loss
Week 17 vs Lions (New Year's Eve)
The Cowboys struggled to put away the shorthanded Lions last season before they pulled away in the second half for a tidy 24-6 victory. We wouldn’t expect Detroit to be as timid as offense, however. They hit their stride in the second half of the schedule and added Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta to an already-prolific offense. The Lions defense has questions but they have one of the best offensive lines in the league. This has great game written all over it, with the fighting Dan Campbell’s pulling off the road upset. 28-27, Loss.
Week 18 at Commanders
The Cowboys slipped up against Washington in a largely meaningless game last season. We don't expect the clock to strike midnight twice, however. This fixture could have massive implications on the NFC East race assuming the Eagles haven't wrapped it up yet. Look for a convincing Cowboys performance on the back of a strong showing from fans at FedEx Field. 35-20, Win.
Final record: 11-6