Coming off a disappointing 9-7 record last season, the Dallas Cowboys are looking to get back to the playoffs in 2018 after a quiet offseason.
With the exception of placing the franchise tag on star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and signing wide receiver Allen Hurns, the Cowboys are going to maketheir biggest splashes through the draft.
They will also be counting on running back Ezekiel Elliott for all 16 games after he sat out six games due to suspension last season.
Dallas' quest to get back atop the NFC East will run through this schedule, released on Thursday, per NFL.com.
Cowboys' 2018 Schedule
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers on Sept. 9 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 2: vs. New York Giants on Sept. 16 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 23 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 5: at Houston Texans on Oct. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Week 6: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 14 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS
Week 7: at Washington Redskins on Oct. 21 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans on Nov. 5 (Monday) at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 11 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Week 11: at Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins on Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving) at 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints on Nov. 29 (Thursday) at 8:20 p.m. ET on Fox/NFL Network
Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 9 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 17: at New York Giants on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Following a great rookie season in 2016, quarterback Dak Prescott took a step back in his second year with the Cowboys.
The numbers were still solid for Prescott, who threw for 3,324 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but Pro Football Focus had him at or below average in six different passing categories:
Pro Football Focus @PFFDak was 💰 against the blitz in 2017
Adding Hurns gives Prescott another option at wideout, along with Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley. They released Dez Bryant earlier this month, leaving Hurns as the main option for Prescott in the passing game.
On the defensive side, the Cowboys ranked in the top 11 in pass and rushing yards allowed. They finished tied for 13th in points allowed, including holding each of their last five opponents to 21 points or less.
Lawrence, who had a career-high 14.5 sacks last season, is the star that will carry the Dallas defense as far as it will go in 2018.
Owner Jerry Jones always sets sky-high expectations for his franchise, but this was an offseason in which he didn't try to spend money just for the sake of adding marquee talent.
Pivotal Matchups
The good news for the Cowboys is the NFC East isn't a deep division right now. The New York Giants are a complete mystery coming off a 3-13 record, Eli Manning still at quarterback and hiring a new head coach and general manager in Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman.
Washington made a change at quarterback by acquiring Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs. After a 7-9 record with Kirk Cousins under center in 2017, getting significantly better with Smith leading the offense seems like a stretch.
The bad news for the Cowboys is the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are in the NFC East. They followed up their championship parade by acquiring defensive end Michael Bennett to play on what was perhaps the NFL's best defensive line.
If the Cowboys are going to reclaim the NFC East, beating their divisional opponents is a good way to start. The Eagles, in particular, are the benchmark that everyone in the division is trying to catch.
As the Cowboys found out last season, though, success in the division alone doesn't translate to a playoff appearance. They won five of their six games against NFC East opponents in 2017, but went 4-6 against everyone else.
Dallas' schedule isn't going to make a playoff appearance in 2018 an easy task. Its slate of home opponents includes three teams that made the postseason, including the New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
If the Cowboys want to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, those are the kinds of teams they will have to beat to get there.
