Today the NFL schedule was released for all 32 teams. The Cowboys kick off their season as they have the last few years. We get the NY Giants at home on Sunday Night on NBC. Yes, we have to “wait all day” for our game. The one thing to like about this is that our Boys should be motivated, for a change, to face these guys and wanting a little retribution for last years two losses. Apologies to Dez, who always comes fully ready and 100% motivated to win each and every week. The Giants always seem to be the more ready team. We make Eli look like a HOF QB instead of the stiff he is against the rest of the league, year in and year out. The addition of Brandon Marshall to team with ODBIII will be a serious test of our newly assembled defense. Wasn’t expecting another 13-3 season to begin with, but we need to get off to a good start the first four weeks or it can be an uphill climb for the balance of the season.
We have a 1st place schedule and the schedule makers did us absolutely no favors at first glance. We face top flight defenses the first three weeks in the Giants on opening night, the Broncos at Mile High, then a very physical Cardinals team, also on the road. Imagine, Romo signing with Denver and how this game would have been hyped and certainly being a Prime Time game. Facing these top defensive teams out of the gate, will require our offense to be in midseason form. We may be opening without Doug Free manning the RT spot, worse is we don’t know who will be starting at RT if he does retire. We have reason to suspect that Von Miller will look to exploit anyone on the right side. We think we have a bit of a breather against the Rams at home, but they’ll be tough defensively and Wade will bring the house against Dak. Wade certainly wants this game against Jason & Jerry!
Up next is Aaron Rodgers, Dom Capers & the Packers. Granted we handed them the opportunity’s to beat us in the playoffs, but they did enough to earn their victory as well. This will be no walk in the park if we fail to feed Zeke the ball this time around. Then we get a bye, albeit way too early in my humble opinion. If we have a few early season injuries, then the break may be desperately needed, but week #6 is too soon for this old dog. The SF game s/b in our column and better be for a team that today doesn’t know who they’re playing at QB! Next we travel to the nations capitol to play our rivals, the Redskins. Another track meet may break out.
Check out the second half of the season’s schedule below and we’ll give first impressions on those games.
Kicking off the second half of the season, four of the last eight are against our NFC East foes. Two of those NFC East battles are in December. Never good to get the cold, wet fields of those Eastern enemies. We play the Chiefs at home and they’re a tough team, solid defensively, but their two weaknesses are at QB and Andy Reid’s time management inside of two minutes. True, we have our own challenge with our HC inside of two minutes, who doesn’t know when to “bang” a time out and when not to (more on that down the road). From there we go on the road to face Matty Ice, who was cold as ice in the 2nd half of a big game not that long ago. They peaked against the Packers in the playoffs playing a great up tempo game that had the Packers reeling from the start. Tough one on the road and they’ll be up for this game. Can we bring the same level of intensity? The Eagles are on the board in weeks 11 & 17 (road game).
The annual Thanksgiving game, we get the Chargers, while my two cents, we’d rather see a tougher team, perhaps the Eagles or the Skins that day. Rather see one of those two with a little extra challenge when playing us. Make them travel on three days rest to do battle. We can expect the Chargers to bring their best, but currently they aren’t looked upon as an above average team. Rivers, never goes down without pouring every ounce of effort into the contest. Here again is where the league did us no favors.
The closing five games are like running a gauntlet, the Skins, Giants, da Raiders, the Seahawks, then that closing game with the Eagles. One tough home stretch. Playing our NFC foes on the road in December gives our opponent the edge in those games, while we don’t get any benefit by playing those teams earlier in the year at home. I view the NFC East road games as an advantage to our opponents, beyond home field advantage with the elements playing a factor in how the game is played. If the weather isn’t ideal in Dallas, Jerry simply pushes a button and closes the roof.
How do you view the schedule?
