Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys: 2017 Schedule Breakdown And Analysis

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:40 p.m. ET

Fansided, Stephen Forsha/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Breaking down and analyzing the Dallas Cowboys schedule in the 2017 NFL season.

The start of the 2017 regular season for the Dallas Cowboys will mirror the start of last season as they are set to host the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. If that is the case, a loss won't be the end of the world as the Cowboys finished last season 13-3 overall and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC Playoffs.

Though the Cowboys had a bad day at the office during their one-and-done playoff appearance against the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round, they have a chance to avenge that loss, along with the two losses to the Giants this upcoming regular season.

The Cowboys are scheduled to face the Packers in Week 5 at AT&T Stadium, and they also will face teams from the NFC West and the AFC West. In all, the Cowboys are schedule to play in five primetime national games, plus they host their annual Thanksgiving Day game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The bye week of the Cowboys is scheduled for Week 6.

The 2017 schedule for the Cowboys is tougher than what it was last season when they faced the AFC North and NFC North, but they have enough talent with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott beginning their second year in the league, along with the impending debut of Jaylon Smith at linebacker and the usual suspects of Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Byron Jones and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

This NFL season will be a very interesting 16 regular-season games. But for it to be a success, the defense will need to be rebuilt in a hurry before the regular season kicks off. Even the high-potential offense needs a little fine-tuning, but fans should be excited for the upcoming season. If all goes well in the rebuild of the defense and the offense keeps moving along, great things can happen for the Cowboys. Here is a breakdown of their 2017 regular season schedule.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Sean Lee (50) in game action against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. New York won 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Week 1: vs. New York Giants (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

In what seems like an annual showdown to start the season on Sunday Night Football, the Cowboys host the Giants in an NFC East rivalry matchup. This game is very important for the Cowboys as they will enter this game as they were swept by the Giants last season, in addition to the normally high stakes of a rivalry.

The matchup to watch was brought up on Twitter this week in Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Even though the Giants defeated the Cowboys twice last season, they only did so by a combined four points at 20-19 and 10-7, and going back to the 2015 season, the Giants have defeated the Cowboys three-straight games.

More from NFL Spin Zone

Week 2: at Denver Broncos (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

This is the first of two-straight trips out west for the Cowboys, beginning with a very tough defensive matchup against Von Miller and the Broncos. The Broncos will be interesting to watch with a new head coach in Vance Joseph, so being on the road in Denver against a team with a new system in place, a lot will not be in the Cowboys' favor once this game arrives.

Week 3: at Arizona Cardinals (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET)

This Monday Night Football game against on the road in Arizona for the Cowboys will be their lone appearance on Monday Night. This game will feature two of the best running backs in all of the NFL in Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson.

Those two running backs combined for a total of 2,870 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. Of those yards and touchdowns, Elliott led the NFL with 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games, while Johnson had 1,239 yards and was second in the league with 16 rushing touchdowns.

Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Rams (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Of their first four games of the season, the one game the Cowboys should handle their business in is this game with the Los Angeles Rams. Again, this will feature two excellent backs in Elliott and the Rams running back Todd Gurley.

Though the offense of the Cowboys is better than the Rams, they too have a new head coach in Sean McVay, so there have to be changes with this struggling franchise in 2017. Another aspect to watch for the Rams is second-year quarterback Jared Goff and how he'll compare with Cowboys second-year quarterback Dak Prescott.

Oct 16, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) catches a pass in front of Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett (42) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

This is a game the Cowboys need to be very competitive in and prove to their fans and themselves that they can get over the disappointment from the NFC Divisional Round. You'll remember, they overcame a deficit in the second half, only to see Aaron Rodgers and the Packers drive downfield and eliminate the Cowboys from the playoffs.

The Cowboys won the Week 6 regular-season meeting last year at Lambeau Field, 30-16, in a game where Dak Prescott passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 157 yards. Again, this is a huge matchup in the NFC early in the season that could have playoff implications down the road. They then have their bye in Week 6 this season.

Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

This used to be a classic rivalry matchup, but lately only one of the two teams have been competitive when they each take the field, and that is the case again this season. The Cowboys should be the favorites to win this game. And, for the third time in their first six games, the Cowboys will face a first-year head coach, this time Kyle Shanahan.

Week 8: at Washington Redskins (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

The Cowboys swept this meeting last season, defeating their rival 27-23 and 31-26, but neither win was what is described as "a given," and that will be the case this season, too. The Redskins should be a better team offensively, and it will be worth watching to see how the Cowboys fare against the new combo of quarterback Kirk Cousins-to-Terrelle Pryor. As always with this game, it should be intense and be meaningful in the NFC East standings.

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET)

The Cowboys get to face their former rival in Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who spent over a decade making life tough on the Cowboys as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. This will be a very tough matchup as the Chiefs should be one of the top teams in the AFC and have a defense that can challenge the Cowboys offense. By the way, former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo should be calling this game for CBS from the booth.

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) and wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) run onto the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Week 10: at Atlanta Falcons (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Who knows what this game can bring, but the Falcons are the reigning NFC champions. However, will they be able to have another strong season after the disappointment that was the Super Bowl collapse? The Cowboys better hope by this point of the season that their defense is strong, as they will be facing the likes of quarterback Matt Ryan, running back Devonta Freeman, wide receivers Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and tight end Austin Hooper.

This could be a very tough matchup for the Cowboys midway through the season, but it will be a great test for their defense to see where they've progressed by the time this part of the NFL season arrives.

Week 11: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

The first of two meetings for the Cowboys with bitter rival Philadelphia won't be an easy task, even with the Eagles still being in a rebuild mode this upcoming season. It will be another battle of second-year quarterbacks for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, this time facing Carson Wentz, who passed for a combined 447 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Dallas in 2016.

Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (FOX, 4:30 p.m. ET)

The annual Thanksgiving game should be another tough running back showdown with the Chargers bringing in Melvin Gordon and the Cowboys with Elliott in a throwback of their days in the Big Ten when the Wisconsin Badgers (Gordon) would face the Ohio State Buckeyes (Elliott).

The Chargers can't play as poorly as they did most of last season, and for what is the fourth time in the 2017 season, the Cowboys will be preparing for a team with a new head coach and different football philosophy with the Chargers hiring Anthony Lynn this offseason. Even on a short week, the Cowboys should be able to defend their home turf on Thanksgiving.

Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins (NBC, NFLN, 8:30 p.m. ET)

The second matchup with the Redskins in 2017 will be on Thursday Night Football, the second straight week of Thursday play for both squads. This could be a messy game depending on the health of the two teams this part of the season. But if things are going well for both teams, this could be one of the better Thursday Night Football games of the season.

Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys free safety Byron Jones (31) reacts after breaking up a pass play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Week 14: at New York Giants (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

This is the second meeting with the Giants in 2017, and like in the previous game, there will be a lot on the line hopefully for both teams when this game takes place. This is also the start of a brutal three-game stretch for the Cowboys, facing three teams in three-straight weeks who made the playoffs in 2016. This is also the start of two straight road games that see the Cowboys play in a late afternoon game on the East Coast, followed the next week with a game out west.

The Cowboys not only will have to worry about the Giants in the game, but being in New Jersey and outdoors in December, weather could be a factor for the Cowboys, too.

Week 15: at Oakland Raiders (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

This might have the makings of a Super Bowl preview or, depending on how teams play this season, it could be at least a must-win game for these two teams as they work to make the playoffs. These two teams mirror each other offensively as each have great or excellent players at the skill positions and on the offensive line. The Raiders might have the edge in defense, but linebackers Khalil Mack of the Raiders and Sean Lee of the Cowboys have a chance to take over the game with their usual stout play.

Week 16: vs. Seattle Seahawks (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Who knows exactly where the Cowboys will be in the standings once this game rolls around, but it could be for a playoff spot. Or the Cowboys, like last season, could be clinching a top seed in the NFC Playoffs with a win. Either way, this game will be important to either the Cowboys, Seahawks or both in the next-to-final game of the regular season. The Seahawks still are talented on both sides of the ball, and usually when this time of the season rolls around, they are playing top-tier football.

Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Unlike last season, this game could have some meaning for both teams when kickoff arrives. This game shouldn't be like last season when the result didn't matter for the Cowboys as they had the No. 1 overall seed locked up. This time around, it could have a large impact as to which team makes the playoffs from the NFC East. If nothing else, it could determine which team from the NFC East wins the division.