Despite seven weeks of breathless anticipation and hyperdrive hype headed your way about the NFL's 2021 marquee debut, the Dallas Cowboys' season opener at Tampa Bay Sept. 9 just might be their least important game of the season.
How's that? Because after likely starting 0-1 with a loss on the road to the heavily favored defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and Tom Brady, Dallas' schedule quickly transforms from an uphill gravel road to a Summer Slip-'n-Slide. The Cowboys are being fed a Super Bowl sandwich, having to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.
But in between those penciled-in defeats are the eight games that will shape the season. None of those eight opponents had a winning record in 2020.
In Weeks 2-10 (with a bye thrown in), the Cowboys play the:
San Diego Chargers (7-9)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)
Carolina Panthers (5-11)
New York Giants (6-10)
New England, Patriots (7-9)
Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Denver Broncos (5-11)
Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
Basically between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, the Cowboys will play only realistically winnable football games.
Granted it's flawed thinking that the Cowboys will be favored in those games or should win. After all, they're playing a third-place schedule in 2021 because they were 6-10 in 2020. But with a healthy Dak Prescott looking healthy and sharp in training camp along with the return of offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La'el Collins and help for last season's historically horrible defense in new coordinator Dan Quinn and No. 1 draft pick Micah Parsons, the Cowboys have legitimate reasons for optimism.
Yes, even if they lose on the much-anticipated Thursday night in Tampa.
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