SAN ANTONIO – After a tough loss in last year’s NFL divisional round, the Dallas Cowboys will look to rebound and take the next step this upcoming 2023 football season, and they appear to have the pieces in place to do it.
The NFL released the schedules for all 32 teams, during a schedule release show that aired on Thursday night.
The Dallas Cowboys will open their 2023 regular season at the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football on Sunday, Sept. 10. The team then faces the New York Jets and new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, in a big showdown in Week 2.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (38) during the second half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The team will go on to have eight games on FOX over the course of the season, with three games on Sunday night, along with their usual Thanksgiving Day game versus Washington and a Thursday night game on Amazon Prime, versus the Seattle Seahawks. Their schedule will be tough, as their strength-of-schedule is tied for third in the NFL, based on opponents’ 2022 finishes.
The Dallas Cowboys will bring a new-look offense to the field next year, as mainstay running back Ezekiel Elliott and starting tight end Dalton Schutz have both since moved on. In their stead, the Cowboys brought in veteran receiver Brandin Cooks in an offseason trade, while also drafting Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn and second-round draft pick tight end Luke Schoonmaker of Michigan.
Veteran coach Brian Schottenheimer has been hired as the new offensive coordinator, with head coach Mike McCarthy expected to call the plays. Schottenheimer replaces former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who held the position the last four years.
Dallas this year will again rely heavily on its top-notch defense, a unit that finished in the top 3 in the league in sacks, and includes two-time first-team All-Pro Micah Parsons. The team invested its first-round pick on defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 6 foot 3, 330-pound run stuffer who will be expected to plug holes in the middle.
Head football coach Mike McCarthy is facing pressure to get this team back to the playoffs and this time advance to the Super Bowl, a place where the team has not played since 1996.
Here’s a look at how Dallas’ schedule looks for the 2023 season: