The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 NFL season with one of the toughest strength of schedules in the league. Dallas has the fifth-toughest schedule this season, and it has led to a historic stretch in the second half of the year.
Dallas will be making NFL history for having the most Thursday games in a single season with four, but they also face six-straight games against teams that had 11 or more wins the season before.
That has never been done before.
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Because of that unprecedented stretch of games and some unusual turnarounds, the Cowboys were named one of the leagues "big losers" from the schedule release.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sits on the bench before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sits on the bench before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Rams. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
"In Week 12, the Eagles come to Dallas. The following week, the Cowboys take the field at Jerruh World on Turkey Day against the Chiefs," Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport wrote. "Then comes another Thursday night affair in Detroit, a home game with a Vikings team that won 14 games in 2024, plus meetings with the Chargers and Commanders (on Christmas).
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"That's six straight games against playoff teams from last year; teams that were a staggering 81-21 a year ago. That stretch is going to squash any playoff hopes the Cowboys have and make for another awkward offseason in Dallas."
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones speak to the media at a press conference at The Star.
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones speak to the media at a press conference at The Star. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
While it is a wildly difficult stretch for the Cowboys, it will tell a lot about the team and the culture Brian Schottenheimer has built in his first year.
If the Cowboys are in playoff contention entering the holidays and manage to pull through, the team will be battle-tested for a potential playoff run. That's all you can hope for.
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