As per usual, plenty of eyes will be on "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys this upcoming season. Here are five games they must win if they want to prove they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
With the NFL schedule being released this past week, fans are now able to look ahead and try to predict how their team will fare this season. The Cowboys will be featured in six primetime games this season, which ties them with the Bills, Chiefs, and Chargers for the most in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys must-win games in 2023: 5. @ Buffalo Bills (Week 15)
The Cowboys will have to travel to Buffalo and deal with Josh Allen and the Bills Mafia. It is one of the most hostile environments in football. The Cowboys play in a dome in the warm state of Texas and head to upstate New York in December, where it could very well be 20 degrees with several inches of snow.
The Bills have been one of the NFL's powerhouses since the emergence of superstar quarterback Josh Allen. His dual-threat ability and relentlessness make him nearly unstoppable to beat on any given Sunday. Buffalo has the third shortest odds to win this year's Super Bowl, so this will be an opportunity for the Cowboys to make their presence felt.
We will certainly be hearing plenty about the matchup between the Diggs brothers, Stefon and Trevon, leading up to the game. Stefon Diggs is an All-Pro wide receiver and Trevon Diggs is an All-Pro cornerback, so it will be exciting to see these two uber-talented siblings duke it out throughout the game.
The Cowboys will have to show they can weather the storm (literally) and play in conditions similar to the one they will be expecting to face in Buffalo against the Bills.
Dallas Cowboys must-win games in 2023: 4. Detroit Lions (Week 17)
The Lions were one of the biggest surprises of the 2022-23 season. Head coach Dan Campbell has helped instill a culture in Detroit that has sorely been missing for quite some time. They were just a Rams Week 18 victory away from being in a win-and-in scenario playoff berth scenario. As a result, they are now expected to take the next step as a franchise toward playoff contention.
The Lions posted a 7-2 record in their last nine games of the season and will look to take that momentum into this year. They were one of the best offenses in the NFL last year, ranking fifth in the league in points per game (26.6). The Lions were able to retain their offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, who was highly regarded as a potential head coaching candidate in this year's offseason coaching carousel cycle.
While history suggests last season could've been an anomaly for the Lions, they now have an expected win total of 9.5 games for this season. Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and the rest of the Cowboys' defense are going to have their hands full in this game.
Last season, these two teams met and the Cowboys defeated the Lions 24-6. They did a great job of containing Detroit's stud wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown while also sacking Jared Goff five times and holding him to 228 scoreless yards while also forcing two interceptions.
Dan Campbell made it clear last year in his opening press conference: "When you knock us down, we're gonna get up, and when we get up, we're going to bite a kneecap off."
The Cowboys better come out ready to match the Lions' intensity if they care about their kneecaps.
Dallas Cowboys must-win games in 2023: 3. @ Washington Commanders (Week 12)
Another late-season divisional battle, these games hold significant weight when it comes to potential postseason outlook. After splitting the two games they played against one another last year, both teams will look to distance themselves from one another.
The Commanders have been knocking on the doorstep of relevancy thanks to having one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Led by Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Chase Young, and co., this team has plenty of pass rushers who can get after the quarterback and wreck their opponent's game plan.
The quarterback uncertainty in Washington is a major question that may not be answered until the week of the game. Whether Sam Howell starts the season or longtime journeyman Jacoby Brissett remains to be seen, but regardless of who gets the first shot to be the starter, it could change by Week 12 and the Cowboys will need to prepare for either quarterback.
With a new ownership group in place for the Commanders, Ron Rivera is coaching for his job this season. After investing heavy draft capital in the failed Carson Wentz experiment, the Commanders decided to address the quarterback position with a more conservative approach this year. Will it be enough to leapfrog the Cowboys?
The Cowboys need to assert their dominance against the Commanders (and the Giants) if they want to prove to the Eagles that they are a threat to them in the division.
Dallas Cowboys must-win games in 2023: 2. @ San Francisco 49ers (Week 5)
An old-school rivalry, there is no love lost between these two teams. Especially given the fact that the 49ers sent the Cowboys home last year in the NFC Divisional Round of last year's playoffs.
Two of the NFL's most historic franchises, the demand for this Sunday night showdown is already as high as any:
Dak Prescott certainly didn't have his best performance in the 19-12 playoff loss to the 49ers last season. Throwing for 206 yards and two interceptions while posting a Quarterback rating of 51.1, Prescott was outplayed by "Mr. Irrelevant," Brock Purdy.
A battle between two of the NFL's best defenses, The Cowboys only allowed one touchdown in that game yet the offense left much to be desired. Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and company certainly have this game circled on their calendars as they seek revenge.
While the Eagles and Cowboys are the first and third favorites to win the NFC, the 49ers are right in between the two. Beating the 49ers in San Francisco would prove that the Cowboys are a legitimate contender with Super Bowl aspirations.
It remains to be seen who will be under center for the 49ers at the quarterback position. Whether it be Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, and/or Trey Lance, the Cowboys will need to be prepared for whatever comes.
Dallas Cowboys must-win games in 2023: 1. Philadelphia Eagles (Week 14)
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles aren't going anywhere after they gave him a five-year contract extension and made him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history on a per-season basis. They retooled this offseason and will look to make another run at a Super Bowl, adding players such as Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift to sure up their backfield.
A battle between not only two of the divisional heavyweights of the NFC East but two of the NFC's best teams, this game is assuredly going to have major implications.
The Eagles are the betting favorites to win the conference in 2023-24, with the Cowboys not too far behind them as the third favorite team. Last year, these two teams split the season series, with both teams winning their respective games at home. However, in the Week 16 matchup between the two, the Cowboys faced Eagles then-backup QB, Gardner Minshew.
The Cowboys will certainly want to prove to themselves, the Eagles, and the rest of the NFC that they are capable of beating the Eagles with their franchise QB under center. The Eagles also boast one of the best defensive lines in football and arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, so the Cowboys will need to be prepared to win the battle between the trenches if they want to compete with Philly
The balance of the NFC East, and the NFC, will come down to the result of this Week 14 matchup.