The release of the 2026 NFL schedule means speculation can turn from who the Dallas Cowboys will be playing four months from now to how they will do in those games a third of a year off.
May is a time of optimism, and so it is that all predictions have the Cowboys with a winning record, and one outlet goes through a game-by-game analysis of how Dallas will go 14-3 and earn the top seed in the NFC.
Now that fans know when Dallas is playing, they can start buying tickets, and there are plenty of places to do so. Here is what’s up with the Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys predictions 2026
Now that the 2026 schedule has dropped, early (often phrased “way too early”) game-by-game predictions are coming out. They have the Cowboys going anywhere from 14-3 (?) to 10-7, though the sports books offer a more realistic assessment of 9.5 wins.
Near the top end, the USA Today’s Dallas Cowboys Wire has Dallas going 6-0 in division and beating the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers en route to a 12-5 record.
DraftKings has an over-under of 9.5 wins for the Dallas Cowboys, second in the NFC East behind the Eagles (10.5), and that 9.5 number is a consensus among sportsbooks. ESPN analyst Mike Clay projects Dallas to win 10.1 games.
ESPN’s Todd Archer’s biggest takeaway was “Sleep science might be the most important phrase to describe the early part of the season, particularly Weeks 3-5, when the Cowboys play three games in 12 days. After a 10-hour flight back from Rio de Janeiro (Ravens), they face the Texans before a quick turnaround for the Thursday nighter against the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. After the Cowboys get through that stretch, they face the Packers and Eagles.”
As for the good news, Archer writes: “The Cowboys will close the season fast and reach the postseason. Last season, the Cowboys found themselves on the edges of the playoff race in December but lost four of their last five games to finish 7-9-1 and miss the playoffs for a second straight year. That won’t happen this year. The Cowboys play two of their final three games at home. They have beaten the Giants eight straight times at AT&T Stadium, and they have won four of their past five games at the Commanders. That should allow them to make the playoffs at least as a wild-card team.”
Google AI, which cribs Archer from ESPN, down to the “sleep science” reference, pegs the Cowboys at 11-6. A to Z Sports puts Dallas at 10-7 after a 4-1 start. Blogging the Boys makes a number of predictions and pegs the Cowboys at 11-6 and winning the NFC East with a 4-2 divisional record.
Sports Illustrated says 11-6, while ClutchPoints is the outlier, putting Dallas at 14-3. That includes a season-ending win against Washington when a 13-3 Cowboys team would probably be resting everyone.
Dallas Cowboys schedule for 2026
The Cowboys’ 2026 schedule is out and the first impression is that it has a tough stretch early. After opening with games against the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, who were undistinguished this year, Dallas has the long trip to Rio de Janeiro for a “home” game, then has a brutal stretch that goes to Houston, at home against Tampa Bay, then at Green Bay (Micah Parsons reunion) and at Philadelphia.
That four-game stretch, with three of the four games not in the Metroplex, is as hard a gauntlet as any team in the league has this year.
Then comes a four-game stretch that looks manageable: Arizona at home, at Indianapolis, San Francisco at home and Tennessee at home. That’s three out of four at home, three out of four against teams that had losing records last year, and in the case of Arizona and Tennessee, are supposed to be bad this year.
The Cowboys, as expected, have more prime-time games than anyone except the Los Angeles Rams, who, like Dallas, have six. Add in the Thanksgiving Day game against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys have seven of their 17 games that will be the only game on.
Here is the full schedule, with television. All times Mountain, so add an hour to get Dallas time.
PRESEASON
Week 1 Sat, Aug 15 at Seattle Seahawks 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT
Week 2 Sat, Aug 22 at Arizona Cardinals 11 a.m. MT/noon CT
Week 3 Sat, Aug 29 vs. New Orleans Saints 10 a.m. MT/11 a.m. CT
REGULAR SEASON
Week 1 Sun, Sept. 13 at New York Giants 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT, NBC
Week 2 Sun, Sept. 20 vs. Washington Commanders 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, FOX
Week 3 Sun, Sept 27 vs. Baltimore Ravens (at Rio) 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Week 4 Sun, Oct 4 at Houston Texans 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 5 Thu, Oct 8 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT, Amazon Prime Video
Week 6 Sun, Oct 18 at Green Bay Packers 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m. CT, NBC
Week 7 Mon, Oct 26 at Philadelphia Eagles 6:15 PM ESPN
Week 8 Sun, Nov 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 9 Sun, Nov 8 at Indianapolis Colts 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 10 Sun, Nov 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m., FOX
Week 11 Sun, Nov 22 vs. Tennessee Titans 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 12 Thu, Nov 26 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT, FOX
Week 13 Mon, Dec 7 at Seattle Seahawks 6:15 p.m. MT/7:15 p.m. CT ESPN
Week 14 BYE
Week 15 Sun, Dec 20 at Los Angeles Rams 2:25 p.m. MT/3:25 p.m. CT, CBS
Week 16 Sun, Dec 27 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 6:20 p.m. MT/7:20 p.m., NBC
Week 17 Sun, Jan 3 vs. New York Giants 11 a.m. MT/noon CT, FOX
Week 18 Sun, Jan 10 at Washington Commanders TBD
Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026
Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare and the cheap rate doesn’t include hotel.
Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, TicketMaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.
Dallas Cowboys schedule 2027
It is, in fact, too early to be wondering about the 2027 schedule, which will presumably drop in around 51 weeks, but the Cowboys already know their opponents for 14 of their 17 games.
Dallas will play divisional rivals Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and New York Giants twice, then will play the AFC East and the NFC South as part of the NFL’s normal rotation. That means games against the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The other three games (against a team from the NFC North, a team from the NFC West and an AFC team) will be based on how they finish in the NFC East.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Dallas Cowboys rumors. What prognosticator has Dallas going 14-3?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
