2023 Dallas Cowboys Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

After another disappointing playoff loss last season, the Dallas Cowboys are looking to get over the hump in 2023.

Dak Prescott was the source of much discussion throughout the 2022 season. His year began with a thumb injury that kept him out for five games. He generally played well overall but set a career high and tied for the NFL lead with 15 interceptions in the regular season.

In the Cowboys' 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, Prescott threw two costly interceptions.

Dallas did bring in Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Houston Texans to give Prescott another viable receiving option with CeeDee Lamb. Tony Pollard will likely take over as the starting running back after Ezekiel Elliott was released in March.

The biggest change for the Cowboys' offense was giving head coach Mike McCarthy play-calling duties after offensive coordinator Kellen Moore left to take the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers.

While it can be debated if giving McCarthy more responsibilities is a good idea, one area that looks to be in great shape going into the new season is the defense.

They traded for Stephon Gilmore to play opposite Trevon Diggs at cornerback, while Mazi Smith was selected with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to provide a big body on the interior of the defensive line. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are going to be their pass-rush specialists, though Parsons can do so much more than that because of his ability to play at the second level as a linebacker.

Boasting a roster with so much talent has the Cowboys dreaming of a third straight playoff berth, but they will have to navigate what looks like a difficult schedule to make it happen.

---

2023 Dallas Cowboys Schedule

---

Analysis

The path to another 12-win season looks daunting on paper, especially playing in a division that had three playoff teams and saw all four clubs finish .500 or better in 2022.

Those six games against the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Commanders are always critical in the overall NFC standings.

If the Cowboys hope to get back to the top of the NFC East, they will almost certainly have to go through the reigning conference champion Eagles.

They split two head-to-head matchups last season, but Dallas' 40-34 win on Christmas Eve was when the Eagles didn't have Jalen Hurts due to a shoulder injury.

Philadelphia did lose a number of key contributors from last year's squad in free agency, including Javon Hargrave, Andre Dillard and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. General manager Howie Roseman looks like he hit a home run in the draft, particularly landing Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round.

Outside of their own division, the Cowboys will play the NFC West and AFC East. Those two divisions produced four playoff teams last season, and there's a reasonable argument that at least two of them (Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks) are better now than they were in 2022.

In total, the Cowboys will play nine games against teams that made the postseason last year. That group doesn't include a New York Jets team that has Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback and a Carolina Panthers club that went a respectable 7-10 with Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker starting games.

It might take some time for Bryce Young to get his feet under him against NFL defenses, but the Panthers have enough talent that he doesn't need to be great right away for them to be a playoff contender.

---

Pivotal Matchups

Having already touched on the importance of two games against the Eagles, here are the non-divisional matchups for Cowboys fans to have circled.

Road games against the 49ers and Buffalo Bills will certainly bring up memories of the early-'90s title teams for Cowboys fans, but those are excellent barometer matchups that could determine where this squad ranks in the Super Bowl hierarchy.

The 49ers have ended Dallas' season in the playoffs each of the past two years. There are once again questions about San Francisco's quarterback situation, but the roster around that position looks imposing with the addition of Hargrave on the defensive line.

Buffalo is in an interesting spot heading into 2023 after winning the AFC East in each of the past three years. The roster doesn't look as good as it did at the start of 2022, but the addition of Dalton Kincaid as another pass-catching option should do wonders for Josh Allen.