Breaking Down Dallas Cowboys' Late-Season Schedule
The Dallas Cowboys head into the final month of the year with plenty of work to do. A successful season so far can easily turn sour once again if the team doesn’t take care of business in December.
Three of the team’s final four games are on the road. This typically would be bad news in the NFL; however, Dallas is 5-0 away from home this season.
It will try to continue its road dominance in another Thursday game against the Chicago Bears. Dallas has dropped three of its previous five games, with a divisional loss to Philadelphia being the latest letdown.
Let’s take a look at the Cowboys’ remaining schedule and how it will affect their playoff hopes.
Remaining Games
1 of 5
Week 14: Cowboys at Chicago Bears
Week 15: Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 16: Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 17: Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Week 14: Cowboys at Chicago Bears
2 of 5
Thursday night’s matchup with the Chicago Bears is the biggest game on the schedule to date. If the Cowboys drop another NFC game and fall to 8-5 overall, they will no longer be able to control their own playoff destiny.
The Bears are having a subpar year under coach Marc Trestman. Chicago sits at 5-7 after losing on Thanksgiving in Detroit. Their defense ranks 30th in the league in points allowed per game.
Despite having a number of impressive weapons, Chicago’s offense hasn’t met expectations either. The unit ranks 20th in yards with four games remaining.
There’s no way around it, the Cowboys must win this game. There are too many quality NFC teams around in 2014 to let this game slip away. DeMarco Murray ran for 146 yards against the Bears last season. Expect the Cowboys to ride him to another W.
Week 15: Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
3 of 5
After this week’s matchup, the Cowboys will take on the Philadelphia Eagles for the final time in the regular season. The extended rest from Thursday’s game will be crucial for Dallas in order to get healthy and prepare for Philadelphia.
The Eagles dominated the Cowboys just a week ago. Head coach Chip Kelly and quarterback Mark Sanchez outplayed Dallas from start to finish in a game that gives the Eagles firm control of the NFC East.
Perhaps the shortened week really hindered Tony Romo, because the quarterback had his worst game of the season. He passed for fewer than 200 yards and threw two interceptions while being sacked four times.
The defense also was poor. LeSean McCoy ran like crazy going for 159 yards on 25 carries.
If Dallas can get past Chicago, the game against Philly will be another must-win matchup if it plans on winning the division. The Eagles aren't that much better than the Cowboys, but clearly Jason Garrett and his staff need to make adjustments before heading into next week.
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Week 16: Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts
4 of 5
Although Week 16 will be at home in Arlington, the Cowboys will have a very difficult time coming out with a win. The Indianapolis Colts are one of the most impressive teams this year, mostly because of quarterback Andrew Luck.
Luck has already thrown for 4,000 yards this year and has a quarterback rating of 103. He’s been torching secondaries and is a big reason why the Colts rank first in the NFL in total yards.
The good news for the Cowboys is that the Colts defense surrenders plenty of yards. It ranks 23rd in the league with nearly 365 yards per game.
Dallas’ plan in Week 16 will have to be committed to the run. If it can control the time of possession while putting up points, Luck will be forced to try to score quickly. Although he’s been amazing, Luck has thrown 11 interceptions thus far. Dallas has enough players on defense to cause turnovers and win a tight game.
Week 17: Cowboys at Washington Redskins
5 of 5
The regular-season finale has not been a game to remember for the Cowboys. They’ve missed the playoffs each of the last three years by losing to a divisional opponent on the final week of the season. This year, Dallas has the opportunity to seek revenge on the Washington Redskins.
Surprisingly, the Redskins defeated the Cowboys on Monday Night Football with then-backup quarterback Colt McCoy. The former Texas Longhorn has since been named the starter for Washington.
Although all of these final four games are important, Dallas has to take care of business against Washington. The Cowboys are simply a better team than their rival, and a victory should be expected.
Divisional games are never easy and an extremely competitive game is expected; however, Dallas has a lot more to play for and that should show on the field. 2014 could very well be the year the Cowboys throw the Week 17 monkey off their back and find a spot back in the playoffs.
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