Final Win-Loss Predictions for Dallas Cowboys' 2017 Schedule
In full disclosure, creating a week-by-week win/loss article for the Dallas Cowboys is particularly tough when one of the team's best players (Ezekiel Elliott) may not be available for the first six games of the season.
In order to keep the predictions as realistic as possible, we are going to assume that Elliott will serve a six-game suspension and will be eligible to return to the field in Week 8 against the Washington Redskins. If Elliott does miss six weeks, the Cowboys could be in a bit of trouble as they will face the league's toughest schedule in 2017.
Despite a slew of suspensions and injuries to start the season, the Cowboys can't afford to get off to a bad start as their schedule only increases in difficulty. OddsShark.com has the over/under for the Cowboys' win total at 9.5, and the team shares the same odds as the New York Giants to win the division.
But will they be able to make it back to the playoffs with Elliott missing a big portion of the season? Can Dak Prescott carry the offense even more so in 2017? Here are my week-by-week predictions for the Dallas Cowboys this season.
Week 1: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
1 of 16
Time/Station: 8:25 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football on NBC
When the schedule was first released, I predicted that the Cowboys would win this game 20-17. However, that was with the assumption that Elliott and defensive lineman David Irving would play. The suspensions of both players might be too big to overcome.
In two games against the Giants last year, the Cowboys only managed to score 26 points and that's with Elliott on the field. Without him, the Cowboys might struggle to beat that number in 2017. It'll also be La'el Collins' first game at right tackle and likely Jonathan Cooper's first game at left guard for the Cowboys.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys will be adjusting to many new pieces on defense, such as Nolan Carroll as one of the team's starting cornerbacks and Jaylon Smith as a potential replacement for Anthony Hitchens at middle linebacker. For those reasons, expect the Cowboys to drop this game in a tight one, similarly to what happened twice last year.
Prediction: 24-20, Giants
Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos
2 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
After the Cowboys take on the Giants, Dallas will see another top defense in the Denver Broncos. In 2016, the Broncos allowed just 18.6 points per game. Again, without Elliott, it could be tough sledding for the Cowboys on the road without their star running back.
The Broncos will present the same type of challenges for Dallas as the Giants did. Their elite pass rush combined with one of the best secondaries in the league will make moving the ball on offense a chore. The one big advantage Dallas will have is at quarterback as Trevor Siemian should be the Broncos' starting quarterback.
The Cowboys have lost five straight against the Broncos, but expect Dallas to snap that streak on the road. Once again, this will probably be another low-scoring, tight contest that comes down to the final drive of the game.
Prediction: 20-17, Cowboys
Week 3: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals
3 of 16
Time/Station: 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday Night Football on ESPN
In April, the Arizona Cardinals opened up as two-point underdogs in this matchup. But once again, that was before the news of Elliott's and Irving's suspensions. Assume that this line will be closer to a pick'em by kickoff.
Dallas has dropped four straight against the Cardinals and expect that number to increase this season. Like the Broncos and the Giants, the Cardinals also have an impressive pass rush and a secondary that can keep Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley in check.
Vegas believes the Cardinals are an 8-8 team, so expect them to challenge Dallas in their building. Because of veteran quarterback Carson Palmer and their talented defense, the Cardinals should win.
Prediction: 28-24, Cardinals
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Week 4: Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys
4 of 16
Time/Station: 1 p.m. ET on Fox
The Cowboys will take on both Los Angeles teams this season at home. In Week 4, the Rams and their new-look offense come to town with Jared Goff as the team's signal-caller. Despite the Rams adding weapons in Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp, their offense is going to take some time to adjust to their new playing style.
In time, the Rams have a chance to drastically improve their offense while maintaining their fantastic defense. However, they just aren't in Dallas' league in terms of talent. OddsShark has the Rams projected at 5.5 wins this season, but don't expect them to pick up one here against one of the best teams in the NFC on the road.
When this game was announced, the Cowboys opened as 12.5-point favorites. Expect that to drop some by game time, but Dallas should be able to win by double digits. The Rams could give them a fight for a few quarters, but expect the Cowboys to pull away by the fourth quarter.
Prediction: 23-14, Cowboys
Week 5: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
5 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
After a heartbreaking loss in the divisional round of the playoffs last season, the Cowboys will be looking for revenge when they take on the Packers at home in Week 5. Dallas will likely be without Elliott, which means that this will be a matchup of Aaron Rodgers vs. Dak Prescott.
The Packers currently have the best odds to win the NFC, according to OddsShark. The Cowboys have dropped this offseason to fourth in the NFC for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, expect this to be a heavyweight matchup between two of the top seven or eight teams in the entire NFL. The Cowboys opened as three-point home favorites, but expect this game to finish close to a pick'em by game time.
Prediction: 34-27, Packers
Week 7: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
6 of 16
Time/Station: 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox
Much like the Cowboys' earlier matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers are rebuilding their team from the ground up with new head coach Kyle Shanahan. They will be led by Brian Hoyer in their new West Coast offense that features a ton of personnel packages and formations.
Expect the 49ers to be competitive in a ton of games this season as Shanahan is one of the most masterful offensive minds in football. However, they just don't have the talent to compete with a Super Bowl contender like Dallas yet. The Cowboys, coming off their bye week, will likely be close to double-digit favorites on the road and should be able to win this game fairly easily in their last game without Elliott.
Prediction: 27-17, Cowboys
Week 8: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
7 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
If Elliott's suspension is upheld, this will be the first contest in which he is eligible to return to the field. Luckily for Dallas, it couldn't have come at a better time. The Cowboys have had their way with the Washington Redskins over the past two seasons, winning four straight. Dallas has had no problem putting the ball in the end zone, scoring 28.8 points over the past five games against Washington.
The Redskins lost a lot of talent on both sides of the ball this season, and for that reason, they are projected to regress some in 2017. Last year, they went 8-7-1 and finished third in the division. In 2017, OddsShark has set their win total over/under to 7.5.
Washington opened this game as 2.5-point home underdogs, but don't be shocked if that line grows even higher as the betting public will be eager to bet on the Cowboys in Elliott's first game back. Dallas matches up well with the Redskins, but expect this to be another close NFC East battle.
Prediction: 31-28, Cowboys
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys
8 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS
The biggest question surrounding this game might be who the Cowboys will face at quarterback. If Dallas sees veteran Alex Smith, the game will likely be tougher as he has had more experience and has led the Chiefs to the playoffs three times over the last four seasons. But if it's rookie Patrick Mahomes, it might mean that things haven't gone well for Kansas City early in the season.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs match up well against the Dallas offense because of their incredible talent and depth across their front seven. However, the Chiefs are a much different team on the road than they are at home and could likely be starting rookies at both quarterback and running back (like Dallas did last season).
The Chiefs defense should be able to contain the Cowboys for a while, but the Dallas offense is just too good to be stopped all game long, especially at home. Expect this to be another low-scoring, highly entertaining interconference game in which the Cowboys pull out the win in the end.
Prediction: 21-17, Cowboys
Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons
9 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
If nothing else this season, the Cowboys will be battle-tested. They face a top-five favorite to win the NFC this season, according to OddsShark. In Week 10, they will travel to Atlanta to take on the defending NFC champions.
The Falcons have a high-flying offense that lives off big plays. On defense, they may have the fastest front seven in the NFL. In order for the Cowboys to win this game, they will need to control the clock with their running game and limit the number of big plays down the field. If they can do that, they should have a good chance of stealing one on the road against a powerhouse in the NFC.
This should be one of the more entertaining games of the season for the Cowboys as they rarely get to play a team with this much speed. On a neutral field, Dallas would probably be favored, but expect the Falcons to be able to win this one at home. This should be a fairly high-scoring game.
Prediction: 34-31, Falcons
Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
10 of 16
Time/Station: 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football on NBC
When the Cowboys face off against the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in 2017, it won't occur until the middle of November on Sunday Night Football. Over the past seven seasons, the Cowboys are just 2-5 at home against the Eagles.
The Cowboys should be able to improve that record as Dallas matches up fairly well with the Eagles. The strength of the Eagles team is their defensive line, but if Dallas can handle them (which they should), Prescott and Bryant should be able to expose their secondary.
Dallas will likely open this game close to a touchdown favorite at home and expect that to be close to the final winning margin for the Cowboys.
Prediction: 27-20, Cowboys
Week 12: Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys
11 of 16
Time/Station: 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS (Thanksgiving)
Under head coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys have been a mediocre 3-4 team on Thanksgiving, despite every game being played at home.
Their biggest problem on Turkey Day has been their defense. Over the past five games on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys have given up an average of 28.8 points per game. That's especially worrisome when the Los Angeles Chargers and their high-flying offense come to town.
If the Cowboys want to enjoy their holiday weekend, they are going to have to control the line of scrimmage and that means finding a way to block both Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Dallas should have no problem running the ball, but if it can't slow down Philip Rivers and the Chargers' passing attack, it could be a long day for Cowboys fans.
Prediction: 30-27, Chargers
Week 13: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
12 of 16
Time/Station: 8:25 p.m. ET on Thursday Night Football on CBS
In a weird scheduling quirk, the Cowboys will play back-to-back Thursday night games on CBS. This week, it'll be the Washington Redskins who come to Dallas. With the Cowboys having four divisional games in the final seven weeks of the season, the second half of the year will be critical for the team's chances of getting a playoff spot.
The Cowboys should have no problem putting points up on the board against the Redskins' suspect defense, but the biggest question will be if the team can slow down Kirk Cousins and the Washington passing attack. With all of the turnovers the Redskins have had on offense, expect their unit to take a slight hit in 2017.
As always, it should be a competitive NFC East matchup, but Dallas is clearly the better team and should be able to find a way to take home the win on a short week for the Redskins.
Prediction: 28-26, Cowboys
Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
13 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
If Elliott does, in fact, miss the Cowboys' first game of the season against the New York Giants, this will be his chance to seek revenge on the team's biggest rival this season. As of today, the Giants and Cowboys have the same odds to win the NFC East, according to OddsShark. That means that this game could potentially seal who takes the division crown this year.
The Cowboys will have their work cut out for them as the team has lost three straight games to the Giants. Playing in New York in December means that it will likely be cold, much like it was last year.
Despite the Cowboys' excellent rushing attack, the Giants defense might be too much for the Cowboys to handle on the road in the weather conditions. Expect this to be another NFC East battle that goes down to the last possession of the game.
Prediction: 20-14, Giants
Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders
14 of 16
Time/Station: 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football on NBC
Despite facing off in the preseason, the Cowboys will see the Oakland Raiders once again at the tail end of the season. The Cowboys and Raiders have constructed their teams similarly, which means this should be an interesting contest to watch. Both teams have young quarterbacks, talented receivers and two of the best offensive lines in the entire league.
But what the Raiders have that the Cowboys don't is an elite pass rush. Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin are one of, if not, the best pass-rushing duos in the entire league. Despite the Cowboys having one of the better tackle situations in the league, don't expect these two to be shut out, and that could very likely be the difference in this game.
Prediction: 31-28, Raiders
Week 16: Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys
15 of 16
Time/Station: 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox
In what could be the game of the year, this contest between the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys could not only have playoff ramifications but also home-field possibilities. These are clearly two of the best teams in the NFL and should make for an excellent contest before the holidays.
The Cowboys will likely open this game as three-point home favorites, but throw out all of that when these two teams meet. The Seahawks have one of the most physical defenses in the entire NFL, and the Cowboys want to establish their dominance on the ground on nearly every play.
Expect this to be one of the hardest-hitting games of the season as these two juggernauts battle for seeding in the playoffs. Seattle is a dominant team at home but less so on the road, meaning the Cowboys should be able to pull off the win if things bounce their way.
Prediction: 20-19, Cowboys
Week 17: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
16 of 16
Time/Station: 1 p.m. ET on Fox
Week 17 games are always hard to predict because it's hard to know who will be playing for something and who will be already thinking ahead until next year. With the Cowboys' much tougher schedule in 2017, it's safe to assume their record will be inferior this year, meaning every game will be important, including this one.
The Eagles are going to be close to a playoff contender in 2017, but they just don't have enough talent in their secondary to compete with the better offenses in the NFL. If Carson Wentz can take a few more steps in 2017, he may be able to mitigate the importance of that secondary, but as of now, it might be just too much for him and the Eagles to overcome.
As for the Cowboys, this game could determine a variety of things such as who wins the NFC East or if they are able to sneak into the playoffs. The Elliott suspension could be the difference in whether or not the Cowboys are able to get to double-digit wins in 2017. With his likely missing the first six games of the season, the Cowboys will likely float around that 9- to 10-win mark this year.
Prediction: 24-17, Cowboys
Final Record for the 2017 Dallas Cowboys: 9-7
Odds courtesy of Covers unless otherwise noted.
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