Cowboys' 2026 strength of schedule opens door for bounceback campaign

The Dallas Cowboys officially wrapped up a turbulent season on Sunday afternoon, and can now turn their attention to the NFL offseason after a loss to the division rival New York Giants.

While the Cowboys' season ended in the afternoon, it wasn't until nearly midnight that the team's opponents for next season were fully determined, because it all relied on the Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers game, which went down to the final play.

Dallas will now welcome the second-place finishers from the NFC North and AFC North, the Green Bay Packers and Ravens, respectively, along with each NFC East rival twice, the NFC West, and the AFC South.

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With the opponents finalized, we now know how the strength of schedule will stack up against teams across the league. The X account SFdata9ers shared the strength of schedule for each team based on the 2025 records, which lists the Cowboys as the 13th easiest schedule entering next season.

#NFL Strength of Schedule 2026
(using final records of 2025 regular season)

Toughest schedule: #CHI
Easiest schedule: #CLE pic.twitter.com/cY4h0A6aka
— SFdata9ers🏈📊 (@sfdata9ers) January 5, 2026

The Cowboys' 2026 opponents combined for a 49.3 winning percentage in 2025, so the Cowboys have an opportunity to have a bounce-back campaign if they take an honest approach to the offseason and address the glaring holes on the roster, specificially on the defensive side of the ball.

A full look at the Cowboys' list of home and away opponents for the 2026-27 regular season can be seen below.

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Dallas Cowboys' 2026 NFL opponents

Dallas Cowboys mascot Rowdy before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Home Opponents

Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
WashingtonCommanders

Away Opponents

Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders

Let's hope that the Cowboys can do enough in the offseason to improve the roster and take advantage of one of the league's easier schedules when they return to the field next season.

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