The Cowboys play in the NFC East, but there's definitely a Southern feel to their 2018 schedule. Dallas will face all the teams from the NFC and AFC South, adding five 2017 playoff teams to the slate in addition to Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia twice.
The combined record of the Cowboys' opponents is exactly .500, at 128-128 last season, putting them in the middle of the pack in unadjusted strength of schedule. Here's breaking down Dallas' schedule this year and what it means for the team's chances of making the playoffs for the third time in five seasons.
SIGN UP to stream the upcoming NFL season LIVE on DAZN in Canada
Cowboys schedule 2018
Cowboys regular-season schedule
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV network |
| Sept. 9 | at Carolina Panthers | 4:25 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Sept. 16 | vs. New York Giants | 8:20 p.m. | (NBC) |
| Sept. 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Sept. 30 | vs. Detroit Lions | 1 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Oct. 7 | at Houston Texans | 8:20 p.m. | (NBC) |
| Oct. 14 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | 4:25 p.m. | (CBS) |
| Oct. 21 | at Washington Redskins | 4:25 p.m. | (CBS) |
| Oct. 28 | BYE | ||
| Nov. 5 | vs. Tennessee Titans | 8:15 p.m. | (CBS) |
| Nov. 11 | at Philadelphia Eagles | 8:20 p.m. | (NBC) |
| Nov. 18 | at Atlanta Falcons | 1 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Nov. 22 | vs. Washington Redskins (Thanksgiving) | 4:30 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Nov. 29 | vs. New Orleans Saints | 8:20 p.m. | (FOX/NFLN) |
| Dec. 9 | vs. Philadelphia Eagles | 4:25 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Dec. 16 | at Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. | (FOX) |
| Dec. 23 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 p.M. | (FOX) |
| Dec. 30 | at New York Giants | 1 p.m. | (FOX) |
Cowboys preseason schedule
| Week 1 | at San Francisco | 10 p.m. |
| Week 2 | Cincinnati | 7 p.m. |
| Week 3 | Arizona | 8 p.m. |
| Week 4 | at Houston | 8 p.m. |
MORE 2018 NFL SCHEDULES:
Five preseason games worth watching
Toughest tests: Games against the Eagles, Jaguars and Saints mean the Cowboys will face three division winners in AT&T Stadium. None will be intimidated by Jerry World. Between those and the Titans game, the Cowboys finishing above .500 at home will be a challenge after last season's 3-5 mark.
Biggest breaks: There's not much far interdivison travel, save for the trip to Seattle. The Cowboys also will be in familiar domed conditions in Atlanta, Houston and Indy. Dallas probably won't go 6-2 on the road again, but there's nothing close to brutal on the road.
Bottom line: The Cowboys are built to remain an inconsistent team, and their schedule is more difficult than what the overall numbers indicate. The offense and the defense are both in transition, and Dallas is bound to play in a ton of close games. The Cowboys will be half underdog, half favorite over 16 games. Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott will do their thing together again, but their help will be streaky. Record prediction: 8-8
