The NFL has mastered the art of content, and nothing proves that like the annual schedule release. It is often noted how the league has turned the simple art of sharing when the games that we already know about (in terms of the opponents each team plays and the locations of the games in question) into a massive production.
To be clear there are important details to all of this. For the Dallas Cowboys there is a massive difference in traveling to play the Philadelphia Eagles in September or December
based on weather. You get the point.
On Thursday of this past week the league actually teased the schedule announcement. They didn’t even tell us when they are going to announce this information. They simply stirred the pot of speculation about when they will. Again, masters of content. Thankfully they did announce on Friday that the full schedule will be released on May 14th.
When they do release the schedule next week there are some things that we are going to be paying attention to.
History says Cowboys will open on the road
The Dallas Cowboys are due a home opener. If you are thinking that it has been a minute since the Cowboys last began a season at home then you are correct in your assumption.
Do you know how long it has been since they have done so? I’m stalling while you read so that you can think in your mind, but we have run out of time and have to complete this sentence.
Here are the last 20 season openers for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have opened on the road in each of the past three seasons, so it goes without saying that they are indeed due to open at home. Consider that the last time they opened at home was a loss so the last time they began a season in their own building and won was all the way back in 2019.
Historical trends tend to show up sometimes in the annual schedule release, but the league is constantly evolving so it is difficult to fully bank on them. Consider that the 2019 season-opening win was the last time that Dallas began a season at AT&T Stadium against the New York Giants for example, and once upon a time that was basically a tradition as you can see.
Could this be the year that the Cowboys get a chance to open up back in their home building? Time will tell, but history says you shouldn’t count on it.
