The Dallas Cowboys fumbled away a golden opportunity in Week 3 when they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as time expired in Rio de Janeiro. The loss to the Baltimore Ravens was in a spectacularly painful fashion that needn’t rehashing nor explanation. Rather, the goal is to readjust expectations and even paint a positive of the entire situation.
Looking at the schedule ahead, the Cowboys were always supposed to lose in Week 3. The Ravens had long been their kryptonite and after struggling against Temu versions of Lamar Jackson in the two games prior, getting run over by the Ravens seemed as unavoidable as it was understandable. The real reason things are disappointing is because the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants in Week 1 and now
go into Week 4 with a 1-2 record.
Week 1 was essentially where the Cowboys’ destiny was set. They were expected to head into Week 3 at 2-0, making the inevitable loss to Baltimore a more digestible event. But with the two losses already on the record, Dallas now faces an early backs-to-the-wall situation with the Houston Texans. And here’s where the good news comes...
The Cowboys’ October gauntlet suddenly isn’t so scary. The Houston Texans were a dominant force in 2025, but here in 2026, they’re 0-3 looking like a shell of their former selves. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed the playoffs last year, but then again, they still did better than Dallas. In 2026, the reloaded version was supposed to be a playoff contender, instead they’re sitting in an 0-3 hole of their own.
The Green Bay Packers, Dallas’ Week 6 opponent, was supposed to be Super Bowl contender in 2026. Instead, they’re lucky to be 1-2 and look like they might be the worst performing team in the NFL right now. The Philadelphia Eagles are next on the schedule, but even with their wins they look more beatable than a dusty rug (I promise you, this was the least offensive metaphorical comparison).
While the Giants might have been better than expected, and the Ravens game might have been more winnable than expected, the first portion of the schedule was generally predictable. It’s the second portion that’s shaping up to be a pleasant surprise.
Things can change in an instant, but the Cowboys could very easily find themselves at 5-2 by the end of October. Assuming the injuries get under control and the secondary gets restaffed; Dallas should be able to improve in all phases of the game and head into November on a tear.
The loss in Week 3 hurt given the circumstances but in the big picture it was really the Week 1 loss everyone should be lamenting. Yet, given the changes in landscape in their October schedule, all wrongs have a chance to be righted.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Good news on horizon, Cowboys' daunting October slate looks different
