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| Dallas Cowboys |
The regular-season schedule, unveiled Tuesday despite the lack of a collective bargaining agreement, immediately presents the Cowboys with a difficult assignment if a full season is played.
The Cowboys are scheduled to open with consecutive road games — at the New York Jets and at San Francisco — for the first time since 1997.
Three teams started last season with two consecutive road games. Baltimore went 12-4 and reached the playoffs. Arizona (5-11) and Miami (7-9) were also-rans.
The Cowboys are among five teams scheduled to start the season with two road games. The others areCincinnati, Oakland, Philadelphia and Seattle.
For the Cowboys, the consecutive road games bring a variety of challenges.
They will practice in the Central time zone and play in the Eastern and Pacific time zones while taking four airplane flights, totaling 5,672 miles, in eight days.
In the opener, the Cowboys will meet a Jets team that has reached the AFCChampionship Game in each of the last two seasons and has been proclaimed a Super Bowl favorite by its coach — Rex Ryan.
The opener, to be televised in prime time by NBC, will be played in an emotional setting. The game comes on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center , a few miles away from the New Meadowlands Stadium.
If the Cowboys get through the first half of the season in reasonable condition, they could be primed for a second-half run.
Four of the Cowboys’ first eight games are against playoff clubs from last season. That includes road games against New England, Philadelphia and the Jets. The first eight opponents were a combined 67-61 last season.
In the second half, the Cowboys are scheduled for only one game against a playoff club from last season: at home on Christmas Eve afternoon against Philadelphia. The Cowboys’ final eight opponents were a combined 62-66 last season.
The Cowboys are scheduled for six nationally televised games, a remarkable number for a club coming off a 6-10 season. That includes the traditional Thanksgiving home game, against Miami.
MORE ON THE SCHEDULE
Of note: The Cowboys will open the season on Week 1 at the New York Jets on the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Their first home game will also be their lone Monday Night Football game. That will be Week 3 in Arlington when they host the Washington Redskins.
There are three other non-Sunday games on the schedule:
Week 12 (Thanksgiving): Dolphins at Cowboys.
Week 15 (Saturday): Cowboys at Buccaneers.
Week 16 (Saturday, Christmas Eve): Eagles at Cowboys.
The Cowboys will also play in three Sunday night games, two of which will be on the road.
The Cowboys have the 15th hardest 2011 schedule, according to NFL.com. Their opponent's 2010 cumulative record was 129-127-0.
Here's the full schedule:
Week 1: (Sunday night) Cowboys at Jets
Week 2: Cowboys at 49ers
Week 3: (Monday night) Redskins at Cowboys
Week 4: Lions at Cowboys
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: Cowboys at Patriots
Week 7: Rams at Cowboys
Week 8: (Sunday night) Cowboys at Eagles
Week 9: Seahawks at Cowboys
Week 10: Bills at Cowboys
Week 11: Cowboys at Redskins
Week 12: (Thanksgiving) Dolphins at Cowboys
Week 13: Cowboys at Cardinals
Week 14: (Sunday night) Giants at Cowboys
Week 15: (Saturday night) Cowboys at Buccaneers
Week 16: (Saturday afternoon) Eagles at Cowboys
Week 17: Cowboys at Giants
