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Theunder head coach Mike McCarthy have been winning in the regular season like it's the 1990s again: consecutive seasons with 12 victories in 2021 (12-5) and 2022 (12-5), with quarterbackplaying 12 or more games each season. The last two seasons mark the first consecutive Zach Johnson Jersey Dallas seasons with 12 or more wins since the 1992-1995 seasons, when the won three Super Bowls in four years with Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin leading the way.The sour element of their consistent contention the last two seasons is the way they have both concluded: with lo ses to the-- in the NFC wild-card round in 2021 and in the NFC divisional round in 2022. That has extended theirrecord streak of consecutive playoff appearances without a conference championship game to 12 in a row.However, owner Jerry Jones began made some, trading late-round picks for quality veterans that can plug key roster roles. He did so in the deals to acquire wide receiverand cornerback. Both arein their roles as the team's number two receiver and number two cornerback. These moves were made on top offrom a unit that allowed the fifth-fewest points (20.1 points per game) in the in 2022. The front office then in a solid 2023 haul.The reward for the Cowboys' recent succe s is one of the top-five most difficult schedules . The fun of such a gauntlet is plenty of primetime and spotlight games against some of the NFL's top teams and biggest stars. Here's a breakdown of the five most thrilling Cowboys games coming up this season, must-watch events for even neutral observers who simply enjoy high-quality football. Date and time: Monday, Oct 16 at 8:15 p.m. ET |Channel:ESPN/ABC ()It's therevenge game! After four years of Moore running the Cowboys' offense, three Jimmy Graham Jersey under head coach Mike McCarthy, the head coach's desire to call plays again like he did with the led to Moore's departure. He wasn't unemployed for long as Chargers head coach Brandon Staley quickly handed Moore the keys to the Chargers offense soon thereafter. Moore paired with quarterback, who has the most pa sing yards (14,089) through a player's first three seasons in NFL history and the second-most pa sing touchdowns (94) through a player's first three seasons in NFL history, will likely lead to many more fireworks at SoFi Stadium. The weapons at Moore's disposal -- running back(the NFL's scrimmage touchdowns leader in each of the last two seasons) and an explosive wide receiver duo of,, and 2023 first-round pick(21st overall) out of TCU will test defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's top-five defense early and often. Cowboys quarterback and a reshuffled offense with running back as the clear-cut top running back for the first time in his career plus filling in for the lo s of will provide McCarthy the opportunity to show who's the better play-caller between him and his former pupil head-to-head. Los Angeles also po se ses plenty of star power on defense with Pro Bowl pa s rushers (the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year) and as well as Pro Bowl safety .A primetime spot against one of the more high-powered offenses and star-studded defenses in football will provide Dallas with a strong measure where they stand prior to their Week 7 bye. Date and time: Sunday,Oct. 8 at 8:20 p.m. ET |Channel:NBC ()The San Francisco 49ers are responsible for ending each of the last two Dallas Cowboys campaigns in one-po se sion duels, once at AT&T Stadium (2021) and once at Levi's Stadium (2022). Despite the quarterback uncertainty afterelbow injury in the San Francisco 49ers' season-ending, 31-7 NFC Championship Game defeat, they still boast one of the NFL's most complete rosters. They could probably sign a random fan the week before a game and have that person play quarterback well enough to escape with a win. Having a cast of playmakers like wide receiversand, tight end, and running backsandwith head coach Kyle Shanahan calling plays allows for whoever their quarterback is to pre s buttons like they're playing Madden in order to string together succe sful plays with ease.Defensively, they not only return nearly all of their starters from the NFL's top defense of 2022, but they strengthened their defensive tackle spot, their biggest weakne s, in Anthony Lawrence II Jersey free agency after signing former Pro Bowlerto a four-year, $84 million contract. When Hargrave lined up in the defensive tackle spot on the Eagles' defensive line in 2022, he registered 9.0 sacks (tied for the most in the NFL at the position) and totaled the highest quarterback pre sure percentage (14%) , also the most in the league at that spot. San Francisco had dreadful production out of their defensive tackle position when rushing the pa ser, tying for the fewest sacks (1.0). They also ranked 11th in pre sure rate (7%). Putting Hargrave next to 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and 49ers defensive end, whose 18.5 sacks led the NFL and whose 90 quarterback pre sures co-led the NFL along with , will give opposing quarterbacks nightmares all season long.In the Cowboys' second consecutive playoff lo s to the 49ers, one of thesince Dallas lacked a viable number two option. With Brandin Cooks now onboard, his presence should erase the i sue. It will be intriguing to see if his addition is enough to get the Silver and Blue past their most recent postseason roadblock. Date and time:Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4:25 p.m. ET |Channel:FOX ()The Buffalo Bills have been one of the NFL's most dominant teams acro s the last three regular seasons, leading the league in points per game (29. Dejan Vasiljevic Jersey 4) and points allowed per game (19.4) in that span. Quarterbackonce again had a phenomenal season in 2022, ranking second in the entire league to only MVPin total yards (5,045) and total touchdowns (42). However like Prescott, Allen too had turnover i sues in 2022, leading the league in turnovers with 19, 14 interceptions (tied for the third-most in the NFL) and five fumbles lost (tied for the second-most in the NFL).With Allen becoming erratic as Buffalo asked him to be their number two running back -- his 124 carries and 762 rushing yards were the second-most on the team while his seven rushing scores led the Bills -- behind, general manager Brandon Beane prioritized making his life easier in the 2023 NFL Draft. Buffalo selected the draft's top pa s-catching tight end, Utah's, 25th overall, and one of the draft's top offensive guards, Florida's59th overall (Round 2) -- right after the Cowboys selected Michigan tight end -- with their first two picks.Providing Allen with another weapon in the pa sing game plus better blocking up front should reduce his giveaways. Defensively, it's much of the same for 2022's number two scoring defense (17.9 points per game allowed) with the hope that 34-year-old All-Pro linebackercan bounce back from a torn ACL to give their pa s rush the boost they hoped for when they gave him a six-year, $120 million contract in free agency last offseason. The Cowboys facing off against one of the NFL's best on the road will be as tough a task as they'll face all season. This could be a potential preview. Date and time: Sunday,Dec. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET |Channel:NBC ()This will be the second of two regular season matchups between the NFC East' Sam Waardenburg Jersey s top two teams, and it could decide the division title with the contest coming late in the season. The Cowboys and Eagles split their 2022 season matchups with each team winning at home with the losing team utilizing a back-up quarterback in both games.Philadelphia lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle to the NFC runner-up San Francisco 49ers on a, but general manager Howie Roseman maneuvered his way up one spot from the 10th overall to ninth overall in the 2023
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Posted at 2024-1-9 13:24:57
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