News: BR: 2017 Dallas Cowboys Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

[NewsBot]

While the Dallas Cowboys exited the playoffs earlier than they would've liked, the 2016 season was a major success for the franchise, and fans will be eager to see what the team has for a follow-up in 2017.

When Tony Romo suffered a broken bone in his back during the preseason, it looked like a crushing blow for the Cowboys. Dallas finished 4-12 when he was limited to four games in 2015.

However, his absence was a blessing in disguise since it gave Dak Prescott a clear path to the starting job. The 2016 fourth-round pick threw for 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions. Football Outsiders ranked him fourth among qualified quarterbacks in defense-adjusted yards above replacement (DYAR).

Dallas' selection of Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick was more than justified as well after he ran for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Prescott and Elliott are evoking memories of the dominant 1990s Cowboys teams led by Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.

Nobody will expect Dallas' current core of players to win three Super Bowls—as the franchise did in 1992, 1993 and 1995—but the bar has been set high for the upcoming season. Anything less than a return to the NFC Championship Game will be a disappointment.

Here's a look at the Cowboys' complete schedule for the regular season.



Schedule

Analysis

The Cowboys shouldn't necessarily be a worse team than they were a year ago, but winning 13 games two years in a row is difficult for any franchise.

Dallas faces off with the reigning NFC champion Atlanta Falcons on the road in Week 10. The Falcons have all of their key players back from last year, and they shored up the defensive line with the signing of Dontari Poe.

NFL.com's Chris Trapasso thought Poe addressed a need for Atlanta's front seven:

The Falcons will be a difficult team to beat, even more so on the road inside their brand-new stadium.

Road games with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders won't be easy, either. The Raiders took a big step forward in 2016 and were a Super Bowl contender before Derek Carr's injury derailed their season. The Broncos, meanwhile, will rely on Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch at quarterback but boast what is still one of the league's top defenses.

The Cowboys also get a rematch of the divisional round in Week 5 when they welcome in the Packers. Green Bay has been hit by a slew of roster defections, though, so it will be interesting to see how good the team is after having to replace Eddie Lacy, JC Tretter, T.J. Lang, Micah Hyde and Jared Cook.



Pivotal Matchups

The importance of Dallas' six NFC East games largely goes without saying.

All three of the Cowboys' losses in 2016 came against division opponents. According to ESPN.com, they had the third-lowest strength of schedule (.471) in the NFC, which gave them a wider margin of error.

With what looks to be a tougher schedule in 2017, Dallas can't afford the same number of slip-ups in the NFC East if it wants to lay claim to the conference's top seed again.

The Cowboys may end up jostling with the Packers, Falcons and Seattle Seahawks for playoff positioning. All three should be in contention for their respective divisions, which lends additional weight to those games.

Home-field advantage can be pivotal in the postseason.

Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas all finished with 12-4 records in 2014. The Seahawks earned the top seed by virtue of a superior conference record. They beat the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, a week after the Packers knocked the Cowboys out in Lambeau Field.

If Dallas can take two out of the three against Green Bay, Atlanta and Seattle, then it could have a big impact on the standings.

Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com

Continue reading...