DALLAS — The NFL schedule is set to release May 11 — or maybe not.
While there may be ambiguity as to when the schedule will be released in full, one thing that is an automatic lock is the Dallas Cowboys will be featured heavily in prime time. America's Team played three times on Sunday Night Football and appeared once on both Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football in 2022.
The NFL even had the Cowboys play on the Monday night Wild Card against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a total of six. Throw in the annual Thanksgiving game and the NFC divisional loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and eight of Dallas' 19 contests were viewed by a national audience.
With the Cowboys coming off an 11-win season with a postseason victory, the expectations are high, which means more national exposure for Dallas. Here is a look at which games could see prime time:
1. Cowboys vs. 49ers — Returning to the scene of the crime at Levi's Stadium would be a tremendous start to the season. The NFL could have the Kansas City Chiefs kick the season off on Thursday night and then the hype would continue as Dallas and San Francisco would pick up where they left off in the postseason. Did Dallas really fix their run defense? Can the Cowboys score more than 12 points?
2. Cowboys vs. Chargers — There would be nothing better than to see Dan Quinn's defense go against former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's offense with the subtext of a quarterback duel between Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert. The added 17th game this season, the contest will also take place at SoFi Stadium, which means a third consecutive year of the Cowboys playing in the entertainment capital of the world.
3. Cowboys vs. Giants — The NFC East is back to being a melee with essentially a big game anytime divisional rivals hook up. Dallas swept the Giants last season, and it didn't matter whether Cooper Rush or Prescott was under center.
New York was able to upset the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card, but never really made an impact against their other division foes.
4. Cowboys vs. Dolphins — This would be the perfect Thursday night game, especially the week after Thanksgiving. The league could sell it as another battle between an established quarterback versus a youngster — same with coaching, too. There is also a bit of Super Bowl history to play up as both teams met each other in Super Bowl VI.
5. Cowboys vs. Eagles — If Dallas and Philadelphia meet again in prime time, it will make for the 20th consecutive season, which is the longest such streak in NFL history. Forget Dallas and Washington; the real Cowboys rivalry is with the City of Brotherly Shove.
Do you prefer prime time games or regular Sunday afternoon affairs? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
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