The spotlight and curiosity surrounding the Dallas Cowboys has always been a little more than that of other teams. Their schedule is also looked at more closely to see when the ‘America’s team’ comes to town.

While the road games are hostile when the Cowboys play, this time around, there is also a major schedule advantage that has gone the team’s way, which was highlighted by Blogging the Boys Editor-in-Chief RJ Ochoa.

“Three of those games, the games against the Packers, the Seahawks, and the Rams, are all coming off of longer rest than normal for the Cowboys. The Packers game is coming off Dallas playing on a Thursday night. The Seahawks game is coming off them playing on a Thursday, as well as on Thanksgiving. And the Rams game is coming off them being on a bye week entirely,” Ochoa explained.

The video explaining the advantage first appeared on The Athletic’s TikTok account, and Ochoa further explained why getting those games on the road would benefit the Cowboys.

“The fact that three of the more difficult road games for the Cowboys, arguably their three most difficult road games, will all come in situations where the Cowboys can have more rest than normal is kind of a plus for them,” Ochoa added. “So shout out to the NFL schedule makers. They helped the Cowboys out in this one specific way.”

The three fixtures where the Cowboys are playing with good rest are all expected to be extremely tough matchups for them. Firstly, Seattle will be coming into the season as  Super Bowl winners, and although a lot of their big players left, they will still be a formidable opponent.

The game against the Rams could be a litmus test of how good Dak Prescott and his team are after their big offseason. In the matchup against the Packers, on the other hand, the team will face off against their former star Micah Parsons, who was traded last season. While the Cowboys boast a winning record in the head-to-head matchups against the Rams and the Seahawks, they have a losing record against the Packers, which is why the long rest is beneficial for them.

Road matchups are always the most difficult for an NFL team, and when you’re facing opponents such as the above, any advantage is meaningful. Rest and recovery are key ingredients to a successful NFL season. And the fact that Dallas will be getting extra rest and recovery during its toughest road matchups will give it a huge leg up.

These particular road games themselves are sandwiched in a tough stretch for Jerry Jones’s squad. The Packers’ road matchup happens to be an early-season one. This stretch also includes games against the Texans and Eagles, both playoff teams last year. The Rams and Seahawks road games arrive late in the year, in December. Dallas plays the two teams back-to-back. The bye week, which comes during the middle of this two-game stretch, is a major help to a team that would already be weary after having a bye week this late.

While this may make it seem like the Cowboys have a good schedule, there are still challenges in it that the franchise will find it hard to navigate.

Cowboys have some tough stretches as well

NFL analyst Warren Sharp expects the Cowboys to face the 4th toughest schedule in the NFL this upcoming season. Apart from the above road teams mentioned, the Cowboys will also face the 49ers, Ravens, Texans, and the Jaguars, all talented teams with good rosters. This is on top of facing perennial playoff-bound Eagles twice. The Ravens game also happens to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, further adding to the travel woes and difficulty.

Most of the teams mentioned above are all slated to be playoff teams this year. The Rams are actually betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. Brian Schotteniheimer, who will be entering his second year as Head Coach, will clearly have his work cut out for him in what is a crucial season for his career.

And to no one’s surprise, Dallas will once again be featured strongly on the national stage with six primetime games. Only the Rams have more games in that slot next season.

While the schedule makers gave them good rest before road games, they also handed them some tough matchups throughout the season. The Cowboys had a solid offseason, completely revamping their defense. Last season, their offense was top-notch, with Prescott leading the way, but it was lapses in the secondary that pushed them out of the playoffs. With that now being solved, the expectation will be that the Cowboys secure some big wins in these road games and get back to the playoffs.