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The Dallas Cowboys showed tremendous progress as a team last year by finally putting it all together and making a deep run in the playoffs, and given the fact that they’ve added some significant pieces to their team with free agency and the draft, there is no doubt that they are once again serious contenders for the Super Bowl as we draw closer to the 2015 season. But the early part of their schedule does provides a tremendous challenge for them as they have to face the New Orleans Saints on a Sunday night in the always raucous Superdome, the Seattle Seahawks and they’re daunting defense, as well as two tough division foes in the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles twice, all within the first eight games of the year.
And I didn’t even get a chance to mention the fact that Bill Belichick and the defending Super Bowl champions New England Patriots are also scheduled to come to Dallas in the early part of October.
The good news for Cowboys fans is that currently quarterback Tom Brady is to be suspended for that game, so the Patriots should be without their clear leader as they make their return to the state of Texas. But the NFLPA has just put in a request with the league for an appeal with the hopes that his suspension gets reduced or even rescinded, so there is a strong possibility that Brady will make an appearance in Jerry World after all.
Dallas is a talented enough team to beat the Patriots with or without Brady, but when you have the opportunity to take advantage of a break or a free pass in this league, you definitely take it. This is especially in the NFL where seasons can be made or broken with the outcome of a single game.
The Cowboys are also currently scheduled to be without one of their own top stars in Greg Hardy for the first 10 games of the year, and while they did manage to win 13 games without him last season, they will need every payer available to them to make it through the tough stretch that the early part of this season provides. Even if Hardy’s suspension does get reduced, the likelihood of him being available for the Patriots game is pretty minimal as they are the fifth game on Dallas’ schedule.
It’s a lot easier to take on a Belichick team and get to the quarterback if Jimmy Garoppolo is running the show versus that of Tom Brady. And considering the fact that the Cowboys will more than likely trot out two young players in Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence at the defensive end position, they need to get as many breaks as they can until the month of November rolls around.
Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.
