The Dallas Cowboys will face some immediate challenges in their 2024 schedule. Jimmy Johnson suggested that some early adversity could help down the stretch.
Dallas opens the season with a road game against the Cleveland Browns and opposes three more playoff teams before a Week 7 bye. The Cowboys return from their break with a chance to finally take down the San Francisco 49ers.
On Thursday’s The Herd with Collin Cowherd, Johnson discussed a tumultuous beginning for his former team.
“They’ve got some difficult games right off the bat,” Johnson said, via On3. “For instance, they go up to Cleveland, a great defense. They’re gonna have a young offensive line that’s gonna struggle against that pass rush of Cleveland.
Then the third week, they’ve got Baltimore, a physical football team.
“I think the big thing is, the Cowboys have got to survive the early part of the season. They’ve got to survive not only confidence-wise but also health-wise. And if they do that, they can finish strong.”
Johnson believes a lighter ending to the Cowboys’ schedule can benefit them if they weather the early storm and stay healthy.
Dallas plays six of its final nine games at home, where the team went undefeated during the 2023 regular season. The Cowboys face the Washington Commanders in Weeks 12 and 18, host the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, and face the Carolina Panthers in Week 15.
However, the schedule is far from a cakewalk down the stretch.
The Cowboys also must combat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 14 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football in Week 16. Their penultimate game against the Philadelphia Eagles could have massive implications in the NFC East.