The Dallas Cowboys open the 2025 NFL regular season tomorrow night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas has undergone dramatic roster and coaching changes, setting the stage for a season filled with intrigue and potential.
Splashy plays and offensive firepower may follow, but wins and a playoff berth are far from guaranteed.
The Cowboys enter with major questions on both sides of the ball, especially along the offensive line, at running back, and in the pass rush.
Any of those question marks have the potential to completely derail the season.
The Dallas Express is currently predicting the Cowboys to finish the 2025 regular season with an overall record of 9-8, which would likely not be enough to claim the division title or qualify for the postseason.
These predictions come from a combination of defensive losses, a new coaching staff, and a difficult schedule in the second half of the season.
With that in mind, here is a game-by-game prediction of the Cowboys’ 2025 regular season:
Week 1: @ Philadelphia Eagles – Loss
The Cowboys will open the season on Thursday against the Eagles in a game that could swing either way.
However, the Eagles will be fired up following the Super Bowl banner reveal and a chance to open the season with a win in front of their home crowd against their biggest rival.
Philadelphia has more firepower on both sides of the ball and should come out on top in this matchup.
Week 2: New York Giants – Win
The Giants have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL while the Cowboys have real questions along the offensive line, but that should not stop Dallas from putting up points in this matchup.
Meanwhile, the Giants could struggle to produce points all season with issues at various positions.
Dallas opens the season with two straight divisional matchups and should come out with a record of at least 1-1, which would put this team on solid footing heading into Week 3.
Week 3: @ Chicago Bears – Win
The Bears are entering the 2025 regular season with nearly the same, if not more, changes to the team as the Cowboys.
Although the Bears’ changes are more coaching based than personnel based, these changes could take some time for the players to become fully accustomed.
Drawing Chicago early in the season is incredibly beneficial for Dallas as the Cowboys should never struggle to score, as the offensive system is largely the same and the team added more offensive weapons.
On the other hand, the Bears could get off to a rocky start with new offensive and defensive systems that will help the Cowboys pick up a Week 3 win and start the season with a 2-1 record.
Week 4: Green Bay Packers – Loss
The Cowboys will then come home for the biggest game of the season in Week 4, as defensive end Micah Parsons will make his return to Dallas just weeks after the team shipped him to Green Bay.
Based on these predictions, Dallas will be looking to continue its first winning streak of the season in this matchup.
But that will not happen.
This matchup could be one of the first games of the season where Parsons is fully healthy and able to manage a full workload, which could be an issue for a Cowboys defensive line that is not built for quick pass rushers.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys’ pass rush could struggle against a strong Packers offensive line while the secondary will have its hands full with the Packers’ various pass catchers.
While this game will make a great story, the outcome is unlikely to be favorable for America’s Team.
Week 5: @ New York Jets – Win
Dallas should quickly rebound from a Week 4 loss and pick up another win against the Jets in Week 5.
Although Dallas has questions at various positions, New York has one major question at the quarterback position.
By this point in the season, teams will have more film on quarterback Justin Fields in the Jets’ system and should be able to create a game plan to slow him down.
Dallas could struggle to score against a stout Jets defense led by first-year Head Coach Aaron Glenn, but the result should be a victory in the Cowboys’ favor.
Week 6: @ Carolina – Win
Dallas will have a chance to start the season with a record of 4-2 with a win in Week 6, which is exactly what the expectation should be against a young Carolina team that is still looking to find its footing.
The Panthers have improved drastically over the past two seasons and should be a solid team during the upcoming year, but this is still a team that the Cowboys should be able to claim a victory against.
This win could mark the Cowboys’ fourth win in five games and have the team feeling strong leading into a Week 7 divisional matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Week 7: Washington Commanders – Loss
Dallas should enter this game riding high after a solid stretch of winning, but that does not mean that they will be able to take down a Commanders team with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league.
The Cowboys managed to split the season series with the Commanders during the 2024 regular season, but the reality of these teams is vastly different by this point in 2025.
While Dallas has gotten better on the offensive side of the ball, the defense has taken a major step back following the departure of Parsons.
Meanwhile, the Commanders are coming off an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, a feat the Cowboys haven’t accomplished since 1996, and added more pieces to both the offense and defense in the offseason.
There is the potential that the Commanders win this game easily with solid performances on both sides of the ball.
Week 8: @ Denver Broncos – Loss
Week 8 will mark the first time this season that the Cowboys endure a losing streak, as this team will have to face one of the best defenses in the league to avoid another loss.
Denver is one of the most exciting young teams in the league that already has one of the best defensive groups and an offense that should continue to improve under quarterback Bo Nix.
Although Dallas should be able to put up points against the vast majority of teams in the league, the Broncos unit has consistently slowed down the best offenses in the league behind cornerback Patrick Surtain.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys’ defense may struggle to stop a strong rushing attack through both Nix and the Broncos’ running backs, which could lead to a second straight loss.
Week 9: Arizona Cardinals – Win
The Cowboys will then return to Dallas for a matchup against the Cardinals that should help this team get back into the win column.
Arizona could be one of the most surprising teams in the league this season with solid pieces on both offense and defense, but a home matchup against this team is still a game that the Cowboys should win.
Week 11: @ Las Vegas Raiders – Win
The Cowboys will pick up back-to-back wins following their bye week in a matchup against the Raiders.
Las Vegas is expected to focus heavily on establishing the run this season, something the Cowboys have struggled against in the past, but the addition of defensive tackle Kenny Clark should actually help the team in this matchup.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders are expected to have a solid defense that will be near the middle of the league, but the Cowboys should be able to put up enough points to outscore a potentially slow moving offense.
An improved run defense, solid offensive performance, and two full weeks to establish a game plan for Las Vegas should help carry the Cowboys to a victory in this matchup.
Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles – Loss
Week 12 will start a gauntlet end of the schedule for the Cowboys this season, with the team picking up another loss against the Eagles in this matchup.
As previously stated, the Eagles’ overall talent will likely overwhelm the Cowboys in Dallas.
Although Dallas should have a better run defense with Clark now in the mix, it will still be no match for the best running back in the league, Saquon Barkley, running behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football.
The Cowboys should be able to put up their fair share of points against a strong, but not dominant, Eagles’ defense, but it will not be enough to carry them to the victory against their biggest rival.
Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs – Loss
Dallas will follow the matchup with the reigning Super Bowl Champions with a game against the reigning AFC Champions, which will likely end with another loss on the record.
By no means does Kansas City have the most loaded offensive lineup in the league, but that team still features the best quarterback and head coach combination in the league with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
Kansas City put together a relatively disappointing season in 2024 and still managed to finish with a league best record of 15-2, including a Week 18 matchup in which almost none of the starters played any snaps.
While Dallas may be able to hang around and keep the score close for the majority of the game, odds are high that Kansas City managed to pick up the win when it is all said and done.
Week 14: @ Detroit Lions – Win
Every season there are a few games that completely shock those who are watching, and The Dallas Express is selecting Week 14 against the Lions to meet these qualifications.
Entering the season, Detroit is expected to be better than the Cowboys at nearly every facet of the game.
However, both teams underwent drastic changes to both their coaching staffs and rosters, with the Lions losing both coordinators and multiple offensive linemen.
Detroit is likely to take a slight step back but remain one of the most dominant teams in the NFL.
But that does not mean that they cannot be beaten.
Dallas should be able to consistently score on this Lions defense that does not include an explosive secondary, leaving room for both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens to put together impressive showings.
On the defensive side of the game, the Cowboys could struggle heavily against the Lions’ run-first game plan that features one of the best backfields in the league.
While this could cause issues, there is no telling whether the changes on the Lions’ offensive line will play a major role in their ability to run the ball.
While this will not be an easy win for the Cowboys, there is a path to success against Detroit.
Week 15: Minnesota Vikings – Loss
Dallas will likely follow up an emotional victory against the Lions with a slightly disappointing loss to the Vikings at home.
Minnesota is expected to start rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season, with many having concerns about his ability to keep this team afloat during the early portions of the season.
However, this matchup takes place near the end of the season and McCarthy will likely have found some type of rhythm by this point in the year, making the Vikings a very difficult team to take down.
Realistically, Minnesota might hold an advantage at every position on the field outside of quarterback and cornerback, which does not bode well for the Cowboys’ odds of winning this matchup.
Week 16: Los Angeles Chargers – Loss
Yet another loss for the Cowboys in the back half of the season as the team falls to Justin Herbert and the Chargers in Week 16.
Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has made a career on building an offense through the rushing attack, which is the exact strategy that should be used to pick apart this Cowboys defense.
Los Angeles features multiple running backs with various skillsets that can dismantle this Cowboys defensive line.
While Dallas improved its rushing defense with the addition of Clark, it is still expected to be amongst the bottom half in the league at this aspect of the game.
Outside of running the ball, the Cowboys will have to deal with Herbert and Ladd McConkey in the passing game, making for a difficult matchup all around against Los Angeles.
Defensively, the Chargers are not expected to be one of the most dominant teams in the league, but a middle-of-the-pack unit should be enough to slow down the Cowboys’ offense enough for the Chargers to claim the victory.
Week 17: Washington Commanders – Win
Dallas should win at least one game against either the Commanders or Eagles this season, with this victory coming at a point in the year when the Cowboys are already eliminated from the postseason.
On the other hand, the commanders will likely be competing for playoff seeding and needing to secure another victory to lock up a spot in the postseason heading into the final week of the year.
This desperation from the Commanders could have two results.
Either Washington comes into Dallas and handily takes the victory.
Or Dallas plays spoiler and possibly ruins the potential playoff run for the Commanders.
The Dallas Express is banking on the second option as the Cowboys pick up a somewhat meaningless but exciting victory against a division rival.
Week 18: @ New York Giants – Win
Dallas will finish this season with a record of just 1-3 against the Commanders and Eagles, but a 2-0 record against the Giants will keep the Cowboys’ overall divisional record at 3-3 on the season.
By this point in the season, there is no telling what either of these teams could be doing with their roster.
Under the assumption that neither of these teams will be competing for the playoffs, there is a chance that both teams are rolling out lineups that include a large number of rookies and other young players.
With this in mind, the Cowboys should still pick up a win against a Giants team that does not have nearly the same level of talent on the overall roster.