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Dallas Cowboys 2017 Schedule: Opponents Overview

By Jimmy Long

Jan 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the AT&T Stadium prior to the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Western Michigan Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the AT&T Stadium prior to the game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Western Michigan Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the fourth quarter of the game between the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos won 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the fourth quarter of the game between the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos won 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

AFC West

For their AFC rotating division opponents, the Dallas Cowboys draw upon the AFC West. The Denver Broncos, Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.  Dallas will travel to play Denver and Los Angeles, and host both the Raiders and Chiefs.

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This is the division I am concerned about. Three of the four teams in the AFC West are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Raiders were elite last year until Derek Carr suffered a broken leg. The Broncos defense makes them a contender. The offense will likely take a step forward with sophomore signal caller Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian having more experience.

The Chiefs are a bit of a wild card, but I like their chances to compete next season. Eric Berry has proven to be an elite talent, and possibly the best safety in the NFL. The Chiefs defense is solid heading into 2017. The lone question is again on offense. Is Alex Smith a quarterback capable of leading them to a Lombardi trophy?

The Chargers have talent, but they never seemed to be able to put it all together to win games in 2016. So far, nothing has indicated to me that anything will be different come this fall. I’m not saying they’ll be a pushover team, but I wouldn’t bet on them being fierce competition either.

I’m envisioning all four of these games to be tough, but hopefully the Cowboys will get some relief and not be forced to play them all in a short timespan.

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