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Cowboys 2026: Giants Opener, Rio Ravens, SNF Packers matchup.

5/16/2026

Summary

Cowboys Schedule

Dallas Cowboys open 2026 with a Week 1 road game at the New York Giants.
In Week 3 the Cowboys play a historic regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against the Baltimore Ravens.
Week 6 features a Sunday Night Football home matchup versus the Green Bay Packers after a 40-40 tie in 2025.
The Cowboys have a Week 14 bye that splits late-season games versus Seattle (Week 13), Philadelphia on Thanksgiving (Week 12) and Los Angeles (Week 15).

Summary

Cowboys Bolster Defense

Christian Parker will serve as the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator as the team faces the fourth-toughest schedule and fourth-most travel miles, including an 11-hour Rio return before a Thursday night game.
Dallas added safety Jalen Thompson, cornerback Cobie Durant, receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, edge rusher Rashan Gary and first-round picks Caleb Downs (11th overall) and Malachi Lawrence (23rd overall) to shore up the defense.
The ranking uses a revised strength-of-schedule metric.

Summary

Cowboys Thanksgiving Challenge

The Cowboys will try to end their Thanksgiving Day losing streak against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 26 at AT&T Stadium.
Rookie safety Caleb Downs, wearing No. 13, may switch to No. 2—the number he wore at Ohio State and that his brother Josh Downs uses with Indianapolis Colts.
Dallas has not won in Houston since 2010, is even (42-42-1) in Sunday Night Football, and sits at 7-4 after eleven weeks.

Summary

Cowboys Spy

The Cowboys turned their 2026 schedule release into a social-media video where the three offensive-line Tylers formed the “Tyler Intelligence Agency” to spy on opponents.
The team will headline six standalone games, five in primetime, giving it the second-most exclusive national-TV exposure after the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2026 slate spans five broadcast partners—NBC, FOX, CBS, Prime Video, ESPN/ABC—and local radio 105.3 The Fan, illustrating the Cowboys’ broad media footprint.

History

Historical Context

After the NFL launched its International Series in 2007—building on the 2005 Mexico City game that drew 103,467 fans and the annual London fixtures at Wembley—the league approved games outside the UK through 2025. Continuing that expansion, the Dallas Cowboys will face the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro in 2026, marking the first regular-season contest on South American soil.

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Cowboys Schedule

Dallas Cowboys open 2026 with a Week 1 road game at the New York Giants.
In Week 3 the Cowboys play a historic regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against the Baltimore Ravens.
Week 6 features a Sunday Night Football home matchup versus the Green Bay Packers after a 40-40 tie in 2025.
The Cowboys have a Week 14 bye that splits late-season games versus Seattle (Week 13), Philadelphia on Thanksgiving (Week 12) and Los Angeles (Week 15).

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