I haven’t written anything on the schedule yet. At the point, analyzing the schedule is really just a bunch of guesswork. It won’t be until week 2 and week 3 of the schedule before we really get an idea of who’s good, who’s not so good, and where the surprises are going to be.

But I was glancing over the schedule again and I couldn’t help but think that our first game is going to be one of the most difficult. Cleveland had a pretty good offense last year, and they are going to be a better team. The Stallworth addition at receiver is going to make their passing attack even scarier, and their defense should be improved as well.

The toughest game? No. But almost.

Here’s how I have them ranked:

#1 - Week Sixteen - @ New York Giants

Despite being the defending Super Bowl champs, I don’t think the Giants are a better football team than the Cowboys. I still expect the Cowboys to win the division, and I expect them to actually win a playoff game this year too. But, I don’t think they will sweep the Giants again, and the one they’ll probably lose is the one at Giants stadium.

#2 - Week 1 - @ Cleveland

This is where I put Cleveland. A high-powered passing attack vs. the weakest point on the Cowboys last year (secondary). Cleveland is going to come into the game knowing they can make a statement by beating the Cowboys. What are the Cowboys coming into this game thinking?

One thing is for sure — we’re going to find out pretty quick if the trade for Pacman Jones and the selection of Jenkins pays off.

Week 14 - @ Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a tough team, especially late in the year and at home. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys have all but wrapped up their spot in the playoffs by this time, and I’d imagine the Steelers will be in a tough fight with the Browns for the division.

Week 3 - @ Green Bay

I think we are going to find out pretty quick that Aaron Rogers can play QB. He might not be Brett Favre, but the Packers will still be the Cowboys main contention for the NFC this coming year. This will be a good week for the Cowboys to come ready to take a fast lead in the NFC.

Week 17 - @ Philadelphia

Week 17 would have made the list even if we were playing the Lions or the 49ers. Pretty much, any team we played in week 17 was going to be one of the toughest teams we’d play simply because the Cowboys are pretty good at fading toward the end of the season. I think the Eagles will struggle to get out of the NFC East’s cellar this year, but they always play the Cowboys tough at home. Add that in with the Cowboys recent history and it spells bad news.

I think we’ll really see what this Cowboys team is made of in week 16 and 17. If they go limping into the playoffs again then don’t expect to see them making it to the big game.

And, if you noticed, all five of these games are away games. For some, that’s what makes them tough, but the two toughest teams we’ll face (which I believe are the Browns and Packers) are both away games which makes them even tougher.