IRVING, Texas – The opponents have been known since December, but the Cowboys' 2015 schedule will be announced on Tuesday evening.
The league announced Monday morning that the schedule will be released at 7 p.m. CST on Tuesday, with the full slate also available online.
The league's schedule release has become an offseason milestone, as it is typically announced in the weeks just before the NFL draft. With the draft set to begin next Thursday, April 30, in Chicago, the Cowboys will know the full 16-game slate of opponents before making their selections.
The NFL scheduling formula calls for each division to play one full division from both its own conference and the opposite conference. In this case, the Cowboys – and the rest of the NFC East – will play the entire NFC South and the entire AFC East. As reigning division champions, the Cowboys will also play the first-place finisher from the NFC West and the NFC North.
The traditional six games against division opponents close out the full schedule.
As a result, Dallas will play home games against Atlanta, Carolina, New England, Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington and both the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The Cowboys will go on the road against Buffalo, Green Bay, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Washington and the Giants.
All three division road trips, as well as Buffalo and Green Bay, have the potential to be cold weather contests. The Cowboys famously played four cold weather games in the home stretch of last season, traveling to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington in the final six weeks.
It will also be interesting to see where the much-coveted by week falls this year. The week off has come as late as possible the past two years – in Week 11. In 2011 and 2012, they had a Week 5 bye week.
