The NFL has announced that the full 17-week schedule for the 2013 season will be released Thursday night during an hour-long special on NFL Network at 7 p.m. (CDT).
The league initially planned to unveil the schedule on Tuesday night, but decided to push back the announcement for two days.
For all teams, the schedule will just reveal the order of games. All 16 opponents and locations have long been known.
This year, the Cowboys will play home games against Washington, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Minnesota, St. Louis, Denver and Oakland.
The Cowboys will be traveling to San Diego, Kansas City, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and the three division teams – New York Giants, Philadelphia and Washington.
Of the 13 different opponents, only four made the playoffs last year. By playing the Redskins twice, it means the Cowboys will play five games in 2013 against pervious playoff teams, and only one (Washington) on the road.
The usual things to watch from the schedule release are the opener, Thanksgiving Day opponent and what teams the Cowboys will face in the final month of the season.
As for the opener, Dallas has played on the road five straight years, dating back to the 2007 season when the team beat the Giants at Texas Stadium in Wade Phillips' debut as head coach. Since then, the Cowboys have played Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Washington, the New York Jets and Giants on the road to open the last five seasons. In fact, the Cowboys have been on the road for the first two games in each of the last two years, making similar coast-to-coast trips to start the schedule. In 2011, they played the Jets and 49ers on the road to begin the season, followed by last year's trips to the Giants and Seahawks. [embedded_ad]
As for Thanksgiving, the Cowboys will play either Oakland or Denver this year with CBS schedule to call the game. It would seem likely the NFL will not turn down the chance to put Peyton Manning on Thanksgiving Day.
And just like the Cowboys have been opening the season on the road lately, the same can be said for the end. The Cowboys have faced all three division opponents on the road the last three years, including games at the Giants and Redskins the last two seasons to decide the NFC East title.
