Top 5 familiar faces on the Cowboys 2024 regular-season schedule
Ranking the top five ex-Cowboys on the 2024 schedule
One of the biggest questions of the offseason has now been answered. The NFL has released its full schedule for the preseason and the regular season. We now know where and when the Dallas Cowboys will play this season. It’s difficult to say how they’ll fare with their slate of opponents, including six nationally televised games. What’s also interesting is the amount of former Cowboys they’ll face on their schedule. Former players, former coaches, and in one case, both. Prepare yourself with friend turned foe, and here are the top former Cowboys the team will square off against this season.
Honorable mentions:
Cedrick Wilson, New Orleans Saints Week 2
Wilson was sometimes a gadget player during his time with the Cowboys and became a fan-favorite who had a knack for making plays in big moments. Among those moments was a big-time 73-yard touchdown reception on Halloween night in 2021 against the Minnesota Vikings from Cooper Rush and a crunch-time fourth down reception against the New England Patriots that same season. Wilson joins the New Orleans Saints and hopes to carve out a role in the void left behind by the now-departed Michael Thomas.
5. Noah Brown, Houston Texans Week 11
Noah Brown was always a player who teased Cowboys fans with his potential. He was big and strong at the catch point, but the consistency was never there with Brown during his team with Dallas. After seven seasons with the Cowboys, Brown signed with in-state rival Houston. Thrust into the starting lineup after a barrage of injuries to the Texans’ pass catchers, Brown erupted on opposing defenses. In back-to-back games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Buccaneers, Brown exploded for 13 receptions for 325 yards, averaging 25 yards per reception. The Houston receiving corps has improved with the addition of Stefon Diggs, but Brown is ready to wreak havoc against the Cowboys if given the chance.
4. Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans Week 11
Dalton Schultz joined Noah Brown in Houston last offseason, and didn’t miss a beat playing with C.J. Stroud. Schultz’s numbers were nearly identical to his final season with the Cowboys. Dak Prescott’s former top tight end will again be an adequate safety valve for second-year QB Stroud amidst his already potent arsenal of weapons. Like his replacement, Jake Ferguson, Schultz is dangerous in the middle of the field and is a seam-buster for pass defenses.
3. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns Week 1
There’s no way to convince me Amari Cooper should not still be a Dallas Cowboys. Cooper pulled the receiving corps from the ashes after being acquired in 2018. Cooper recorded nearly 4,000 yards receiving in his short time with the Cowboys, earning two trips to the Pro Bowl. Since landing with the Browns, Cooper has eclipsed the thousand-yard mark in both seasons despite having several starting quarterbacks. Cooper is still a highly productive player with exceptional route running and speed to race past the defense. If you leave Cooper one-on-one, hold your breath because he’s still that guy you must pay close attention to if you’re Mike Zimmer.
2. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders Weeks 12 & 18
Quinn’s arrival with the Washington Commanders feels like shades of when former Cowboys offensive coordinator Norv Turner agreed to be Washington’s head coach in 1994. Quinn is a well-respected leader known to do miracles with defenses, as he did to improve the Cowboys’ defense in 2020 which was a laughingstock until he transformed it into a viable unit with a tendency to create turnovers. Quinn has his work cut out alongside former Cowboys coach Joe Whitt to turn around a porous defense in transition. Along with Whitt, Quinn lured former Cowboys Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong to join him with the Commanders. Quinn has taken a team to the Super Bowl as a head coach, a feat Dallas has yet to do since 1996. Following last season, the Cowboys and the Commanders are the only NFC team not reaching the Super Bowl in that span.
1. Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles Weeks 10 & 17
What it means for the Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles is the most intriguing thing. When it comes to Moore, it is the chicken or the egg theory. Were the Cowboys’ offensive so prolific regarding yardage totals because of Kellen’s play calls and design? Or was it because he had some exceptional talent to work with? For those unfamiliar, Moore was the backup quarterback for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 before joining the coaching ranks with the team and assuming offensive coordinator duties from 2019 to 2022. Under Moore, the offense was explosive between the 20s but seemed to outsmart itself in the red zone.
Now, with the Eagles, things are different. The Eagles will not be as patient with Moore as Dallas was, having fired their former coordinator Brian Johnson after one season. There are questions placed solely on Moore and the Eagles as the Cowboys look to defend their NFC East title. Is Moore the Boy Wonder he was made out to be? Is Jalen Hurts needing coaching that he wasn’t receiving last season? Or will Moore run talented running back Saquon Barkley into a brick wall like he did with Ezekiel Elliott? A failure for Moore vindicates the Cowboys front office, and a success will further crucify them. The volatility of the situation makes for interesting discourse. Stay tuned.
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