FRISCO, Texas — The NFL’s full season schedule will not be unveiled until Wednesday night, but the league announced the Week 1 games, including a highly anticipated debut between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Cowboys will face the reigning Super Bowl champions on the road at Raymond James Stadium in the NFL Kickoff Game. With Dak Prescott’s return from a compound ankle fracture and dislocation, combined with the seven-time Super Bowl champ in Tom Brady- the national stage is set.
The game will serve as Prescott’s first regular season performance since the devastating Week 5 injury last season. In addition, Dallas’ injury-ravaged roster is healthy. The Cowboys lost two key offensive line cornerstone players in Tyron Smith and La’el Collins. Both are expected to return.
In last year’s season opener against the Rams, Blake Jarwin tore his ACL on a non-contact injury while running a route. The club’s mismatch over the middle of the field will likely make his comeback as well.
Dallas struggled to consistently run the ball in 2020 but with a healthy offensive line, Ezekiel Elliott will be looking to eat between the tackles. The game will present a challenging first test for Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and a defense that features a myriad of new faces acquired in recent months. Last season, Dallas finished 28th in scoring defense and 31st in run defense. The revamped unit will face Tom Brady and Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense including Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
There is certainly plenty of intrigue surrounding the prime-time kickoff as a new season of NFL football will commence in four months. Dallas will also participate in the league’s first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 5 in the Hall of Fame Game.
The Cowboys’ 17 opponents have previously been announced.
Home: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals.
Away: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers.
