The Dallas Cowboys will become just the third team in modern NFL history to run a particularly quirky schedule gauntlet in 2020.
And the two teams that ran through this in the past did not fare well.
Dallas Cowboys will face all five ‘bird’ teams on the 2020 schedule
The Cowboys will be the third team since the Baltimore Ravens joined the NFL in 1996 to face all five franchises with winged mascots. NFL Research dug up this quirky note, per NFL.com.
Here’s how the Cowboys’ bird-centric schedule breaks down:
- Atlanta Falcons (at home) in Week 2
- Seattle Seahawks (road game) in Week 3
- Arizona Cardinals (at home) in Week 6
- Philadelphia Eagles (road game) in Week 8
- Baltimore Ravens (road game) in Week 13
- Eagles for a second time (at home) in Week 16
Previously, the 2009 Chicago Bears went 1-4 running this same gauntlet. The 2014 Carolina Panthers did one game better, going 2-5 while facing the Cardinals and Seahawks in the playoffs.
It stands to reason that the Cowboys will need to do better than those squads if they have hope of living up to expectations. Dallas is considered to be a strong contender in the NFC after a stellar draft. But a losing record against these feathered franchises could doom their campaign.