Dallas Cowboys 2020 schedule snapshot

Dallas Cowboys 2020 schedule Sept. 13 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sept. 20 vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET Sept. 27 at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET

Oct. 4 vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 11 vs. New York Giants, 4:25 p.m. ET

Oct. 19 vs. Arizona Cardinals, (Mon) 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN) Oct. 25 at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET

Nov. 1 at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) Nov. 8 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m. ET

BYE Nov. 22 at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET

Nov. 26 vs. Washington Redskins, 4:30 p.m. ET Dec. 3 at Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET (FOX/NFL Network/Amazon)

Dec. 13 at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Dec. 20 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

Dec. 27 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET Jan. 3 at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET

2019 record: 8-8 Last playoff appearance: 2018

PointsBet over-under for Cowboys wins: 9.5 FLM projects: 9 wins

Teams undergoing a coaching change and system shift are at a disadvantage this offseason, and the transition could be even more seismic if quarterback Dak Prescott chooses to play hide-and-seek over his contract demands. The NFC East shouldn't be too tough -- we're not buying the Giants or Redskins as contenders, yet -- but drawing the NFC West plus the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens doesn't set up coach Mike McCarthy for smooth sailing. Upset watch: Going to Cincinnati sets up as a risky trip for the Cowboys in what is the first meeting between the teams since 2016 and Dallas' first trip to play the Bengals since 2012.

Longshot wager: PointsBet has the Cowboys at +200 to miss the playoffs, and we need flip back only a few months to realize this is beyond plausible. The schedule isn't kind to the Cowboys, and an offseason of uncertain could be a stormy brew leading to a slow start for a team with a recent history of bombing in December. --Field Level Media