Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin has made a bold prediction for his former team, forecasting a 12-5 finish for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 NFL season.
Irvin, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, shared his outlook during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” this week, offering a game-by-game breakdown of the team’s schedule. He expects Dallas to open the season with a statement victory over the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, a matchup that will also mark the debut of new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Cowboys Legend Michael Irvin is a bit optimistic about the 2025 season.
“Week 1, Dallas wins at Philadelphia. Philadelphia is getting a pat on the back. Good job last year,” Irvin said. “Dallas, with the new head coach, focuses in [on] new players. They get down to the little things, knocking them down, and they win that game. That’s going to be the opener, Thursday night. That’s going to send everybody crazy.”
Irvin projects the Cowboys to carry that momentum through the early part of the season, predicting wins over the New York Giants and Chicago Bears before suffering their first loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. He sees Dallas rebounding with victories against the Jets, Panthers, and several other opponents, ultimately finishing with a 12-5 record and securing a playoff berth.
The Cowboys are coming off a disappointing 7-10 campaign in 2024, but Irvin believes the changes in leadership and roster will help Dallas avoid the slow starts and inconsistency that have plagued the team in recent years. If Irvin’s forecast proves accurate, the Cowboys could return to the postseason for the first time under new coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Right now, PFSN has the Cowboys winning six games in 2025. But, before we dig into the granular reasons why, the most obvious reason is a brutal 12-day, three-game stretch: hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on November 23, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving, and visiting the Detroit Lions on December 4.
Their injury history is more concerning, especially at quarterback. When healthy, Dak Prescott is objectively a top-10, maybe even a top-five quarterback. However, keeping him on the field year-over-year has been next to impossible, and playing just two full seasons in the last five has disrupted any chance of offensive consistency.
The Cowboys have diligently addressed the offensive line. They grabbed left tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round in 2024 and guard Tyler Booker in the first round in 2025. Left guard Tyler Smith, center Cooper Beebe, and right tackle Terence Steele round out a group that Conor Riley will coach.
The new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, embraces a “player over scheme” mindset that uses more cut-splits, shifts, and motion to “distort” fronts and keep defenses guessing pre-snap. The Cowboys don’t have a true bell-cow back, which could blunt their play-action.
