Top 5 matchups from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans’ 2025 regular season schedules

SAN ANTONIO – As a part of the NFL’s unveiling of the regular season schedule, the league sprinkled the announcement of a handful of high-profile games across a few days, leading up to Wednesday night when all 32 teams’ full schedules were released.

Predictably, some of the matchups included the Cowboys against yet another NFC East opponent coming off a fresh Super Bowl win and a Thanksgiving Day battle against a Texan who might be the best NFL quarterback of all time when he calls it a career.

One season after a rare meeting on the field, in a game that aired on KSAT 12, the Cowboys and Texans’ regular season schedules are full of top-flight matchups that have nothing to do with each other.

In fact, three combined 2025 games featuring the Texans (6 p.m. on Sept. 15 vs. Tampa Bay) and Cowboys (7:15 p.m. on Nov. 3 vs. Arizona; 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Las Vegas) will air live on KSAT 12.

Here is a breakdown of each team’s top five intriguing matchups for the Cowboys and the Texans.

Dallas Cowboys

5 — versus Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., Sept. 28

Cowboys-Packers is almost always a crowd-pleaser. Two historic brand names with high-octane offenses and postseason aspirations that will generate a lot of interest.

Just don’t mention that one incomplete pass Dallas fans will never forget.

4 — at Detroit, 7:15 p.m., Dec. 4

The Cowboys may have revenge on the brain going into this one. The Lions left plenty of skid marks on the turf at AT&T Stadium last season when they ran all over Dallas in a 47-9 rout on Oct. 13, 2024.

3 — at Washington, Noon, Dec. 25

It did not take long, but the Washington Commanders achieved something last season that the Cowboys have not since 2000: appear in an NFC Championship Game.

Pulling off a late-season road win against Washington in a Christmas Day game could be the shot in the arm that could propel Dallas in potential playoff positioning.

2 — versus Kansas City, 3:30 p.m., Nov. 27

The annual Thanksgiving Day could be one of the biggest yet. Patrick Mahomes will face off against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, the team he grew up rooting for.

1 — at Philadelphia, 7:20 p.m., Sept. 4

Right out of the gate, the Cowboys will have a chance to offset the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles’ dominant run game with new Dallas wide receiver George Pickens alongside CeeDee Lamb.

The Cowboys’ full schedule can be found below. (Their bye week is Week 10.)

Houston Texans

5 — versus Tampa Bay, 6 p.m., Sept. 15 (watch live on KSAT 12)

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers will invade NRG Stadium in this Week 2 battle. Wideout Mike Evans, who has at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his 11 NFL seasons, is from nearby Galveston.

4 — versus Tennessee, Noon, Sept. 28

The Texans will get their first look at the Titans and their newest quarterback: former University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

Ward, who was the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and also hails from West Columbia (just south of Houston), also played two years at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

3 — at Baltimore, Noon, Oct. 5

Quarterback C.J. Stroud’s first playoff loss as a professional came against the Ravens two seasons ago in Baltimore.

It would not take much for him and the offense to improve from that playoff game and last season’s disappointing matchup, a 31-2 home loss on Christmas Day.

2 — versus Buffalo, 7:15 p.m., Nov. 20

One of the Texans’ highlights from the 2024 regular season was a physical, down-to-the-wire 23-20 win on Oct. 6 against eventual NFL MVP Josh Allen.

Houston’s defense held Allen to just 9-for-30 passing for 131 passing yards and one touchdown pass.

1 — at Kansas City, 7:20 p.m., Dec. 7

The last time the Houston Texans defeated the Chiefs in a regular-season game was 2019, a 31-24 win in Kansas City. 2019 was a different time for different reasons.

Just to give an idea of how long ago that win was: Houston’s starting quarterback was Deshaun Watson.

The Texans’ full schedule can be found below. (Their bye week is Week 6.)