How Dallas can keep the dream alive in Week 16

After winning 12 games in three consecutive seasons, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately collapsed during the 2024 campaign.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones – Woody Johnson of the NFC South — largely neglected the team during the offseason following the team’s NFC Wild Card round loss to the Green Bay Packers in February.

While the Cowboys remained dormant, the rest of the league signed all of the team’s quality free agents. The Cowboys managed to sign quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb, but it was a year too late. Dallas waited until the last second to sign these two All-Pro players, which allowed them to hold the team hostage in negotiations.

Questionable decision-making during the offseason was compounded by a slew of injuries that ravaged the Cowboys throughout the season. Alongside Prescott, many key defensive players on Dallas’ roster suffered season-ending injuries. In many ways, it’s miraculous that Dallas has managed to stay in playoff contention at this point in the season.

The Cowboys hold a 6-8 record, giving them less than a one percent chance of making the playoffs. according to NFL Next Generation Stats. A win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday would be the first of many things Dallas would need to get there.

With just three games left in the regular season, the Cowboys’ only hope of sneaking into the playoffs would come through the No. 7 seed. The final NFC Wild Card spot is currently held by the Washington Commanders. Any chance the Cowboys would have of making the playoffs would start with winning their remaining three games and Commanders lose remaining three matches.

That’s not all. Dallas is currently the No. 12 seed in the NFC, and climbing to No. 7 would require topping four other teams along with Washington. The Seattle Seahawks hold a two-game lead, the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals hold a one-game lead and the San Francisco 49ers lead Dallas due to tiebreakers.

Unfortunately, the Commanders are facing the Falcons and Dallas needs the Commanders to lose. Since Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, Dallas would need the Falcons to win and clinch the NFC South division. That would topple the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, against whom Dallas could win a head-to-head tiebreaker on Sunday. Dallas would also need the Buccaneers to lose at least one more game after this weekend for the tiebreaker to come into play.

Then the Niners and Cardinals are projected to lose one game each, and either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks are projected to lose two games. Ultimately, all of the aforementioned teams would finish with a 9-8 record, leaving Dallas with the seventh seed.

After that? Head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Cooper Rush are expected to battle through three rounds of the NFC playoffs before defeating the AFC champion in Super Bowl LIX. Book your flights, Cowboys fans!