The Dallas Cowboys found themselves in a difficult spot following their loss to the Detroit Lions, a setback that dropped them to 6–6–1. But on Monday night, fortune unexpectedly swung their way.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles kept Dallas’ division hopes — and their only realistic playoff path — from collapsing. The Cowboys still need to win every remaining game and hope Philadelphia stumbles again, but entering December with something to play for isn’t a bad place to be after opening the year 3–5–1.
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco wasn’t overly optimistic, ranking Dallas 18th in his newest power rankings and noting that the Cowboys are hanging on by a thread.
“They’re not finished yet, but that loss to Detroit severely damaged their playoff chances,” Prisco wrote. “There’s no margin for another slip-up.”
Dallas Still Controls a Path — Barely
Some have declared the Cowboys’ season effectively over after falling to Detroit, but that assessment is premature.
Their chances of landing a wild-card spot were never strong, so the NFC East remains their only real shot at reaching the postseason. Dallas sits just 1.5 games behind the Eagles. For the Cowboys to claim the division at 10–6–1, they would need to sweep their final four games while the Eagles finish 2–3 — and Philadelphia already has one of those losses courtesy of the Chargers.
However, everything could unravel quickly. A defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, paired with an Eagles win against the Las Vegas Raiders, could shut the door on Dallas before the stretch run even begins.
All eyes now turn to Week 15, which will determine whether the NFC East race carries meaningful weight deep into December.
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