The Cowboys playoff chances have dwindled to almost zero. Here’s a last-ditch scenario.
DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys were in desperate need of a bounceback win Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
They did not get one.
The Cowboys lost 34-26 to the Vikings at home, as the defense had another disappointing showing and kicker Brandon Aubrey had a rare two-miss game on field goals.
The loss *pretty much* ended the Cowboys’ playoff hopes, if not officially. Here’s the updated playoff scenario:
How can the Cowboys make the playoffs?
It’s pretty simple, kind of. It’s NFC East or bust.
The Cowboys played their way out of the NFC Wild Card with the loss on Sunday night. A best case scenario would be tying with the Packers (who would have to lose out) at 9-7-1, but then the Packers would hold the tiebreaker by having a better record within the conference.
So not even a 3-0 finish could save the Cowboys a spot in the Wild Card.
Can the Cowboys win the NFC East?
There’s a chance the Cowboys can still win the NFC East, but only barely.
The Eagles cruised to a win Sunday over the Raiders and now sit at 9-5. The Cowboys need two things to happen:
1. Finish 3-0 and get to that 9-7-1 mark.
2. See the Eagles finish 0-3 and end up at 9-8.
Basically, if the Eagles get to 10 wins, they’ll eliminate the Cowboys from NFC East contention, whether the Cowboys win out or not.
The Cowboys host the Chargers next week, then play Washington and the Giants to finish the season. All three are winnable games. But the Eagles also have two games against the Washington (and a less easier test against the Bills) remaining on their schedule. It’s highly unlikely Philadelphia will finish 0-3.
Since the Eagles play Washington on Saturday, Dec. 20, before Dallas hosts the Chargers the next day, there’s a good chance the Cowboys will be eliminated before they play another game.