ARLINGTON - The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for their Week 16 showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium, with the team entering the day facing long odds of securing a postseason berth. ...
And those odds now officially going down to zero.
Despite the challenges coming in, the team remained committed to fighting until the end, while some fans have turned their attention to potential draft implications.
So ... Cowboys Nation has been conflicted.
Is there more conflict now that there is "nothing to play for,'' as they say? Star pass rusher Micah Parsons spoke this week about the team’s determination no matter what ...
“We’re not gonna give up. As long as I’m part of this unit. As long as we believe in each other. At the end of the day, I can look to my left and know I could count on them. We fighting for each other,” said Parsons. “There’s still a lot of football to be played. We’re fighting for each other at this point. At the end of the day, it’s a special feeling when you can fight for each other.”
So it's no longer about the playoffs for Dallas.
But it might still be about "fight.''
We knew Dallas could be eliminated before their game even got started if the Commanders upset the Eagles at noon. And in a wild finish featuring a must-watch TD highlight from Washington's rookie QB Jayden Daniels, that is what happened, the Commanders registering a 36-33 thriller of an upset over the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
Jayden Daniels CLUTCH TD eliminates #Cowboys from playoff contention. pic.twitter.com/ENeLZkvQ3n
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) December 22, 2024
So now the Commanders are a 10-win team, as are the 12-2 Vikings and the 10-4 Packers (entering the weekend) ... meaning they have wild card status that Dallas will not be able to match with three games left and a 6-8 record.
What's left? The Cowboys face significant roster challenges in Week 16, and they face a good Tampa Bay team, too. How much does "pride'' matter? "Sunday Night Football'' is left telling that story this evening here at AT&T Stadium.
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