Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Cowboys' playoff odds shrink drastically after loss to Panthers

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI | By Tyler Reed | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 5:04 PM ET

It was supposed to be different for the Dallas Cowboys this season. Last year, the team built their own pressure to be a playoff contender. Instead, it would end up being the final season with Mike McCarthy as the head coach.

Now, the job of getting the team back into the postseason lies in the hands of first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

Schottenheimer's team has shown glimpses of greatness. However, their loss on Sunday to the Carolina Panthers may have drastically cut their chances of making the playoffs.

The Cowboys' playoff chances dropped from 32 percent to 8 percent after their heartbreaking loss to the Panthers, according to Kalshi.

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Cowboys' next two games are against the Washington Commanders and the Denver Broncos. That is two teams that were in the playoffs last season.

A matchup with the Commanders is a great reminder that the Cowboys are in a stacked NFC East this season.

Getting to the playoffs is never easy. But getting to the playoffs in a year where everyone within the division is within striking distance makes it much harder.

This team knows the assignment. However, they can't let games with teams like the Panthers slip away from them. That's what separates the good from the bad in this league.