Dallas Cowboys Have Clear Path to Playoffs

Cowboys vs. Eagles

Prescott is 9-5 in his career against the Eagles and was carving them up in Week 1 before a 65-minute third-quarter rain delay derailed the game. For Philadelphia to beat Prescott twice won’t be easy. The Eagles come in with more drama than Dallas for once. Receiver A.J. Brown has been a distraction most of the season. Now there are reports that the rest of the offense isn’t on the same page with quarterback Jalen Hurts. More importantly, Philly will be without injured right tackle Lane Johnson. The Eagles are 15-23 when Johnson is out of the lineup. And center Cam Jurgens has been ineffective because of a back injury. Even the Tush Push didn’t look right last week in a 16-9 win over the Lions. Philly’s O-line issues could open up opportunities for Williams, Clark and Odighizuwa to cause havoc.

Cowboys vs. Chiefs

This could be a do-or-die game for both teams and normally the Chiefs are terrifying in that situation. But they are 1-4 on the road this season and their offense has stalled away from Kansas City. The Chiefs average 28.6 points per game at home and just 22.2 ppg on the road. The defense isn’t the same on the road, either. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was struggling and may have turned his season around last week against K.C. If QBs like Nix and Trevor Lawrence can have efficient games against Kansas City, Prescott should be just fine.

Cowboys vs. Lions

Traveling to Detroit is the toughest challenge in this three-week stretch. But the Lions are a confusing team. They lost at home two weeks ago to the struggling Vikings and their offense has hit a rough patch. There are still lingering questions about whether they can recreate former OC Ben Johnson’s explosive unit even after head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties. Detroit averaged 5.1 yards per carry in a 47-9 win over Dallas last season. If the Cowboys’ rebuilt defense can stop the Lions rushing attack, this will be a very different game.

The home stretch

If Dallas survives the Philly/K.C./Detroit gauntlet, it will be favored in its last four games: vs. Minnesota Vikings, vs. Los Angeles Chargers, at Washington Commanders, at New York Giants. The Chargers are the only team with a winning record they’ll face down the stretch. But L.A. is dealing with several injuries and has struggled against the NFC, dropping games to the Commanders and Giants.  

If the Cowboys can win two of three in this upcoming span and then win the last four winnable games, they’ll finish 10-5-1 and most likely reach the playoffs. If they lose two games, it’s not over at 9-6-1. They’ll need teams like the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers, both of whom are 7-3, to collapse down the stretch. The Bears face a difficult schedule and could struggle. The Niners face an easy schedule, but have had trouble staying healthy. Ten wins isn’t guaranteed for either team.

Even if all these scenarios are far-fetched ... even if they lose to the Eagles and this is all pure fantasy, in a normal year there would be enough hope to keep the Dallas hype train rolling. The last few years have taken a toll on America’s Team.... or at least how America views the Cowboys. The idea that owner Jerry Jones ultimately comes out the winner in the Parsons trade is hard to believe.

This Sunday’s game against Philadelphia is a major challenge and could signal the end of any realistic shot. Then again, Jerry has gotten out of sticky situations before. Maybe he strikes oil one more time and the Cowboys earn all the attention they get by actually winning football games.