Inside The Star
Cue the clowning on social media.
The Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes went from slim to near impossible in the span of one week.
Week 15 was not kind to the Cowboys with the cards not falling their way in several matchups that would have helped them inch towards the playoffs.
Despite the help needed from others, Dallas could not take care of things in their own backyard, allowing J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings to steal a win under the Sunday Night Football lights at AT&T Stadium.
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6-7-1 on the season, and sent most of the fanbase into 2026 NFL Draft mode.
They might be drowning, but they are not dead in the water just yet.
There is only one path left for the Cowboys to capitalize on their 1% chance for the playoffs, and you’re not going to like what it is.
The heading is ironic because taking care of business is the one thing the Cowboys have not done enough this season.
The 6-7-1 record is telling, but crucial losses to the Panthers and Cardinals (who still haven’t won a game since), are a major part of why they are in this predicament.
If that 1% chance is going to have legs, the Cowboys need to handle their own business in these last three games before even thinking of other help they will need.
It starts with a home game versus the same Los Angeles Chargers team that did them the favor of taking down the Philadelphia Eagles just two weeks ago.
With how terrible the Cowboys’ defense has been in big games this season, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say we should be worried about Justin Herbert and his offensive weapons Sunday afternoon.
This is especially true with CB DaRon Bland sidelined for the rest of the season, and fellow CB Trevon Diggs unable to leave HC Brian Schottenheimer’s dog house.
After their final home game of 2025, Dallas will hit the road the final two weeks against two of their three division rivals, Washington and New York.
Win these three games, and then worry about the only other path to the postseason that they can rely on.
Unfortunately, aside from winning their final three games, the only other way for the Cowboys to continue playing into January is to win the NFC East.
Dallas cannot catch the Wildcard teams ahead of them with only three weeks left to play, but they can still snatch the NFC East title away from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The catch is, the Eagles would have to lose their final three games.
They have been on a slide, but a 31-0 drubbing of the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend appears to have gotten them back on track.
Philadelphia plays today (Saturday), and if they manage to knock off the Marcus Mariota-led Washington Commanders, whatever happens in the Cowboys’ final three games will only be for draft position....
