Blogging The Boys
It was Week 16 of last season on Sunday Night Football when the Dallas Cowboys, hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, were eliminated from postseason contention from the earlier action that Sunday, but still played one of their most inspired games of the season and beat the Bucs 26-24. Here in Week 15 of the 2025 season, the Cowboys were again hosting SNF, this time with playoff hopes slim but in tact, but fell victim to a team in the same circumstance they were last season. Losing 34-26 to a Minnesota Vikings team that was eliminated from playoff contention by the Chicago Bears win in the early window, the Cowboys have followed up their first winning streak of the season with back-to-back losses that likely leaves just three games left to close out this constantly up-and-down season.
The Cowboys’ playoff odds are down to less than 1% now, losing in the same week the Philadelphia Eagles got back in the win column with a 31-0 win over the Raiders. That 30 point output for the Eagles at home against the Raiders defense made Las Vegas’ defense one of just two this season to allow 30 points in seven games, but by the time Sunday night was over Matt Eberflus’ Cowboys defense joined these ranks with the Raiders and Bengals by allowing 34 to J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings. This loss closes out a chapter that will define a 2025 Cowboys season destined to go nowhere in Brian Schottenheimer’s debut now, as the Cowboys went 0-3-1 against the NFC North.
Three times a defense led by a former head coach from this division lined up looking to make a statement, and three times they were shredded in a loss – the Bears scored 31, the Lions scored 44, and now the Vikings scored 34. It remains miraculous that Dallas managed a tie out of allowing 40 points to the Packers as well. McCarthy’s 250 yards and 10.4 yards per attempt against the Cowboys on Sunday night were both career highs for the 2024 first-round pick.
The Vikings overcame an early 7-0 hole to sink the Cowboys into the same boat they are in, which is playing just to evaluate their roster and prospects for the future. While Minnesota ended up with plenty to be pleased with in this area as they competed all night and got a second straight win, the Cowboys will be left with a ton of questions and concerns about this performance. Special teams mistakes continued, the protection plan struggled to keep a clean pocket for Dak Prescott, the defense was not on the same page in coverage, George Pickens was nearly invisible again, and Brandon Aubrey missed two field goals.
The Cowboys are now below .500 at 6-7-1, and will need to win at least two of their remaining three games versus the Chargers or at the Commanders and Giants to finish above this mark this season. With two of these opponents being teams Dallas has already beat...
