Brett's Cowboys Corner

Taking a look at the NFC playoff picture, it is a tough road ahead for the Cowboys. With some bye week trading, the Cowboys are on a hot streak with three straight wins in 10 days.

Usually a late season streak can get a team into the playoffs. But with the NFC having a great year and featuring multiple 8+ win teams so far…the loses early on may have been too much for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys will likely need to win out to get to the post season, that would get them to 11 wins…but even with that, its no guarantee.

The Cowboys will play in Detroit on Thursday, host the Vikings then Chargers, play on Christmas against the Commanders at NorthWest Stadium and finish their season at Metlife against the Giants.

Best Ways In

The Fall of the 49ers-

A win yesterday over the Cleveland Browns put the 9ers at 9-4 as they head into their bye week. The reoccurring magic number is 11. 11 wins is all a team can get to and the Cowboys can jump them because of their tie.

This scenario is most interesting because of how late it would take place. The 9ers will play the single-win Tennessee Titans in week 15. But will finish their season with a gauntlet to stay alive.

The Cowboys will need San Francisco to lose 2 of their last 3 games, which are:

• At Indianapolis
• Vs Chicago
• Vs Seattle

All of which could happen. Alternatively this same scenario can be used for Seattle to fall as they finish with Colts, Rams, Panthers, 49ers.

Win the Division-

Again a race to 11. The Eagles sit at 8-4, meaning at most they can only win 3 more games. Meaning they have to lose two games.

Playing in Buffalo week 17 works well in the Cowboys favor. But the other best option just got weaker. The Eagles on a two game losing skid will play the Charger in Sofi. Justin Herbert has a hand injury and LA may have to turn to Trey Lance for the Eagles game.

Otherwise, if LA can’t beat Philly- Dallas would need a big Vegas upset or for the division rival to play spoiler, as the Eagles still have to play two games (weeks 16 & 18) against Washington.

Detroit Spoils Chicago-

This one requires a lot more moving parts to all work out for Dallas. Assuming Seattle, San Francisco and Philadelphia get to 12 wins. The Cowboys can sneak in still, with Detroit spoiling Chicago’s playoff season.

The NFC North from Week 14-17 would need to go 2-2. Meaning Detroit, Chicago, and Green Bay (sorry Minnesota…you are non-factors) only get two wins going into week 18.

Their schedules:

• Detroit: Cowboys, Rams, Steelers and Vikings
• Chicago: Packers, Browns, Packers, and 49ers
• Green Bay: Bears, Broncos, Bears, and Ravens

Getting two loses from each team would set up for the week 18 game between the Bears and Lions decide if the Bears win the NFC North. The Packers play the Vikings and will likely win that matchup, if they lose they would be out of the playoff in this scenario (again all assuming Dallas wins out).

Bears win & Packers win – Bears win division and Packers is the #7 seed.

Bears lose & Packers win – Packers win division and Dallas is the #7 seed.

If the Cowboys can’t get some help from other teams to get into the playoffs they will look at a few of their loses as probable cause. Losing games in Carolina and Chicago don’t look as bad now, but at the time those teams hadn’t figured it out.

The elephant in the room is the loss to Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals at AT&T Stadium before the bye week. A game where the offense failed to score a single point in the first half.