Cowboys cling to faint playoff hopes, needing internal pride and an Eagles collapse. Can Dallas navigate a challenging path to the postseason?
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' playoff hopes prior to the Detroit Lions game were already on shaky ground, and after the 44-30 loss to the Lions on Thursday, they're on life support.
And Dak Prescott knows it.
“We're going to need some things to happen for us,” Prescott said. “So, I don't think it's in our control at this point, but what we can do is control the way that we approach this game. I think that's just led by the pride, the love that you have for this game, the teammate, this organization, your opportunity to play this game."
"Pride'' is nice.
"Playoffs'' are better.
Can it still happen?
A win would have been huge for Dallas' chances at a wildcard spot while also putting pressure on the Philadelphia Eagles for the division title.
Now?
Dallas sits in 10th in the NFC rankings, behind the Carolina Panthers (7-6) and the Lions (8-5), and both of those teams own the tie-breaker over the 6-6-1 Cowboys.
The wildcard teams are the seventh-seeded San Francisco 49ers (9-4), the sixth-seeded Green Bay Packers (8-3-1, and the 9-3 Seattle Seahawks, who occupy the fifth slot.
And yes, that seems a bridge too far for Dallas.
There is one avenue left for the Cowboys, and that is the division title.
Let’s look at the NFC Playoff Picture as Week 14 in the NFL marches on, with a Cowboys Rooting Guide included … and the logical “easiest’’ path for Dallas to beat the 9-percent odds and still make the postseason …
The Eagles play Monday at the Chargers, and then vs. Las Vegas, at Washington, at Buffalo and vs. Washington.
Are there multiple losses in there that could allow a sweeping Dallas team to win the NFC East?
If the Cowboys finish at 10-6-1, the Eagles would need to get to 11 wins. Is it possible Philly loses three of the last five?
That's a hill to climb ... but the wild-card race represents a mountain, because it would require Dallas to leap over not one team, but three.
They will be favored weekly in the final four, so “running the table’’ (and still not making the playoffs) is possible. Dallas closes vs. non-contender Minnesota (next Sunday night). Then comes vs. Chargers, at Washington and at the Giants.
Combined record of the foes is just 18-30 - about as soft as it gets.
But while hey are just 1.5 games back of the Eagles in the divisional race, they’re two-plus games back in the wild-card battle.
For the Cowboys to pass the Eagles by winning the NFC East, they need Philly to lose three of their remaining five games.
The wild-card path? Dallas would need, say, the Lions and the Panthers and the Packers to collapse.
That's too many dominoes.
So yes, root against all of the NFC contenders this weekend. And do everything with "pride.''
"That'll be my message to the players,'' Dak said. "And I think if we do that, we'll still give ourselves a chance.”