{"id":131369,"date":"2025-12-16T08:07:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131369"},"modified":"2025-12-16T08:07:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T08:07:26","slug":"breaking-news-the-cowboys-playoff-hopes-are-hanging-by-a-thread-as-dallas-faces-an-extremely-thin-path-to-the-postseason-a-complex-mix-of-wins-losses-and-tiebreakers-must-fall-perfectly-f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131369","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING NEWS: The Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as Dallas faces an extremely thin path to the postseason. A complex mix of wins, losses, and tiebreakers must fall perfectly for the scenario to stay alive, putting playoff probability under intense scrutiny. Even one misstep could officially end Dallas\u2019 season."},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"relative z-10\">\n<div class=\"article-intro mb-4 text-black font-group-large md:font-group-normal lg:font-group-large !mb-2.5 md:mb-5\">It&#8217;s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys and their chances of getting into the NFL playoffs&#8230;.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-intro mb-4 text-black font-group-large md:font-group-normal lg:font-group-large !mb-2.5 md:mb-5\">They&#8217;d need a miracle to make the postseason.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_360,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 1x,  \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 719px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 1079px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 2x,\n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg 3x\" media=\"(min-width: 1080px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full\" title=\"Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys - NFL 2025\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4965,h_2792\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/229\/01kchhm7t023ayt6pc7b.jpg\" alt=\"Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys - NFL 2025\" width=\"4965\" height=\"2792\" data-uw-rm-alt-original=\"Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys - NFL 2025\" data-uw-rm-alt=\"ALT\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys &#8211; NFL 2025 | Sam Hodde\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\"><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1 odesa-article-main\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\">\n<div class=\"article-content [&amp;_p]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_p]:md:leading-[28px] [&amp;_li]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_li]:md:leading-[28px]\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0needed a win badly on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings, who were\u00a0mathematically knocked out of the NFL playoffs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The Vikings played near spoiler, beating Dallas 31-26 and thinning out the Cowboys\u2019 playoff chances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Despite a loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 14, the Cowboys still had a chance at reaching the postseason.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">With Philadelphia\u2019s win over Las Vegas and the Cowboys loss to Minnesota, now the Cowboys will need a whole lot of help to get into the postseason and avoid a second-straight season on the outside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">As Brian Schottenheimer looks to capitalize on his first head coaching job, here\u2019s a look at what it would take for him and the Cowboys to get into the playoffs in his first season.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Can the Dallas Cowboys still win the NFC East after loss, Philly win?<\/h2>\n<p>According to\u00a0NFL.com,\u00a0the Cowboys have a less than one percent chance at reaching the playoffs and the Eagles now have a more than 99 percent chance to get there.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys\u2019 best shot at getting to the NFL playoffs was winning the NFC East, which is now essentially impossible.<\/p>\n<p>The only way for the Cowboys to get to the playoffs at this point is to win the division with them losing tiebreakers to the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0playoff simulator, the only way for Dallas to get into the playoffs is to win out and for Philly to lose out.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Philadelphia has to play the Washington Commanders twice so losing those is the only advantage Dallas would have.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Even if the Eagles won just one game, it would be enough to keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs for another year.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">What do the Dallas Cowboys have left to play for this year?<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey undefined\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_360,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 1x,  \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 719px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 1079px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 2x,\n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg 3x\" media=\"(min-width: 1080px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full\" title=\"Dak Prescott\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/229\/01kchn69cxq8e2s28r5z.jpg\" alt=\"Dak Prescott\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-uw-rm-alt-original=\"Dak Prescott\" data-uw-rm-alt=\"ALT\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny m-3\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny m-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys &#8211; NFL 2025 | Sam Hodde\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The Cowboys will most likely be eliminated from the playoffs in Week 16 if the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The Eagles have to lose out and the Cowboys have to win out for a fighting chance. But even then, should the Cowboys be prepared to actually get into the playoffs this year?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">They should spend the rest of this season evaluating everybody and deciding which position group needs the most work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Their offensive line has taken some injury hits and their secondary really needs some improvements. Trevon Diggs is the biggest question mark as he\u2019s been injured most of the season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Dallas turned to Kaiir Elam and that hasn\u2019t been as optimistic as the Cowboys would have hoped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">DaRon Bland hasn\u2019t been as elite as he was a few years ago either, and their safeties are average at best. I think Logan Wilson will need time to grow with his new team and they\u2019ll obviously need to fill out their defensive line.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The rest of this season is about looking toward the offseason. The Cowboys will most likely get left out of the postseason.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">No need to get their hopes up with a hopeless run for the postseason. Unless the Eagles implode, the Cowboys should start preparing for the offseason. They\u2019d need a miracle to get to the NFL Playoffs and the odds aren\u2019t on their side.<\/p>\n<p>According to\u00a0NFL.com,\u00a0the Cowboys have a less than one percent chance at reaching the playoffs and the Eagles now have a more than 99 percent chance to get there.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys\u2019 best shot at getting to the NFL playoffs was winning the NFC East, which is now essentially impossible.<\/p>\n<p>The only way for the Cowboys to get to the playoffs at this point is to win the division with them losing tiebreakers to the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n<p>According to The Athletic\u2019s playoff simulator, the only way for Dallas to get into the playoffs is to win out and for Philly to lose out.<\/p>\n<p>The Dallas Cowboys needed a win badly on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings, who were mathematically knocked out of the NFL playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>The Vikings played near spoiler, beating Dallas 31-26 and thinning out the Cowboys\u2019 playoff chances. Despite a loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 14, the Cowboys still had a chance at reaching the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>With Philadelphia\u2019s win over Las Vegas and the Cowboys loss to Minnesota, now the Cowboys will need a whole lot of help to get into the postseason and avoid a second-straight season on the outside.<\/p>\n<p>As Brian Schottenheimer looks to capitalize on his first head coaching job, here\u2019s a look at what it would take for him and the Cowboys to get into the playoffs in his first season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can the Dallas Cowboys still win the NFC East after loss, Philly win?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to NFL.com, the Cowboys have a less than one percent chance at reaching the playoffs and the Eagles now have a more than 99 percent chance to get there.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys\u2019 best shot at getting to the NFL playoffs was winning the NFC East, which is now essentially impossible.<\/p>\n<p>The only way for the Cowboys to get to the playoffs at this point is to win the division with them losing tiebreakers to the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n<p>According to The Athletic\u2019s playoff simulator, the only way for Dallas to get into the playoffs is to win out and for Philly to lose out.<\/p>\n<p>Philadelphia has to play the Washington Commanders twice so losing those is the only advantage Dallas would have. Even if the Eagles won just one game, it would be enough to keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs for another year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What do the Dallas Cowboys have left to play for this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dak Prescott<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Minnesota Vikings v Dallas Cowboys &#8211; NFL 2025 | Sam Hodde\/GettyImages<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys will most likely be eliminated from the playoffs in Week 16 if the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders. The Eagles have to lose out and the Cowboys have to win out for a fighting chance.<\/p>\n<p>But even then, should the Cowboys be prepared to actually get into the playoffs this year?<\/p>\n<p>They should spend the rest of this season evaluating everybody and deciding which position group needs the most work. Their offensive line has taken some injury hits and their secondary really needs some improvements.<\/p>\n<p>Trevon Diggs is the biggest question mark as he\u2019s been injured most of the season.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas turned to Kaiir Elam and that hasn\u2019t been as optimistic as the Cowboys would have hoped. DaRon Bland hasn\u2019t been as elite as he was a few years ago either, and their safeties are average at best.<\/p>\n<p>I think Logan Wilson will need time to grow with his new team and they\u2019ll obviously need to fill out their defensive line.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of this season is about looking toward the offseason. The Cowboys will most likely get left out of the postseason. No need to get their hopes up with a hopeless run for the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>Unless the Eagles implode, the Cowboys should start preparing for the offseason. They\u2019d need a miracle to get to the NFL Playoffs and the odds aren\u2019t on their side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys and their chances of getting into the NFL playoffs&#8230;. They&#8217;d need a miracle to make the postseason. Minnesota Vikings&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING NEWS: The Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as Dallas faces an extremely thin path to the postseason. A complex mix of wins, losses, and tiebreakers must fall perfectly for the scenario to stay alive, putting playoff probability under intense scrutiny. Even one misstep could officially end Dallas\u2019 season. - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131369\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING NEWS: The Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as Dallas faces an extremely thin path to the postseason. A complex mix of wins, losses, and tiebreakers must fall perfectly for the scenario to stay alive, putting playoff probability under intense scrutiny. Even one misstep could officially end Dallas\u2019 season. - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It&#8217;s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys and their chances of getting into the NFL playoffs&#8230;. They&#8217;d need a miracle to make the postseason. 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A complex mix of wins, losses, and tiebreakers must fall perfectly for the scenario to stay alive, putting playoff probability under intense scrutiny. Even one misstep could officially end Dallas\u2019 season. - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=131369","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"BREAKING NEWS: The Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes are hanging by a thread as Dallas faces an extremely thin path to the postseason. A complex mix of wins, losses, and tiebreakers must fall perfectly for the scenario to stay alive, putting playoff probability under intense scrutiny. Even one misstep could officially end Dallas\u2019 season. - NEWS USA","og_description":"It&#8217;s not looking good for the Dallas Cowboys and their chances of getting into the NFL playoffs&#8230;. 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