Week 14 Rooting Guide: Cowboys playoff hopes are not yet dashed

Some of you may not want to admit it, but the Dallas Cowboys playoff window is not yet closed. They have a 5-7 record, and just a 1% chance according to the ESPN NFL Playoff Simulator, but there is still a chance.

Ok, maybe those of us who think there is still a chance are the delusional ones. Either way, the Cowboys’ path to the playoffs will rely on a little help from other teams. It’s not the best strategy, but by starting the season 3-7, they’ve lost the right to control their own destiny.

The problem with this is that the 1% chance is also contingent on the prediction that the Cowboys will win the rest of their games to finish with a 10-7 record. A 9-8 record likely won’t cut it, and an 8-9 record surely won’t. Let’s go into this article assuming the Cowboys will win Monday night against the Bengals.

There are a total of eight games that Cowboys fans need to pay attention to this weekend that would improve the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs if the right team wins.

Lions (12-1) over Packers (9-4) *Thursday Night*

This game already happened, and it went in the Cowboys’ favor. It’s mathematically impossible to catch the Lions in the standings, but the Packers losing the remainder of their games gives the Cowboys a chance to catch them in the Wildcard race.

The Lions are formidable, as evidenced by their 47-9 head-to-head thrashing of Dallas, and they look like the eventual #1 seed in the conference.

Giants (2-10) over Saints (4-8)

The Cowboys find themselves stuck between two races here. Their victory over the Giants on Thanksgiving guaranteed that the Giants would finish with a worse record than the Cowboys. Thus, the Cowboys are further away from the #1 pick in the draft.

So then let’s go back in the other direction. Although the chances are slim, the Cowboys and Saints are battling for a chance at a Wildcard spot, and New Orleans owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. Cowboys fans should be rooting for Drew Lock to bring back some of the magic he had in Seattle.

Panthers (3-9) over Eagles (10-2)

The Cowboys cannot catch the Eagles for the NFC East crown unless the Eagles lose every game left on the schedule and the tiebreakers fall in their favor. However, they can still root for that to happen, and also root for the Eagles to lose just because we don’t like them.

Dallas will have their chance to deal the Eagles a loss when they visit Philadelphia in mid-December.

Bills (10-2) over Rams (6-6)

Dallas is also in a race for the Wildcard against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have to deal with Josh Allen and the Bills today, and hopefully the Bills trample them.

We have seen Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay work their magic and wins games nobody expects them to, but let’s hope that doesn’t start today.

Vikings (10-2) over Falcons (6-6)

The Cowboys have a very slim chance of catching Minnesota in the standings, but the Falcons are in reach.

Dallas already lost the head-to-head matchup with Atlanta, so they have to hope to finish with a better record outright. Minnesota can help the Cowboys get closer to that goal.

Raiders (2-10) over Buccaneers (6-6)

Dallas will have their chance to deal the Buccaneers a loss and knock them down further in the standings in a couple of weeks, but the Raiders can help them today.

Antonio Pierce’s group travels coast-to-coast to visit Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A victory would help the Cowboys’ playoff chances tremendously.

Seahawks (7-5) over Cardinals (6-6)

Technically, the Cowboys are in the playoff race with both of these teams, but it’s more plausible that the Seahawks can win the division while the Cardinals will be fighting for a Wildcard.

Let’s just root for Seattle to lengthen their lead in the division standings while simultaneously handing Arizona another loss.

Bears (4-8) over 49ers (5-7)

San Francisco has had a similarly disappointing season as the Cowboys, filled with injuries and bad decisions. It would help the Cowboys tremendously for Chicago to upset the 49ers in San Francisco.

The 49ers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cowboys, so every loss is crucial for Dallas to come out with a better record.

Some of these matchups are unlikely to go in the Cowboys’ favor, but the NFL is a strange lady, and anything could happen on any given Sunday.