FRISCO, Texas – Pessimism swirled around the Dallas Cowboys as they entered Week 12 on a five-game losing streak and a 3-7 record, their worst since 2020. Injuries to their franchise quarterback, No. 1 receiver 2, leading inside linebacker, up to four edge rushers, both starting outside cornerbacks, left tackle and starting guards have made 2024 a challenging year.
“As a staff, this is a big challenge,” head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday. “As we’ve talked about as a staff, we will be better coaches because of this experience. I believe that. I’ve experienced it in the past. That’s what this league is about. It’s not about players getting injured. It’s really when and who, the moment , prepare young people to play as quickly as possible. You have different levels every year. If you are going to train in this league, you must be able to train these times I know everything. We will be better with this experience.
Now they feel like they can see a light in the tunnel of darkness that follows them. surprise victory in the Washington Commanders On Sunday that brought Dallas’ record to 4-7 and its schedule began to soften. Additionally, veteran backup Cooper Rush is starting to find his groove after three straight starts in place of the injured Dak Prescott. He completed 24 of his 32 passes at Washington in Week 12 for 247 yards and two touchdowns, giving him career highs in both completion percentage (75%) and passer rating (117.6).
“It feels that way because we know what we’re doing,” Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis said Tuesday when asked if he sees a light at the end of the tunnel regarding Dallas’ schedule. “We know what we’re doing, and the guys are playing hard. We’re executing the right way with all 11 of us on the field. So it feels good… We’ve been pretty good historically in the past. So we definitely have the mutual confidence that we can go out and finish the games.
So can the Cowboys win?
“That’s the plan. As a football player, as a competitor, we want to win games,” Lewis said. “We saw that we were playing well the last few weeks. Everything as a team wasn’t clicking. It came together better last week, and I feel like that gave us the confidence to say, ‘We can all play well and win.'”
Let’s take a closer look at that possibility, as far-fetched as it may seem. Their six remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .448, meaning the Cowboys are tied for the eighth-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, according to Tankathon. SportsLine’s simulation model gives the Cowboys just a 1.4% chance of making the postseason and an even tighter 0.6% chance of winning the remaining six regular-season games.
They should be able to go about their business on Thanksgiving Day against a New York Giants team. whose locker room seems to be finished with its coaching staff. The Cincinnati Bengals have come up with new and creative ways to lose despite quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase producing historic highs in 11 games. The Carolina Panthers are still in the early stages of their rebuild. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has declined significantly this season after being a pillar of consistency since 2020. Having to travel to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that hit the Cowboys in Week 10 despite running back Saquon Barkley only had 66 rushing yards. He will definitely be a problem. Aside from that, you can argue that a 9-8 finish for Dallas is within the realm of possibility given the schedule. A 10-7 finish to the regular season, which would include a win in Philadelphia, would involve divine intervention.
|
13 |
against giants |
2-9 |
64% |
|
14 |
against bengalis |
4-7 |
39% |
|
15 |
in panthers |
3-8 |
59% |
|
16 |
against buccaneers |
5-6 |
49% |
|
17 |
in eagles |
9-2 |
27% |
|
18 |
against commanders |
7-5 |
39% |
Since the NFL’s postseason field expanded to 12 teams in 1990 (six each for the AFC and six for the NFC), seven teams have made the playoffs after starting a season 4-7. The 2023 Buccaneers made the playoffs last season after such a start, finishing 9-8 and winning the NFC South.
The good news for the Cowboys is that reinforcements are on the way: They activated No. 2 wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) off injured reserve on Wednesday and are hopeful four-time Pro Bowl running back DeMarcus Lawrence ( foot) may eventually return as 2023 first-team All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland (stress fracture in foot) did so in Washington on Sunday.
Again, a 1.4% chance of making the playoffs means it’s nearly impossible, but Dallas’ 2024 season still has a heartbeat.
