Here is where the Cowboys stand in the playoff picture following Week 13.
The Dallas Cowboys are mathematically alive in the playoff picture at this point in time. We are well aware what this season has been like for the team and how farfetched the idea of the playoffs sound, but as it is a possibility, we are going to discuss it until the fat lady officially sings.
For what it’s worth, only one NFC team has heard her song and it was the New York Giants. If you did not connect those dots, the Cowboys were the ones who eliminated the Giants from postseason contention. Tidbits like that are always sweet.
Here is the lay of the land in the NFC following Week 13. Note that there is still one game remaining across the league on Monday night, but it is between two AFC teams in the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
NFC Playoff Standings through Week 13
- Detroit Lions, 11-1 (NFC North)
- Philadelphia Eagles, 10-2 (NFC East)
- Seattle Seahawks, 7-5 (NFC West)
- Atlanta Falcons, 6-6 (NFC South)
- Minnesota Vikings, 10-2 (Wild Card #1)
- Green Bay Packers, 9-3 (Wild Card #2)
- Washington Commanders, 8-5 (Wild Card #3)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
- Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
- San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (5-7)
- New Orleans Saints (4-8)
- Chicago Bears (4-8)
- Carolina Panthers (3-9)
Ultimately Week 13 saw the Cowboys pick up some help in terms of what they needed to have happen, but not as much as would have been a full plate of Thanksgiving dinner. Three different Wild Card-contending teams lost in the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Obviously these teams could still win their respective divisions, but seeing them lose is helpful nonetheless.
We are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here and will obviously have a Week 14 rooting guide available for you later on in the week, but consider the number of games coming up involving, and between, teams that are ahead of the Cowboys in the NFC standings. More chaos could fall their way by this time next week.
- Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
- Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
- Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
- Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
- Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
Put simply the Cowboys have to make up ground on everyone in front of them which means they need as many losses as they can get from teams who we are assuming will not win their division. They can directly impact the Buccaneers and Commanders in this regard as they still have games remaining against them, but they are going to need the right sequence of events to go their way if they want to have any shot of reaching the postseason.
Once again, that is obviously a stretch give the way that this season has gone for the Cowboys; however, that stretch got just a bit more within reach over the last eight days as the Cowboys picked up back-to-back wins and saw a few of these teams slip up. If another week or two were to go their way then all of a sudden we could be talking about something that doesn’t seem completely silly.
Five weeks is a long time. Let’s see what kind of chaos lurks behind it all.
