The Dallas Cowboys are moving up once again in the latest round of power rankings.
There are only three weeks left in the NFL season which is incredibly hard to believe. On some level it feels like everything just started, but in another way the process of the 2024 Dallas Cowboys has been a slow and agonizing one. I think we are all well aware of how long it has been since things felt stable with the team we all know and painfully tolerate love.
We are embarking upon perhaps the greatest week that football will offer us, though. Beginning Thursday there will be at least one NFL game on six of the eight days to follow it. What’s more is that the College Football Playoff will begin in a 12-team format for the first time ever. Throw in other bowl games and whatever is going on in your backyard, and it is the football-iest time of the year.
Before we get to all of that though we have to tie a proper bow on the week that was, one where the Cowboys won for the third time in a month. It is power rankings time!
You can view last week’s rankings right here.
1 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 3)
What they have done this season is remarkable. I have never felt more confident that this is finally the year for them.
Obviously that means that heartbreak awaits.
2 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 2)
Buffalo might be the only team standing in the way of our worst nightmare around here. It is so frustrating and annoying to admit, but the Eagles are a machine. The worst part about it all is it seems like Nick Sirianni has finally figured out how to stay out of the way and just do his job which is helping things all the more.
3 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 5)
It is going to be so strange if they do not even wind up winning their own division.
I would not bet against Baltimore… unless they are playing Buffalo.
4 – Detroit Lions (LW: 1)
Has the bow broken? Is the cradle falling?
Times seem rather tense around the Lions right now and injuries are certainly a very real part of it. Being the hunted on a weekly basis is not for the weary and maybe, just maybe, it is taking its toll on the Lions.
5 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7)
I’m going to say right now that I firmly believe that one of the Vikings or Packers are going to beat the Lions in the playoffs. Minnesota is so wildly impressive. I am very jealous.
6 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 4)
One loss hardly seems like a reason to panic here.
Pittsburgh will be fine and will still likely win the AFC North as noted. Big game Saturday!
7 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 6)
It feels so strange and quite honestly stupid to have them this low given their record, but I do not know how anyone can feel like they are robust at the moment.
We have said all season long that if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt it is them and that certainly holds true, but their reputation is doing most of the work.
8 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 8)
In no way am I trying to make up for the Cowboys’ playoff loss last year. It was the worst.
But the Packers appear to be a truly elite team. Isn’t that context important?
9 – Washington Commanders (LW: 9)
Reaching the playoffs in the first year of Dan Quinn will be celebrated.
It should be. What they are doing is impressive.
10 – Denver Broncos (LW: 10)
While it certainly took a minute, the reality is that Sean Payton in Denver may wind up being something quite interesting. He has them playing so good and hitting all of the right notes.
11 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 12)
On some level I think they can be viewed as the most surprising division winner of the year, assuming they take it home.
Sean McVay’s finest coaching has all come after the Rams won the Super Bowl.
12 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 13)
We will see you on Sunday night.
13 – Houston Texans (LW: 15)
They feel similar to the Chiefs in that there is a lot more that we want to see from a team in their position. Houston has already clinched their division and is likely set at the #4 spot in the conference.
Funny that they play Kansas City on Saturday.
14 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 11)
The wheels may be falling off. It is unfortunate. They have been fun to watch.
15 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 14)
In all likelihood this is still a playoff team.
But that nobody made a big deal about them getting embarrassed by the Buccaneers is pretty representative of how little juice the Chargers ultimately have, even with Jim Harbaugh.
16 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 17)
Their fans are going to look back on the early part of this season and be so frustrated that things got to the point that they did.
17 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 19)
Don’t look now, but my Cardinals have a shot!
18 – Dallas Cowboys (LW: 21)
They are winners of three of their last four. Obviously how they got there matters.
But they are not going out with a whimper and that is commendable.
19 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 24)
Congratulations on winning on Monday night. It was done in literally the least impressive way possible.
20 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 16)
On one hand there was a player who literally quit the team during their latest outing.
On the other hand there was a mutiny from the locker room against that player.
Either way… there is quite the mess going on here.
21 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 18)
Sometimes you can do too much. The Colts are an example of that.
22 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 20)’
I’ve said all season long… is anybody going to hold Mike McDaniel accountable for this mess?
Or do we continue to just think he’s cool because of his shoes and the occasional quote in a press conference?
23 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 22)
Round and round they go.
24 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 29)
It is impressive how they also have found a way to stand tall despite things going so south.
They lost last week, but it was not for lack of effort.
25 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 23)
The ride back down to earth can be a lonely one.
26 – Chicago Bears (LW: 25)
My goodness. Will it ever not be bad here?
27 – Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 26)
Consider that since 2011 they have lost double-digit games all but 3 times.
Two other instances saw them come close with 8 losses.
It can always be worse.
28 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 27)
I think I have decided that they are the most boring team in the NFL.
29 – New York Jets (LW: 31)
Hey! A win! That’s great publicity for Aaron Rodgers’ Netflix documentary.
30 – New England Patriots (LW: 28)
On the subject of boring… it is a little startling to see the Patriots so mundane and uninteresting. Obviously this has been the case before, but for the significant majority of this century they have been the team. Now they just… exist.
31 – Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 30)
Shedeur time.
32 – New York Giants (LW: 32)
Time for literally anything else.
NFL.com: 21 (LW: 22)
A little bump up.
When you look at the Cowboys, what do you see? Do you see a team that has won three of its past four games, showing some mental and physical toughness over the past month? Or do you see the big picture, with the Cowboys clinging to hopeless playoff chances in a lost season? There were elements of both teams in the win at Carolina. Rico Dowdle continued his late-season ascent with another strong performance, and the Cowboys showed some grit in a short week on the road, coming off a brutal loss to the Bengals. Dallas’ defense continued to show some life, generating six sacks and four turnovers — the Cowboys now have 10 takeaways over their past four games. There’s only so much to get excited about here, though, especially knowing there is a chance Dallas could win out and still miss the postseason, with Week 14’s disaster being a big reason why.
ESPN: 21 (LW: 23)
They included the biggest improvement for each team as well.
Biggest improvement: Takeaways
The improved run defense could easily be the pick here, but takeaways are more important. Under Dan Quinn for three seasons, the Cowboys were the best in the league at taking the ball away (93 from 2021 to 2023). But in the first seven games under coordinator Mike Zimmer this season, the defense created just five (four interceptions and one fumble recovery). In the past seven contests, the Cowboys have 14 takeaways, including eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries. They have intercepted at least one pass in six straight games. — Todd Archer
USA Today: 20 (LW: 26)
Quite the leap!
Though it’s been widely suggested for most of the season that they can’t run the ball, in actuality, they just weren’t using RB Rico Dowdle sufficiently. After posting his first three 100-yard rushing games over the past three weeks, he’s now on pace for more than 1,300 yards from scrimmage and has set himself up for a nice payday in 2025.
Yahoo: 20 (LW: 23)
This is a popular range.
Say what you will about the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy this season, but as we see many losing teams turn in dreadful performances, Dallas has won three of four since a 3-7 start. The Cowboys deserve credit for not packing it in at their low point.
CBS Sports: 22 (LW: 26)
A mention of the word playoffs!
They showed some fight in beating up on the Panthers. The defense played really well as Dallas’ slim playoff hopes remain alive.
The Athletic: 19 (LW: 22)
Someone else has the Cowboys inside the top 19!
Lamb is getting 27.3 percent of Dallas’ passing targets this season, which ranks sixth in the league. On Sunday, he had nine catches for 116 yards. It was just his second 100-yard game of the season, but defensive end Micah Parsons hasn’t had quite a good enough season to unseat Lamb even though Parsons is fourth in pressure percentage among players with more than 100 pass rush snaps, according to TruMedia.
Sports Illustrated: 21 (LW: 22)
Not quite here.
In watching back Rico Dowdle’s biggest runs from Sunday, I was struck with how many of the 10-plus yard carries necessitated multiple backfield cuts to get himself into space. This wasn’t one of those games where his stats were propped up by one 60-yarder that was more a credit to good window dressing. Dowdle earned those yards and looked good doing it.
Dallas Cowboys Movement Week To Week
Every week (per suggestions from you wonderful BTBers) we will update this graph to note how the Cowboys moved in power rankings according to each of the outlets that we curate.
