FRISCO, Texas — Doom and gloom swirled around the Dallas Cowboys as they entered Week 12 on a five-game losing streak and with a 3-7 record, their worst since 2020. Injuries to their franchise quarterback, No. 2 receiver, top inside linebacker, up ‘Four edge rushers, both starting outside corners, left tackle and starting guards made 2024 a tough year.
“As a staff, it’s very difficult,” head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday. “As we have talked about as a staff, we will be better coaches because of this experience. I believe that. I have experienced this in the past. That’s the goal of this league. It’s not about injuries to the players. It’s really about knowing when and who, the timing, to get the kids ready to play as quickly as possible. You have different levels every year. If you want to coach in this league, you have to be able to coach during those times. I know we will all be better for this experience.
They now feel like they see a light coming out of their tunnel of darkness following their upset victory at Washington Commanders On Sunday, Dallas’ record improved to 4-7 as their schedule began to loosen up. Plus, long-term backup Cooper Rush is starting to find his rhythm after three straight starts in place of the injured Dak Prescott. He completed 24 of 32 passes at Washington in Week 12 for 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, giving him career highs in completion percentage (75%) and passer rating (117.6).
“It’s like that because we know what we’re doing,” the Cowboys cornerback said. Jourdan Lewis said Tuesday when asked if he sees a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Dallas’ schedule. “We know what we’re doing and the guys are playing hard. We execute the right way from all 11 of us on the field. So it feels good. … We’ve been pretty good historically in the past. So we definitely have confidence in each other and we can go out there and finish games.
So, can the Cowboys win?
“That’s the plan. As a footballer and a competitor, we want to win games,” Lewis said. “We saw that we were playing good ball in recent weeks. Everything as a team, it didn’t fall into place. Everything went better last week, and I feel like that gave us the conviction to say, “We can all play good ball and win.” »
Let’s take a closer look at this possibility, as crazy as it may seem. Their remaining six opponents have a combined winning percentage of .448, meaning the Cowboys are tied for the eighth-easiest in the NFL, by Tankathon. The SportsLine simulation model gives the Cowboys just a 1.4% chance of making the playoffs and an even narrower 0.6% chance of winning their remaining six regular-season games.
They should be able to manage their business on Thanksgiving for a New York Giants team whose locker room seems finished with its technical staff. THE Cincinnati Bengals invented new and creative ways to lose despite the quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase producing at historic levels through 11 games. THE Carolina Panthers are still in the early stages of their reconstruction. THE Tampa Bay Buccaneers The defense has declined significantly this season after being a mainstay of consistency since 2020. Having to move to the Philadelphia Eaglesa team that hit the Cowboys in Week 10 despite going back Saquon Barkley recording just 66 rushing yards will definitely be a problem. Aside from that, it’s safe to say that a 9-8 result for Dallas is within the realm of possibility given the schedule. A 10-7 finish in the regular season, which would include a victory in Philadelphia, would involve divine intervention.
|
13 |
against the giants |
2-9 |
64% |
|
14 |
against the Bengals |
4-7 |
39% |
|
15 |
among the Panthers |
3-8 |
59% |
|
16 |
against the buccaneers |
5-6 |
49% |
|
17 |
among the Eagles |
9-2 |
27% |
|
18 |
against the commanders |
7-5 |
39% |
Since the NFL The playoff bracket was expanded to 12 teams in 1990 – six each for the AFC and six for the NFC – with seven teams reaching the playoffs after starting a season 4-7. The 2023 Buccaneers reached 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 the No. 2 wide receiver Brandin cooks (knee) off injured reserve Wednesday and has four-time Pro Bowl hopeful Edge Rusher DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) can possibly return as the 2023 first-team All-Pro cornerback DaRon bland (foot stress fracture) did it Sunday in Washington.
Again, a 1.4% chance of making the playoffs means it’s almost impossible, but Dallas’ 2024 season still has a heartbeat.