NFL playoffs: Does Dallas have real chance to get into NFC playoff race?
The Dallas Cowboys' 2024 NFL season seemed over once Dak Prescott was lost to a season-ending hamstring injury.
The Cowboys dropped their first two games with Cooper Rush starting to the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. That dropped Dallas to 3-7, putting them near the bottom of the NFL's overall standings.
However, the Cowboys then managed back-to-back wins against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. That renewed hopes that the team could be competitive down the stretch and potentially challenge for a playoff spot in 2024, in Micah Parsons' opinion.
"To be honest, it's really been, 'Why not us?'" Parsons said of the Cowboys' winning streak after their Thanksgiving victory. "Everybody counted us out. It was just like, enough's enough. We know what we got. We know what we can do here. I believe we're gonna turn it around and make a run."
Making a run won't be easy for Dallas. The Cowboys were far behind in the NFC playoff picture before they earned back-to-back wins, so they won't have much room for error to climb back into the race.
The Cowboys still have a slim chance of doing just that. As the 2024 NFL season winds down, here's a look at their path to playoff contention.
Cowboys playoff odds
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Cowboys have +3000 odds to make the playoffs entering Week 14. That implied probability gives Dallas a 3.23% chance of qualifying for the postseason.
That's greater than the estimated 1% chance that the New York Times gives the Cowboys to win their way into the postseason. Dallas would likely need to win out and receive plenty of help to claw its way back into the NFC playoff race after a 3-7 start to the season.
Cowboys remaining schedule
The Cowboys' five remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .508 per Tankathon. Dallas' remaining schedule is the 17th toughest of the NFL's 32 teams entering Week 14.
The Cowboys will face a test on "Monday Night Football" in Week 14 against a high-flying Cincinnati Bengals offense. Dallas will also end the season with two divisional games, making it difficult to win out.
That makes it easy to understand why oddsmakers aren't bullish on the Cowboys' chances of making a playoff push, especially considering that they would need a team in front of them, like the Commanders, to falter.
Below is a full look at Dallas' schedule:
- Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Week 15: at Carolina Panthers (3-10)
- Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
- Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles (11-2)
- Week 18: vs. Washington Commanders (8-5)
NFC playoff picture
- Detroit Lions (12-1, NFC North leaders)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-2, NFC East leaders)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-5, NFC West leaders)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6, NFC South leaders)
- Minnesota Vikings (11-2, wild card No. 1)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4, wild card No. 2)
- Washington Commanders (8-5, wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Los Angeles Rams (7-6), Atlanta Falcons (6-7), Arizona Cardinals (6-7), San Francisco 49ers (6-7), Dallas Cowboys (5-7), New Orleans Saints (5-8).