The Cowboys’ path is extremely narrow but not mathematically dead yet. Their only realistic route now is to steal the NFC East; the wild card is effectively gone.
What must the Cowboys do?
Dallas has to win all of its remaining regular-season games; another loss eliminates any realistic scenario. If they finish on a four-game winning streak, they reach 10-6-1 and at least give themselves a chance on tiebreakers.
What they need from the Eagles
Because the wild card path has closed, Dallas needs to jump Philadelphia in the NFC East standings. For that to happen, the Eagles must collapse down the stretch, losing most or all of their remaining games while the Cowboys win out, creating either a better overall record or favorable division tiebreakers for Dallas.
Why odds are so low
At 6-7-1 with just a few games left, Dallas sits around the bottom of the NFC playoff bubble, with their chances estimated at roughly 1% in some projections. Multiple models and betting markets now expect them to miss the postseason, reflecting how many independent results must all break perfectly in their favor.
