The Dallas Cowboys lost 27-21 to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, raising difficult questions about whether the team can compete for a playoff spot in the second half of the season.
Dallas has now accumulated a 3-5 overall record on the season and is currently just third in the NFC East, trailing far behind the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles for the division lead.
Both the offense and the defense have looked disjointed through the first half of the season. The team has allowed at least 20 points in four straight matchups while scoring under 30 points in all but one game this season.
To make matters worse, the Cowboys could be forced to play multiple games without quarterback Dak Prescott after he exited the team’s Week 9 loss due to a hamstring injury.
Prescott seemed unconcerned about the impact of this injury and said that it would “take a lot” for him to miss any games, though NFL.com reports that further diagnosis has not been announced.
While many of these factors could singlehandedly end the Cowboys’ season, the team can still achieve success if they win games against their divisional opponents.
Multiple players who play significant roles on the Cowboys are set to return from injury within the coming weeks, including cornerback Daron Bland, linebacker Micah Parsons, and defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence.
The Cowboys have also played just one game against a divisional opponent, coming in a 20-15 win over the New York Giants in Week 4, meaning the team will still have five opportunities to pick up significant wins.
Dallas will likely have to go 5-0 in these games to have a chance at winning the division, guaranteeing them at least eight wins and tiebreakers over the Commanders and Eagles.
The Cowboys’ remaining games, excluding divisional opponents, will be against the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is a difficult schedule but includes multiple games that should be winnable with the correct game plan.
While finishing with an overall record of 10-7 would not guarantee the Cowboys a spot in the playoffs, winning the correct games to force tiebreaking scenarios could allow the team to sneak into a wild card spot.
Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy said the team will have to “keep the focus narrow” if they want to turn this season around, noting that everyone understands how this slow start will affect their playoff chances.
“I felt like we were doing that coming into the game. We need to win a game. I know everyone wants to talk about long term. We have five losses. We clearly understand where that puts us as far as what it will take,” he added, per ESPN.
Although the team is reportedly prepared to take on the challenge of a late postseason run, McCarthy has an unimpressive track record of coaching teams with a losing record through eight games.
McCarthy has had just three seasons in his coaching career in which his team was under .500 through the first eight games of the season, according to ESPN. However, he was unable to lead his team back to the playoffs in any of those appearances.
One significant change that could happen for the Cowboys is a move at the trade deadline, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Many teams are looking to make important changes to their rosters.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that following the Week 9 loss, the organization “has some things in the mix” and will look to make improvements leading into the deadline.
“We’ll probably do a couple things this week… I’m a long way from being dismayed about this team this year,” he explained, according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris.
Dallas will begin their second-half push for the playoffs with a Week 10 matchup against the Eagles. The Eagles will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on November 10 at 3:25 p.m.
