The Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes are hanging by the thinnest of threads after their Sunday Night Football loss to the Minnesota Vikings. What once looked like a manageable path to the postseason has now turned into a near-impossible climb. According to ESPN’s latest playoff odds, the Cowboys currently have just a 1% chance of reaching the NFL playoffs — a number that perfectly captures how desperate the situation has become.
For the Cowboys to make the playoffs, everything must go right. Dallas must win all three of its remaining games, leaving absolutely no margin for error. At the same time, the Eagles must lose all three of their remaining games — an outcome that borders on unrealistic given Philadelphia’s overall strength and consistency this season.
The Cowboys’ remaining schedule includes:
- vs. Los Angeles Chargers
- at Washington Commanders
- at New York Giants
On paper, this stretch is not impossible. If Dallas can get past the Chargers, it’s easy to imagine them winning out. However, winning games is only half the equation.
Philadelphia’s remaining schedule looks like this:
- at Washington Commanders
- at Buffalo Bills
- vs. Washington Commanders
This is where the entire scenario begins to fall apart. While the Eagles could potentially stumble against the Bills, the idea that they would lose to the Commanders twice in three weeks is difficult to believe. Philadelphia simply holds too much of an advantage in talent, depth, and momentum.
So yes, the Cowboys still have a chance — barely. But it’s the kind of chance that exists more in theory than in reality. Every passing week drains the final grains of sand from the hourglass, and Dallas no longer controls its own fate. Their playoff hopes now depend on outcomes that feel increasingly unlikely.
In the NFL, miracles do happen. But as things stand, the Cowboys are running out of time — and running out of reasons — to believe that this one will break their way.
