Can Dallas win the NFC East?
What would have been scoffed at just a few weeks ago is becoming more and more of a possibility.
It’s not going to be easy. Then again going from 3-5-1 after a home loss to Arizona to where they are now wasn’t easy, either.
With a win over both of last year’s Super Bowl teams — Philadelphia and Kansas City — in the span of four days are the Dallas Cowboys legitimate playoff contenders?
Dallas, left for dead after losing to the Cardinals to drop to 3-5-1 and what appeared to be a tough schedule ahead
Dallas has won three straight, with the third a Thanksgiving Day win over the Chiefs.
Right before the trade deadline and during its bye week Dallas swung a trade with the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The big man has made a difference for a defense that needed something, anything, to get better.
Since that deal the Cowboys have reduced their points per game allowed from 30.8 to 21.7.
So with five games left, three against teams with a losing record, can the Cowboys make it to the postseason?
At 6-5-1 they sit a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Eagles (8-4) in the NFC East. It would take a collapse by the Eagles and the Cowboys winning at least four of five, if not all five, for that to happen. But we all saw a similar finish to the 2023 season.
Dallas finishes with a big game Thursday night at Detroit (7-4), then hosts Minnesota (4-8) and the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4). They finish on the road at Washington (3-9) and at the New York Giants (2-10 before Monday night). The Cowboys will likely be favored in four of those five and are only a three-point underdog at Detroit.
The Eagles are at the Chargers, Monday night. Then host the God-awful Raiders (2-10), before playing Washington twice sandwiched around a trip to Buffalo (8-4). The Eagles four losses this season are more than they had all of last year, including the playoffs.
It’s not going to be easy for the ‘Boys. And grabbing a wild-card spot from either Seattle (9-3), Green Bay (8-3-1) or San Francisco (9-4) might even be tougher. A couple of weeks ago it wouldn’t even be a conversation.
Bear Down
Speaking of the NFC East, the unofficial winner of the division is the Chicago Bears, who swept all four teams in the East after beating the Eagles, Friday. Trouble is the Bears play in the NFC North where they are 1-2 and travel to Green Bay for a huge matchup, Sunday.
Chicago, which won five games all of the 2024 season, has won five straight and at 9-3 is currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It’s going to be an interesting finish in the North.
Texas Two-Step
Dallas isn’t the only team in Texas playing well of late. The Texans, who were 0-3 to start the season, are now 7-5 and just a game back of both Jacksonville and fading Indianapolis in the AFC South.
In those first three losses, the Texans averaged 12.7 points and 207 yards per game. In the past nine games they have averaged 25.6 points and 396 yards.
Over the past two-plus years Houston is 13-4 in division games and 4-1 this year. That’s the best division record in the league.
Trouble in Viking Land
Minnesota dropped to 4-8 after its ugly 26-0 loss to Seattle, Sunday. That was the first time the Vikings had been shutout since 2007 in Green Bay.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has to be getting more frustrated by the minute, had two catches for four yards in the loss. He hasn’t had a 100-yard game in forever and has not scored a touchdown in 10 of his last 11 games.
Here and There
Detroit has had at least one sack in 10 of its 12 games this year. The only two times it did not was against the Packers. …Arizona lost its seventh game by four points, or less, in its 20-17 setback to Tampa Bay. …Denver’s overtime win over Washington, Sunday night, was the Broncos first OT win since 2015. They were 0-5 in their last five.
