The NFL’s Christmas Day lineup is lacking serious holiday magic this year
Christmas Day 2025 is already looking like a bust for the NFL due to injuries and teams already eliminated from playoff contention.
The Dallas Cowboys made something of a run at an NFC East title race in the middle of the season, but they’ve ultimately fallen short in 2025.
For a second straight year, Dallas will miss the postseason. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ win over the Washington Commanders on Dec. 20 officially pulled the Eagles out of range of the Cowboys’ late-season push for the division title, which eliminated Dallas from playoff contention.
It ended up not mattering much, as the Cowboys dropped a third straight game in Week 16 – extending their losing streak to three games in December, right after their three-game win streak in November had pulled them back above a .500 win percentage.
With two more divisional matchups to play against the two teams below them in the NFC East standings, all Dallas has to play for is its pride – and draft position.
Here’s what to know about the Cowboys’ playoff picture in Week 17:
Cowboys playoff odds
The Cowboys have been eliminated from playoff contention as of Week 16.
Dallas’ best hope at making a run at the postseason came in the form of snagging an NFC East title from under the Eagles. The Cowboys’ November surge came around the same time the Eagles appeared to be foundering, but Philadelphia turned things around over the last two weeks with back-to-back wins as Dallas dropped two straight.
The Cowboys will have to wait for next year to end their postseason hiatus, which extends to a second straight season in 2025.
NFC East standings
The Eagles are the only team to have clinched a division title entering Week 17. With their division crown, they become the first team since 2004 to win back-to-back titles in the NFC East – snapping the longest streak of nonconsecutive division winners in NFL history at 20 years.
Here’s how the standings look entering Week 17:
Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, 3-2 NFC East)Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1, 3-1)Washington Commanders (4-11, 2-2)New York Giants (2-13, 1-4)NFC playoff pictureSeattle Seahawks (12-3; NFC West leaders)*Chicago Bears (11-4; NFC North leaders)*Philadelphia Eagles (10-5; NFC East leaders)*Carolina Panthers (8-7; NFC South leaders)San Francisco 49ers (11-4; wild card No. 1)*Los Angeles Rams (11-4; wild card No. 2)*Green Bay Packers (9-5-1; wild card No. 3)
In the hunt: Detroit Lions (8-7); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
Asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff berth.
Eliminated: Minnesota Vikings (7-8); Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1); Atlanta Falcons (6-9); New Orleans Saints (5-10); Washington Commanders (4-11); Arizona Cardinals (3-12); New York Giants (2-13)