The Dallas Cowboys did their part in a record-setting week, falling to the Green Bay Packers, and the Eagles, Giants and Commanders all chipped in as well. The foursome even outdid itself after last week’s winless outing — the Giants and Commanders tied each other in Week 5, while all four teams earned a big fat L in Week 6.
Those, however, were close contests. The same can’t be said for the Cowboys, who went into halftime in Green Bay trailing 17-0 and didn’t make much of a fight of it in the second half. Dallas now sits at 2-4, tied with the Eagles and 1.5 games behind the Giants.
And yet … the Cowboys are somehow favored to win the division, and their outlook might not look all that bad if they can right the ship.
First of all, Dallas is one of only two teams in the East that hasn’t lost its starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, after Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the year with blood clots in his lungs. The Giants are also without Jaxson Dart.
The Cowboys schedule also lightens up over the next few weeks, facing off against the limping Eagles then the Cardinals and Colts, both currently at 2-4.
According to ESPN’s playoff odds, the Cowboys have a 67% chance of winning the NFC East, far ahead of the Giants at 13%, the Commanders at 11% and the Eagles all the way down to 9%. Their overall chances to make the playoffs is 68% — they’re going to have to win the East to get in.
But it’s possible they do so, if not likely. It will require much better performances moving ahead than Dallas was able to muster in Green Bay. But much like the Rangers in the AL West, a subpar record could take the Cowboys’ season down to the wire if they’re just able to hold off the rest of their snakebitten division.