Remember when the Dallas Cowboys’ season was effectively over? After winning just three of their first nine games, playoff hopes felt like a distant memory.
But as the season has progressed, those same playoff hopes are roaring back to life. Dallas has won three straight games, and they’re slowly closing the gap between themselves and the Philadelphia Eagles, who currently hold the top spot in the NFC East.
With the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears, the Cowboys are now within reach of a shocking finish to the season.
Eagles’ loss to Bears gives Cowboys a chance at winning the NFC East
In 11 days, the Cowboys’ season has been completely revived. With wins over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas has advanced to a winning record with just five weeks left to go in the regular season. Still, the chance to overtake their division rivals felt like a long shot.
That is, it did until the Eagles fell flat on their faces in prime time on Friday. Philadelphia was incompetent on both sides of the ball, allowing Ben Johnson’s Bears to walk onto their field and look like Super Bowl contenders. The Eagles lost by a score of 24-15, but the score wasn’t representative of just how lopsided the game was.
Philadelphia allowed nearly 300 yards on the ground. Despite a tame passing performance from Caleb Williams, the Eagles’ defense was unable to stop the Bears throughout the game. The Eagles were stagnant on offense for most of the game until a late outburst in garbage time.
Heading into the weekend, the Cowboys are now just a couple of games behind the Eagles in the race for the division title. The road ahead still isn’t easy, though.
Dallas plays the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Chargers over the next few weeks before finishing the regular season with the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Realistically, they can’t afford to lose more than one more game if they hope to steal the division.
The Eagles have a bit of an easier road, facing the Commanders twice and the Raiders once. Still, considering Philadelphia’s recent form, those games aren’t guaranteed wins.
Mix in some tough battles against the Chargers and the Buffalo Bills, and anything could happen. If the Eagles drop just a couple of their remaining games, the Cowboys will be right there waiting to claim the NFC East title.