The Dallas Cowboys’ playoff hopes were officially extinguished on Saturday.
After the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East crown with a 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders, the Cowboys were eliminated from the NFC postseason picture.
Dallas has now missed the playoffs in two straight years after making three consecutive postseason appearances from 2021-23.
The Cowboys owned a record of 7-10 last season and sit at 6-7-1 this year.
Dallas started its 2025 campaign with a 3-5-1 record, but went on a three-game win streak following a Week 10 bye to improve to 6-5-1. Two consecutive losses to the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings ultimately prevented the team from making a late playoff push, though.
The Cowboys made multiple significant changes heading into this season, hiring Brian Schottenheimer to replace Mike McCarthy as head coach before surprisingly trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 28.
While Dallas received three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark in exchange for Parsons before acquiring All-Pro defensive lineman Quinnen Williams ahead of the trade deadline, its defense has been an issue throughout the year.
The Cowboys have allowed 30.0 points per game this season, ranking No. 31 in the NFL. They’ve also compiled the league’s worst pass defense, giving up 254.8 yards per game through the air.
Dallas’ defensive woes have been especially disappointing considering Dak Prescott is in the midst of a resurgent season after making just eight appearances in 2024 due to a hamstring injury.
Prescott has suited up in all 14 games, completing 68.4 percent of his throws for 3,931 yards and 26 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Cowboys will now focus on building towards returning to the playoffs next year.