The Dallas Cowboys are always in the public eye, but following the Micah Parsons trade, they faced intense scrutiny.
The Cowboys boast one of the most dynamic and potent offenses in the NFL. With the offseason signing of George Pickens, Dak Prescott has been performing at an MVP level.
However, their defense was significantly the worst in the league, undermining the offense’s success. This led Jerry Jones to make several key trades to bolster that side of the team. Since trading for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets and linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals, the defense has noticeably improved.
After winning three straight games, the Cowboys lost in Week 14 to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. Dallas followed that up with a loss on Sunday night to the Minnesota Vikings, making the chances of making the playoffs even tougher.
Here is more on whether the Cowboys can make the 2025-26 postseason heading into Week 15.
MORE WEEK 15 NFL:
Cowboys playoff picture
Through Week 15, the Cowboys are now 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia Eagles.
After falling to the Lions in Week 14, another team on the NFC bubble, winning the NFC East is probably Dallas’s best way to secure a playoff spot.
Dallas (No. 10) is the third team on the wild-card bubble, trailing the Lions (No. 8) and the Carolina Panthers (No. 9). Here is how the NFC playoff picture looks after Week 15. The first four seeds are the division leaders.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 11-3 |
| 2 | Chicago Bears | 10-4 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | 9-5 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-7 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks | 11-3 |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | 10-4 |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 9-4-1 |
| 8 | Detroit Lions | 8-6 |
| 9 | Carolina Panthers | 7-7 |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys | 6-7-1 |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-8 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | 5-9 |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | 4-10 |
| 14 | Washington Commanders | 4-10 |
| 15 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-11 |
| 16 | New York Giants | 2-12 |
NFC East standings
| Team | Record |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-5 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-7-1 |
| Washington Commanders | 4-10 |
| New York Giants | 2-12 |
Initially, it appeared that Dallas’s only chance of making the playoffs was to secure a wild-card spot. However, the Philadelphia Eagles have left the door open for the Cowboys.
With the Eagles recent’ three-game losing streak combined with the Cowboys’ three-straight wins, Dallas still has a chance at the NFC East title. But on Sunday, the Eagles won and the Cowboys lost, putting Dallas in a real bind moving forward.
Dallas needs to win out and the Eagles to lose out in order to win the division.
Cowboys remaining schedule
The Cowboys’ last three games are not only winnable but also favorable for Dallas. They will face just one playoff team, the Los Angeles Chargers, and that game is at home.
Then the Cowboys’ other two opponents have a combined total of five wins. They’ll finish the season with two divisional games against the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
Here is a look at Dallas’ remaining schedule.
| Week | Opponent |
| 16 | vs. Chargers |
| 17 | at Commanders |
| 18 | at Giants |
