Cowboys facing embarrassing situation against the Panthers not seen in years

To say the Dallas Cowboys have had a lot of embarrassing moments and low points during this 2024 NFL season would be a massive understatement.

It all started in Week 2 when they took a 44-19 beating at home at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, one of several blowouts America's Team has endured this year. There was the 47-9 defeat to the Detroit Lions in Week 6. There was the 34-6 loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, which was immediately followed by a 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11.

Then, of course, there are all the injuries this team has suffered this season. And these haven't been minor ailments to second-string players. We're talking significant chunks of time missed and season-ending injuries to high-profile and significant contributors like Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs, Brandin Cooks, Zack Martin, and DeMarvion Overshown, among others.

Truth be told, it's surprising that this team even got the five wins they have. It should be six, but the Cowboys hit yet another low point this past Monday night by essentially handing the Cincinnati Bengals a victory by inexplicably botching a blocked punt that would have put Dallas in a position to pick up a third consecutive win, which would have kept them in the NFC playoff picture.

Simply put, this has been one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory, which is certainly saying something given the many, many disheartening years this franchise has endured since its last Super Bowl appearance, which came at the end of the 1995 season.

What makes things even tougher is that it's not over yet, as there are still four weeks remaining in the regular season. This closing stretch starts this Sunday when Dallas visits the Carolina Panthers, a game that brings even more embarrassment before it even starts.

The Cowboys are underdogs against the Panthers, who haven't been favored to win a game in two years

Heading into their Week 15 matchup with the Panthers, the Cowboys are three-point underdogs.

Now, that might not seem overly surprising, as Carolina has actually played decent football recently. But here's the thing. Carolina hasn't been favored in any game for almost two years. Yes, two years. The last time the Panthers weren't the underdogs going into a contest was on December 18, 2022, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That might seem surprising, but both teams were 5-8 at that time, and Carolina seemingly got the nod because it was a home game. That turned out not to matter, as the Steelers took a 24-16 win and then went on to win out to finish 9-8, thus keeping Mike Tomlin's ridiculous non-losing-season streak alive.

Whether the Cowboys can get a win in Carolina obviously remains to be seen. Again, this team is playing solid football right now.

With Bryce Young back in the mix after his early-season benching, the Panthers took back-to-back victories over the Saints and Giants in Weeks 9 and 10.

And while they've taken three consecutive losses since, those defeats came against solid opponents. Coming out of its bye week, Carolina gave the two-time defending champion Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle in Week 11 before taking a 30-27 loss.

The Panthers then lost to the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime, 26-23, and gave the Eagles a tough fight this past week in a 22-16 defeat. So, let's not be surprised if Carolina covers the spread against the Cowboys on Sunday.

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