The Dallas Cowboys have zero margin for error in their final four games. You can certainly argue that was the case before they played the Detroit Lions last Thursday, but that loss didn't mathematically eliminate them from playoff contention ... even if it did drop their playoff odds below 10 percent.
With a wild card looking like a pipe dream, the Cowboys will need the Philadelphia Eagles to continue their recent slide to catch them in the NFC East. What happens in their game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night could very well decide Dallas' fate.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, Jason Reed of Bolt Beat believes that Justin Herbert, listed as questionable after undergoing surgery last week on his non-throwing hand, is trending in the right direction.
"Herbert practiced on Thursday, three days after undergoing a procedure on his left hand, and has been a limited participant every practice since," Reed wrote. "Coupling that with the fact he came back into the game last week against the Raiders, it seems safe to say the Chargers quarterback will give it a go."
Cowboys desperately need Justin Herbert to play against the Eagles
It is not official that Herbert will play, but Reed made some salient points. A simple reading of the tea leaves leaves this with one outcome: Herbert suiting up against the Eagles.
The alternative if Herbert can't go? That would be old friend Trey Lance, whom Dallas notoriously acquired for a 2024 fourth-round pick before the 2023 season. Now in year five, Lance can't be trusted to finish a preseason game without a turnover, let alone win a primetime game against a relentless Eagles defense.
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Herbert is still searching for his first playoff win, but he's without question one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the NFL. Even with a bum left hand, Herbert and the Chargers are only a three-point underdog against the defending Super Bowl champs.
The Cowboys will obviously need a healthy CeeDee Lamb to win out. He's progressing nicely through concussion protocol, and it seems he has a good chance of playing this week against the Vikings. However, that game won't carry much luster if the Chargers don't win.
If the Eagles win, Dallas would need them to lose three of their final four games -- while winning out -- to have a chance at the division. While Philly has a tough test versus Buffalo in Week 17, they also face the Raiders and Commanders twice in the final month. They will be favored in three of those games.
The Cowboys' season might just be in Herbert's hands.