Cowboys rooting guide for Sunday slate ahead of MNF matchup with Bengals

While the odds are severely stacked against them, the Dallas Cowboys are still in the playoff hunt.

With virtually no chance of making the NFL Playoffs after a five-game losing streak dropped them to 3-7, America's Team has since taken two straight wins, first upsetting the Washington Commanders and then completing the season sweep of the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, thus putting them back in the mix.

While the Cowboys can actually still win the NFC East, even at 5-7, the likelihood of this team catching the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles is about the same as Troy Aikman stepping out of the booth and strapping on a helmet and his old No. 8 jersey when Dallas hosts the Cincinnati Bengals this Monday night.

That said, however, the Cowboys will still undoubtedly be rooting for the Carolina Panthers this Sunday when Bryce Young & Co. head to the City of Brotherly Love.

The best shot Dallas has at the postseason, of course, is with a wild-card berth. And it's going to have to be the No. 7 slot as the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, who hold the fifth and sixth slots, respectively, will be difficult to catch.

Heading into Sunday's slate of games, that No. 7 slot is held by the Commanders, who are 8-5 but control nothing in Week 14 as they're on a bye.

But before the Cowboys can worry about Washington, who they'll see for the second time in Week 18, they first need to pass the other four teams currently ahead of them in the NFC standings, which look like this at the moment:

• 7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
• 8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
• 9. Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
• 10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
• 11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
• 12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7)

Now, let's have a look at who the Cowboys will be rooting for on Sunday before they attempt to do what they need to do on Monday.

The games the Cowboys will be watching most in Week 14

It goes without saying that the Cowboys need to win their game against the Bengals on Monday. And if they can get some help on Sunday from the four teams playing those they need to pass before worrying about Washington, the postseason odds will jump considerably.

Raiders at Buccaneers

Of the four, the Bucs have the easiest game by far, as they're squaring off with the two-win Las Vegas Raiders, who haven't won a game since September 29. So, Dallas fans shouldn't expect much here.

That said, though, if the Cowboys can continue to hang around, they can help themselves when they visit Tampa Bay in Week 16.

Seahawks at Cardinals

Fans of America's Team should feel much better about this one, as the Cardinals just played the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago and played their worst game of the season, taking an ugly 16-6 loss.

The bad news here is that the loss was on the road, where the Cards are just 2-4. This matchup, of course, will take place in Glendale, where they're 4-2 and haven't lost since taking a 42-14 pounding at the hands of the Commanders all the way back in Week 4.

Bills at Rams

The Rams, by far, have the toughest test of the week as they'll welcome the red-hot Buffalo Bills to SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Bills roll into Inglewood on a seven-game winning streak, while the Rams have been up-and-down in recent weeks, splitting their last four. Buffalo looks unstoppable right now, so this one should work in the Cowboys' favor.

Bears at 49ers

While the 49ers have the same 5-7 record as Dallas, they obviously win the tiebreaker due to their 30-24 win over the Cowboys back in Week 8.

But this a banged-up San Francisco team that's lost three in a row and is heading into a Week 14 matchup with the Chicago Bears without Christian McCaffrey, backup running back Jordan Mason, and All-Pro tackle Trent Williams. It also looks as if they'll once again be without Nick Bosa, who's listed as doubtful.

Yes, the Bears have lost six straight, but they've been right there at the end in most of those games, losing in spectacular fashion on several occasions. And with this game being the first without Matt Eberflus, Chicago will likely be fired up to put on a great performance, which would obviously help the Cowboys.

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