The Dallas Cowboys hit a new low on Monday night as they fell to the Arizona Cardinals to drop to 3-5-1 on the season going into their bye. With the NFC proving to be extremely deep, this was a must-have game for Dallas, and they got thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball.
The 27-17 final score would look a lot worse if not for a Sam Williams blocked punt that Marshawn Kneeland recovered for a touchdown.
Already with a thin margin for error before kickoff, the Cowboys will have to come close to running the table to sneak into the playoffs. That is the mindset of Dak Prescott, though Prescott acknowledged that the Cowboys have no one but themselves to blame for being in this position.
Every game is a must-win going forward ... when you put yourself behind like we have, it's even more that case," Prescott said. "It's now or never."
Dak Prescott said the quiet part out loud about Cowboys' season after ugly Week 9 loss
Looking at the NFC playoff picture, the Cowboys will likely need 10 wins to get into the tournament unless the conference completely unravels. That would require them to win seven of their last eight games.
A winnable game against the Raiders awaits Dallas after the bye, but the subsequent stretch is a bear, featuring tilts versus the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, and Chargers. The latter two teams are beatable, but so were the Cardinals. The Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions are three of the best teams in the NFL. They should handle business against Dallas.
Even one upset in that three-game gauntlet might not be enough to save the season. That's the position the Cowboys are in because they dropped winnable games against the Bears, Panthers, and Cardinals. Even a win over the Packers in Week 4 instead of a tie would help ever so slightly.
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If the season ended today, Dallas would own the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are closer to having a top-10 pick than being in playoff contention. That is arguably who they've been the entire time, but now the offense has started to show some warts after looking unstoppable in the first seven weeks.
The Cowboys can compete with any of the aforementioned teams on their schedule if the offense gets things figured out during the bye. But as we've learned, that formula isn't sustainable nor conducive to winning.
Prescott hit the nail on the head that every game is a must-win. However, he needs to pass that message along throughout the locker room, because a lot of players looked like they quit in the second half before the team showed signs of life in the fourth quarter.