Predicting the Cowboys' next four games after disappointing 3-3 start

With an embarrassing 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6, the Dallas Cowboys dropped to a disappointing 3-3. And the bye week did them no favors as it pertains to the NFC East race, as they watched both the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles pick up victories.

In regards to the overall NFC playoff picture, the Cowboys currently sit in the No. 10 slot with the Eagles (4-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) currently ahead of them in the race for the final wild-card spot, which currently belongs to the Chicago Bears (4-2).

To state the blatantly obvious, the Cowboys need to win some more football games if they're going to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, starting with Sunday night's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

It's strange to say, but the Niners are actually the easiest opponent America's Team will face over the next five weeks, at least in terms of wins and losses. At 3-4, San Francisco is the only team the Cowboys play that currently has a losing record.

We won't get into the Week 12 matchup with the Commanders just yet, but we will attempt to predict how Dallas will fare against the 49ers, Atlanta Falcons (Week 9), Philadelphia Eagles (Week 10), and Houston Texans (Week 11).

Things can obviously change between now and when the Cowboys take on the Falcons, Eagles, and Texans, especially with the trade deadline looming. But, for now, we'll look at things as if they were squaring off with those franchises as they currently stand. So, let's get to it.

Week 8 at San Francisco 49ers

lf the Cowboys were playing a 49ers team that was at full strength, this Week 8 contest between the longtime rivals might look something like what happened against the Lions.

But the Niners are clearly not at full strength right now, and their record reflects it. Christian McCaffrey still hasn't played a single down this season, and Brandon Aiyuk just saw his season come to an end after suffering a devastating knee injury against the Kansas City Chiefs.

And even the stars they do have left, minus Brock Purdy, anyway, are banged up. Deebo Samuel was hospitalized with pneumonia and is questionable for Sunday's game. George Kittle is battling a foot injury. Nick Bosa has been limited in practice with an elbow issue. Jordan Mason is still dealing with a shoulder problem. Trust me; I could keep going.

It's not that the Cowboys don't have injury issues of their own, as Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland have already been ruled out. But from an overall standpoint, Dallas is still the healthier team here. And they simply must take advantage. And, honestly, I think they will.

The Niners' defense has allowed at least 329 total yards in each of their last three outings and has given up an average of 25.3 points per game. Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense need to be aggressive early. If the Cowboys can jump out to an early advantage, I think the defense has enough to hold it, given the 49ers' offensive absences and overall issues.

It'll still be closer than it probably should be, but we'll call a 24-17 win here.

Week 9 at Atlanta Falcons

It's hard to know what to make of the Falcons at this point. There are weeks where they look fantastic and others where they look downright dreadful. Look no further than the 20-point loss they took to the Seahawks in Week 7 for proof of the latter.

Honestly, I think this is another game the Cowboys can win. The Atlanta defense is allowing 336.1 yards per game, and Prescott can exploit that. The key, of course, is limiting turnovers, which can obviously be applied to any game we're talking about here.

Like the Falcons as a whole, Kirk Cousins has had an up-and-down season. After his four-touchdown performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, he's only thrown two touchdowns since and tossed a pair of interceptions in the loss to the Seahawks.

The key, though, might not be stopping the Falcons' passing game. Led by Bijan Robinson, Atlanta is averaging 119.6 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are giving up 143.2 yards on the ground per game, the fifth-most in the NFL. So, it'll certainly be interesting to see how that matchup plays out.

Ultimately, I see a shootout happening here, with the Cowboys just squeaking out a 35-31 win. Yes, I do actually believe Dallas is capable of scoring 30-plus points, even if this team hasn't done so since Week 1.

Week 10 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 10 marks just the second divisional matchup for America's Team and their first of two meetings with the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be coming off of what should be an easy victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As it stands now, I don't like this matchup for the Cowboys. And it really has nothing to do with the fact that they've yet to win a game at home this season, although that's certainly not helpful.

While the Eagles haven't had to face tough opponents in recent weeks, earning victories over the Browns and Giants, they seem to be getting themselves into a nice rhythm.

Jalen Hurts has been highly efficient recently and earned respective passer ratings of 126.1 and 119.3 in those two victories. Saquon Barkley continues to thrive in a new uniform and should be able to shred the Dallas run defense.

As for the Eagles' defense, it's been solid most of the season. There was the hiccup in Week 4 against the Bucs when Philly allowed 445 total yards and 33 points, both season worsts. But, overall, they've been steady, allowing just 19.2 points per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.

I see the Birds walking out of AT&T Stadium with a 28-17 victory.

Week 11 vs. Houston Texans

Here's how good the Houston Texans are, folks.

In Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers, C.J. Stroud completed just 10 of 21 passes for a career-low 86 yards. Plus, in addition to not having wide receivers Nico Collins and Robert Woods, Houston was without five defensive starters. And it still took a last-second field goal from Brandon McManus to beat them.

Sorry, everyone, but the Cowboys aren't winning this home game either.

Dallas can and will put up some points in this game, as Houston is in the middle of the pack defensively, allowing 22.7 points per game. But the Texans are just going to score more.

The world witnessed what a balanced offensive attack can do against an average Dallas defense in the Detroit game. And that's exactly what the Texans are bringing to this matchup. Stroud certainly won't struggle like he did against Green Bay. And if Joe Mixon can stay healthy and continue to do what he's been doing, it's going to be a long day for Mike Zimmer's unit.

We'll go with a semi-shootout here, with the Cowboys ultimately taking a 34-24 defeat.

Whether these results play out this way or not, the fact remains that the Cowboys must, at the very least, split these next four games if they want to have any chance at the postseason.

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