NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

How the Dallas Cowboys Can Still Make the Playoffs

By Joel Childers

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

Aug 29, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) in the pocket during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. Minnesota won 28-14. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Following Week 10 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys are sitting at 2-7 and riding a seven game losing streak. Most 2-7 teams would start turning their attention towards college prospects as they prepare for one of the top picks in the draft, but not these Dallas Cowboys. They still believe that they can make the playoffs, and they still believe that they can win it all.

ALSO ON SPINZONE: Dallas Cowboys 30 Greatest All-Time Draft Picks

This week Dallas quarterback Tony Romo Tweeted out a clip from the movie Major League that got Dallas fans everywhere pretty stinkin’ excited:

This Tweet sends a very clear message: Romo is coming back and he’s coming back with a vengeance.

After suffering a broken collarbone in Week 2, Romo has missed the team’s last seven games. Dallas has lost each one of these games. Now, Romo is expected to return from his injury to face the Dolphins in Week 11, and he’s planning on going undefeated for the rest of the season. In fact, that seems to be the only chance Dallas has at making the playoffs.

For their part, Dallas seems more than capable of winning the final seven games on their schedule this season. They have games against the Dolphins, Panthers, Packers, Jets, Bills, and two matchups against their divisional rival Washington Redskins. None of these teams are push-overs, but none of them are unbeatable either.

More from Dallas Cowboys

The scariest games seem to be against the Panthers and Packers, but the Packers have struggled mightily in recent weeks and it seems hard to imagine that the Panthers will be able to continue to stay undefeated. This week Dallas will visit a Miami Dolphins team that has one of the worst run defenses in the league. That should mean big things for a resurgent Darren McFadden and the Dallas running game, and if McFadden can get going then Romo will find some room to throw downfield.

Dallas follows that up with arguably their toughest matchup of the season: a Thanksgiving Day showdown with the currently undefeated Carolina Panthers. If the Panthers are 10-0 heading into that game, Dallas will be in a perfect position to give them their first letdown of the season. While the Cowboys struggled last Thanksgiving, Tony Romo previously had a 6-1 Thanksgiving day record, throwing for 18 touchdowns and only 6 picks. He’ll look to have a similar performance against Carolina.

Week 13 sees Dallas entering their first of two matchups with the Washington Redskins, a team Dallas should be able to beat. Kirk Cousins looked great last week against New Orleans, but the Dallas front line should be able to get pressure on him and force him into mistakes. Dallas’ talented offense will be able to expose an over-performing Washington D.

The Packers seem scary on paper, but have not been scary on the field lately, so the Green Bay game shouldn’t be as worrisome as it was once thought to be. Games against the Jets and Bills could be tough as these teams have stout defenses, but if Romo can get his offense going, neither Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tyrod Taylor will be able to keep up.

It’s far from a certainty, but the idea of the Cowboys winning their next seven games is certainly not unthinkable. The problem is, at last place in the NFC East, the Cowboys are going to need some help from the rest of the league if they hope to make the playoffs. In particular, they’re going to need their NFC East opponents to lose quite a few games through the final stretch of this season. Here’s what the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins need to do for Dallas to get into the postseason.

Next: What Dallas Needs From the Giants

Home/Dallas Cowboys