The Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers got us started in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL Season. The Buccaneers started a rookie quarterback in Jalon Daniels, and it's not like the Cowboys don't have an awesome offense.
This was very much shaping up to be a Cowboys primetime victory at home until it wasn't. Somehow, someway, the Cowboys dropped one of the more disappointing losses you'll see in today's NFL. Not only should this team have beaten the Bucs even if Baker Mayfield was healthy, but this was doubly true with Tampa Bay starting a rookie QB.
With the Cowboys now 2-3 on the season and sporting, once again, one of the worst defenses in the sport, you really want to sit back and take a big-picture look at the NFC, as it's pretty clear that the conference is wide open.
The Dallas Cowboys might not be close to a playoff-caliber team following Week 5 loss
Let's start with the NFC East - despite Dallas having the best overall unit in the division, their offense, the defense again being horrific really makes you struggle to see how they could win the division. In 2025, they had a great offense, a bad defense, and missed the playoffs.
The three other NFC East teams are all dysfunctional for one reason or another. And in the NFC South, the Buccaneers division, while the Carolina Panthers seem to be the favorite, they're just 2-2 and also have a struggling defense. Just like that, half of the conference doesn't stick out to you.
Of those eight teams in the NFC East and NFC South, which club truly has what it takes to make a deep playoff run...?
And when you look to the NFC North, things get just as ridiculous. The Detroit Lions are another team in the conference that has an awesome offense but rather hard-to-watch defense. Chicago is without their starting QB, Green Bay is dealing with a ton of injuries, and Minnesota does not at all scare you on offense.
Once again, I'll ask - which club in the NFC North truly has what it takes to make a deep playoff run?
Finally, the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 but dealing with a metric-ton of injuries, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford looks like a shell of his 2025 self, and the Rams are 2-2 as a result, and the Seattle Seahawks appear to be fine, but did lose key talent in the offseason that could derail their hopes of making a deep playoff run. Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Seahawks also lost players like Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe, along with former offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak.
While it is still early, and most teams have 13 regular season games left, it's abundantly clear that the NFC just does not sport many legitimate contenders this year, and the Cowboys Week 5 loss definitely began to prove that.
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