After a rollercoaster stretch that briefly reignited playoff hopes, the Dallas Cowboys saw their postseason dreams officially extinguished on Saturday night. With the Philadelphia Eagles clinching the NFC East for the second straight season behind a 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders, Dallas is now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Let’s rewind for a moment. When the Cowboys limped into their Week 10 bye at 3-5-1, the outlook was bleak.
But what followed was a burst of life that had fans wondering if a miracle run was in the works. First, they handled business with a 33-16 win over the struggling Raiders on Monday Night Football.
Then came the stunner: a comeback from a 21-0 hole to beat the Eagles 24-21 in Week 12. Four days later, they edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Thanksgiving Day, pushing their record to 6-5-1 and injecting real energy into the playoff conversation.
Meanwhile, the Eagles started to stumble. After falling to Dallas, they dropped another one to the Bears, 24-15, tightening the NFC East race.
But just when it looked like the door might be opening for the Cowboys, they ran into a buzzsaw in Detroit. A 44-30 loss to the Lions on Thursday Night Football halted their momentum - and the timing couldn’t have been worse.
Philly dropped a third straight game that same week, losing 22-19 to the Chargers, but Dallas couldn’t capitalize.
The following week only widened the gap. The Eagles rebounded in dominant fashion, blanking the Raiders 31-0 to move to 9-5.
Dallas, on the other hand, couldn’t keep pace, falling 34-26 to the Vikings and slipping to 6-7-1. That set up a near-impossible scenario: win out and hope Philly lost out.
That hope didn’t last long.
Saturday night’s game in Washington was the final nail. The Commanders actually took a 10-7 lead into halftime, showing some early fight.
But once Marcus Mariota exited with a hand injury, the offense sputtered. Veteran Josh Johnson stepped in but couldn’t get much going, finishing 5-of-9 for just 43 yards and a pick.
Washington managed a late touchdown and two-point conversion, but it was too little, too late.
The Eagles, meanwhile, found another gear in the second half. Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley, and rookie Tank Bigsby all found the end zone, and Barkley was especially effective, racking up 132 yards on 21 carries in a throwback performance. Jalen Hurts didn’t need to be flashy - he was efficient and in control, completing over 73 percent of his passes for 185 yards and two scores.
With the win, Philadelphia became the first team in over 20 years to win back-to-back NFC East titles - a remarkable feat in a division known for its parity. For the Cowboys, it’s a bitter pill. Despite a midseason surge that showed flashes of what could’ve been, they’ll be watching the postseason from home for the second year in a row.
Now sitting at 6-8-1, Dallas has nothing left to play for but pride and evaluation. The final games of the season will be about setting the tone for 2026 - figuring out who’s part of the solution and who might not be. The playoff chase is over, but the work is just beginning.