The Cowboys’ Week 5 is already in the books, and now the watching starts.
After falling to 2-3 with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas fans are left doing the same kind of playoff math they’ve been grinding through for much of the 2025 season. The season isn’t over, though the margin for error is shrinking. The Cowboys still have time to climb back into the picture, but they’re going to need some help while they sort out their own problems.
That makes Sunday’s first big game the one Dallas supporters should care about most: the Philadelphia Eagles against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. If Jacksonville, which is 3-1, knocks off Philadelphia, the Cowboys could head into Week 6 tied with the Eagles at 2-3.
There are reasons this matchup matters beyond the standings, too. The Eagles haven’t exactly looked dominant, and they’ve already taken hits up front after losing two offensive linemen. Lane Johnson retired, and Cam Jurgens was traded to the Baltimore Ravens.
Even stranger, the New York Giants are sitting atop the NFC East at 3-1. They’re doing it without starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, which is a reminder of what strong coaching can do for a team.
From there, Dallas fans should keep an eye on Washington. John Harbaugh’s unit is set to face Dan Quinn and the Commanders, and Washington has a legitimate shot to help Dallas’s division outlook.
Jayden Daniels is expected back after dislocating his elbow in the Week 2 loss to the Cowboys, and his return could inject some life into the offense. If Washington wins, it would keep the NFC East title within reach for Dallas.
There’s one more game that matters to Cowboys fans, even if it doesn’t look like a division tilt. Green Bay’s NFC North matchup carries draft implications for Dallas because of the Micah Parsons trade. The Cowboys own the Packers’ first-round pick in 2027, and after the Quinnen Williams trade, Dallas also owes the better of the two picks it now has to the New York Jets.
So every Packers loss can ripple forward for Dallas. If the Cowboys keep sliding, that pick could turn into a premium selection. And the only thing that softens that blow is if Green Bay’s own draft slot stays strong by continuing to lose, too.
In Other News...
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Week 5 Scoreboard To Sweat
At 2-3, the Cowboys are already in the familiar spot of watching the rest of the conference as closely as they watch their own sideline. Week 5 brings the kind of scoreboard math Dallas cant ignore, especially with NFC East results carrying extra weight so early in the season and a handful of other matchups around the league shaping the playoff picture if the Cowboys keep drifting around .500.
The most immediate attention is on the division games that can either help Dallas close ground or make the climb steeper, with Washington set to have a significant piece back in the mix. There is also a deeper layer for Cowboys fans to keep in mind beyond the present standings, since a couple of other games this week have ripple effects tied to future draft capital from past trades, which gives the rooting guide a little more range than your usual early-October scoreboard watch. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Have A Jake Ferguson Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Jake Fergusons rough afternoon fit neatly into a bigger Cowboys problem, because the offense could not afford wasted chances in a game where the defense was already getting pushed around. Ferguson has been a key part of Dallas passing game, but the tight ends recent decline has become hard to ignore since the ACL sprain, and the ball-security issues that have followed him since last season only add to the concern.
The timing makes it sting even more for Dallas, which committed to Ferguson long term after moving Micah Parsons. With guaranteed money now tied up in a player expected to be a stable piece of the offense, the Cowboys need far more than occasional flashes from a position that is supposed to help steady Dak Prescott. Instead, the discussion around Ferguson keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable question the team can no longer dodge. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Sent A Frustrating Message With One Brandon Aubrey Decision
The Cowboys found themselves in a familiar kind of fourth-down debate during their recent game, except this one came with Brandon Aubreys leg in the middle of it. Facing 4th and 10 from the Tampa Bay 47-yard line, Dallas chose to punt rather than trust its kicker from extreme range, a call that spoke as much to game management as it did to confidence in one of the leagues most powerful legs.
Aubreys recent run of blocked and missed long attempts likely hung over the decision, and it left the impression of a staff trying to avoid another costly swing-and-miss in a tight situation. Still, the contrast with Dallas later choosing to go for a two-point conversion only sharpened the debate, because it suggested the Cowboys were willing to take risks, just not that particular one. [Read more 🡒]