The Cowboys’ week has already gone sideways, but there’s still a scoreboard path that could make Sunday look a little better for Dallas fans.
That starts, of course, with the Cowboys taking care of business Monday night in Philadelphia. With Dallas sitting at 2-4 after losses to the Bucs and Packers, the stakes are about more than just avoiding another loss. The division race is still open, the tiebreakers matter, and a three-game skid would only drag the mood down further.
Beyond that, Week 7 offers a handful of results Dallas can live with - and a few they should actively want.
In the NFC East, Houston beating the Giants would do the most obvious work for Dallas. The Texans have won two in a row after an 0-4 start, and their latest win came against the previously 4-1 Jaguars.
Now they get the Giants, who are coming off a loss to the Saints and had already tied Washington in a game that probably should’ve been a loss. That kind of momentum swing helps Dallas as it tries to catch New York in the division race.
Washington is off this week.
Elsewhere in the NFC, there are a few clear rooting interests. Atlanta over San Francisco fits the week’s logic, even if the 49ers are 6-0 and probably beyond the Cowboys’ reach when it comes to eventual NFC playoff seeding.
Tampa Bay beating Carolina also works, though the Bucs’ head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas is already a problem. Still, Carolina leads the NFC South right now and feels more relevant to the Cowboys’ January picture than a Tampa team sitting at 1-5.
Detroit over Green Bay may be the most important one of that bunch. The Packers’ tiebreaker edge over Dallas looms larger in a wild card race, and Green Bay is heating up with three straight wins. The Lions knocking them down would be a welcome reset for Cowboys fans.
The cross-conference slate is where the usual AFC-rooting rules mostly hold. The Patriots and Bears are one of those matchups where the answer depends on what matters most.
If this were more about the 2027 draft, Dallas would want New England to lose because the Cowboys own the Patriots’ seventh-round pick. But Chicago is 4-2 and looks like a real playoff threat, so the 2026 picture takes priority.
New Orleans over Pittsburgh is another easy one. The Saints don’t look like much of a threat in the NFC, while the Steelers owe Dallas a fourth-round pick next April. As the source of help goes, Pittsburgh losses are never a tough sell for Cowboys fans.
The rest of the AFC side follows the usual pattern: Colts over Vikings, Broncos over Cardinals, Raiders over Rams, and Chiefs over Seahawks. Lots of useful possibilities are on the board this week - but for Dallas, the whole thing still begins with Monday night in Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Cowboys Mourn The Loss Of One Of Their Most Dependable Legends
Cornell Green, one of the most dependable players in Cowboys history, has died at 86, leaving behind a rsum that still reads like a standard for durability and consistency in Dallas. A defensive back for the franchise from 1962 to 1974, Green built his legacy on more than accolades, earning five Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro nods and a place on the 1972 Super Bowl championship team.
What set Green apart in a way that still stands out today was the reliability he brought every season, never missing a game across his 13-year career. He remains tied for fifth in Cowboys history with 34 interceptions, another reminder of how much he meant to a defense that relied on him year after year. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Looks Worse With 49ers Looming Again
The Cowboys latest loss to Green Bay only sharpened the attention on what comes next, because San Francisco is back on the schedule and still carries the kind of weight that has followed Dallas since those playoff exits in 2022 and 2023. With the 49ers again looming as a measuring stick, the old Trey Lance trade has a way of resurfacing too, especially when the discussion turns from what Dallas gave up to what it got in return.
Lance never had much of a runway in Dallas before his rookie contract ran out, and the move has become harder to defend as the years have passed. The draft pick the Cowboys sent to San Francisco has already helped the 49ers in a meaningful way, giving them another useful defensive piece while Dallas is left to wonder whether the swing ever had a real chance of paying off. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Could Face A Much Tougher Eagles Offense Monday Night
The Cowboys may be staring at a tougher assignment on Monday night than the recent version of Philadelphias offense has presented. Saquon Barkley is expected to return to practice Thursday and is trending toward playing for the Eagles against Dallas, a notable development for a team still trying to strengthen its playoff position.
Barkley has been sidelined for multiple games this season because of injuries, including a hamstring issue that knocked him out of Weeks 5 and 6. His availability would change the way the Eagles can attack, and it gives Dallas a different kind of problem to solve than the one it has faced while he has been out. [Read more 🡒]