With three games left and the playoffs essentially out of reach, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in unfamiliar territory - playing for pride rather than postseason positioning. But if you think that means the Cowboys are going to roll over and tank for a better draft pick, think again.
Team owner Jerry Jones made it crystal clear during a Tuesday radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan: the Cowboys are still playing to win.
“There will be no tanking in Dallas,” Jones said, emphatically shutting down any notion of the team packing it in. “When I look at the future, our future looks very bright.
I think we've got key players at key positions. We've got some great draft picks ahead of us and we've got some salary cap room to pay it.”
It’s a strong stance from a front office that knows the expectations in Dallas never dip, regardless of the standings. And while the Cowboys sit at 6-7-1 after a gut-punch 34-26 home loss to the Vikings - a team that’s had its own struggles this season - the message from the top is clear: this team isn’t mailing it in.
A Nearly Impossible Path
Let’s be honest - the playoff math is brutal. The only way Dallas gets in is by winning the NFC East, and that scenario is hanging by a thread.
The Philadelphia Eagles are in the driver’s seat at 9-5, with a favorable schedule ahead that includes two games against the Washington Commanders and one against the Buffalo Bills. For the Cowboys to leapfrog them, they’d need to run the table - beating the Chargers, Commanders, and Giants - and hope the Eagles lose out.
That’s a long shot, and that’s being generous. But that hasn’t stopped Dak Prescott from rallying the locker room.
The veteran quarterback has issued a challenge to his teammates, pushing them to finish strong despite the steep odds. It’s the kind of leadership you want to see from your franchise cornerstone, even when the postseason door is nearly shut.
Prescott and Jones appear to be on the same page - keep fighting, keep competing, and let the chips fall where they may. Whether that unity translates into wins remains to be seen, but it does speak to the culture the Cowboys are trying to build.
Looking Ahead - Without Looking Away
Jones’ comments about the future weren’t just lip service. The Cowboys do have foundational pieces in place.
They’ve got talent at premium positions, a promising upcoming draft class, and enough cap flexibility to make some moves this offseason. That’s not nothing - especially in a league where the margin between mediocrity and contention is razor-thin.
But none of that matters if the team doesn’t finish the season with the kind of effort and accountability that sets the tone for next year. That’s why these final three games matter, even if the playoff implications don’t. It’s about evaluating who’s still locked in, who’s still battling, and who’s going to be part of the solution moving forward.
The Cowboys may be out of the race, but they’re not out of fight. And in a season that hasn’t gone according to plan, that mindset could be one of the few wins left to claim.