DALLAS – Here we go again. The Cowboys chances of securing playoffs still exist but are quite slim.
The Dallas team still technically have a reason to dream on when it comes to playoffs. Their record stands at 6-6, and they are in the Wild Card hunt.
On the other hand, Seattle won against Philadelphia on Sunday and the Cowboys’ road to the postseason just got harder.
The Panthers and Seahawks both have a record of 8 wins and 4 defeats, and they are the current owners of the two Wild Card spots.
Atlanta, Green Bay, and Detroit are chasing those Wild Card spots as well as the Cowboys when it comes to standings. Earlier this year, both Falcons and Packers defeated Dallas. If the Cowboys win the remaining games, they could still miss out on the final Wild Card spot that could get them to playoffs.
Some claim that their chances of reaching playoffs are razor thin.
Considering the situation, many have started to wonder whether it would be better for the America’s Team to simply lose out in order to secure a better draft position.
The Cowboys have 4 games to play until the end. They face New York and Oakland, and unfortunately, Ezekiel Elliott will miss both of those clashes. Elliott will, however, be back for the final two duels.
The Cowboys have to win every match, if they lose even one, their story for this season is over. So losing out could actually give more time to players such as Tyron Smith, Sean Lee, La’el Collins and Zack Martin. They are not fully recovered, and they’d have more time to rest up and heal.
Bottom line, do they have anything to play for if the payoffs are out of reach? Isn’t it better to protect star players, especially Smith and Lee, since they are anchors on offense and defense?
Now it seems that chasing a Wild Card spot isn’t such a good option.
Defense-wise the Cowboys’ biggest problem lies in the secondary, and that is so due to the young players. If they were to rest starters such as Orlando Scandrick and Byron Jones they would have a chance to test out players like Kavon Frazier and Chidobe Awuzie.
On top of that, they will have a better draft selection that could potentially bring in some great and talented players. Should the season ended today, the Cowboys would receive the 13th or 14th pick in the draft.
Teams that have lost one more game than Dallas (5-7) will be picking players anywhere from 7th to 12th.
If the Cowboys lose against New York and fall to 6-7, will they really have a chance to make the playoffs? They would technically be three or four games out with four to play.
Therefore we believe that it would make more sense to think about the next year. Getting a high draft pick could really be fantastic for the Cowboys. If it would be another good defensive player, a linebacker in the secondary, per say, that would bolster the defensive line.
We really have nothing against the Cowboys, and we would be more than happy if they could reach the playoffs. But, at the moment, we believe that it is a mission impossible.
