As we enter Week 15 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in the thick of the NFC Playoff picture.
After a loss at the Detroit Lions, the Cowboys find themselves on the outside looking in, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Any chance at a playoff berth hinges on Dallas winning all four of their final games, but unfortunately, they also need help from NFC foes.
With four weeks left in the season, the scenarios are still as solid as ice cream in the Texas sun.
There are still so many possibilities, but the most obvious is the Cowboys somehow winning the NFC East should the Eagles’ collapse continue.
Outside of that, the next best scenario is for any other NFC team ahead of them to lose.
This is the Week 15 rooting guide for the Cowboys to sneak into the playoffs, and a handful of AFC teams can help them get closer to that goal.
Raiders (2-11) over Eagles (8-5)
The Philadelphia Eagles are in the middle of another epic late-season collapse, practically mirroring the end of the 2023 season.
Las Vegas is still trying to find a quarterback to lead the offense, and are still trying to find a groove, having only won two games this year.
Cowboys fans can try to talk themselves into the Raiders landing an upset, but the Eagles are still 8-5 with elite talent on each side of the ball.
We can cross our fingers for the Raiders to surprise us all, but I wouldn’t put any money on it.
Broncos (11-2) over Packers (9-3-1)
Here is a game where Cowboys fans can be optimistic about the outcome, and it’s a win-win situation because the Broncos are in the AFC.
Denver has one of the best defenses in the NFL, and it has been proven that good defenses travel well.
Entering Green Bay this weekend to face Jordan Love and the Packers’ offensive attack, the Broncos’ defense will have their hands full.
The Broncos’ front seven can rattle Love in the pocket, so it will be up to Sean Payton, Bo Nix, and the Denver offense to put up points.
I believe that can and will happen, despite former Cowboy Micah Parsons having another monster game to add more weight to his quest for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
If Denver can pull out the victory, it will drop the Packers that much closer to the Cowboys in the NFC standings.
Rams (10-3) over Lions (8-5)
There is no way short of a miracle for the Cowboys to catch the Los Angeles Rams in the standings, so the best bet is for Matthew Stafford and friends to defeat the Detroit Lions.
Detroit is fresh off of a head-to-head victory over the Cowboys, and looking to stay ahead of Dallas in the playoff race.
The Cowboys’ tie with the Packers is actually an advantage because they need only tie their NFC foes in the win column, but automatically win the tiebreaker because the tie is essentially an additional half win.
For the Cowboys to catch the Lions in the win column, the numbers are simple.
Dallas needs to win their final four games, and Detroit needs to lose two, which would give each team 10 wins.
Despite the head-to-head loss, the Cowboys would rank higher because of win percentage.
Saints (3-10) over Panthers (7-6)
This NFC South battle would favor the Cowboys if the Saints could deal the Panthers a loss.
The Panthers and Buccaneers are essentially fighting for the fourth seed in the playoffs because it’s a real possibility the winner of the division would have a record under .500.
Tampa Bay’s loss to Atlanta on Thursday night thrust Carolina into the top spot, but the Cowboys need them to drop at least one of their remaining four games.
Carolina can finish the season at 10-7, but if the Cowboys win out, their 10-6-1 record would thrust them above the Panthers in the standings.
Division games are always tough to call, and for that reason, the Saints shouldn’t be counted out to pull off the upset.
Titans (2-11) over 49ers (9-4)
Here is another AFC team that can cause chaos in the NFC playoff picture with an upset.
Tennessee and rookie QB Cam Ward face a tall task visiting the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.
Robert Saleh’s defense is playing well, and Ward has been hit or miss (more miss) thus far in his inaugural campaign.
The Titans would be doing the Cowboys a huge favor if they somehow pulled off the upset.
To catch San Francisco, Dallas needs the 49ers to drop three of their last four. An upset loss to a two-win Titans team would certainly make that a possibility.
Colts (8-5) over Seahawks (10-3)
Here is the matchup every NFL fan is waiting to see, regardless of what team you root for.
Philip Rivers, now 44 years old, made a comeback to sign with the Indianapolis Colts practice squad after Daniel Jones was lost for the season to an Achilles injury.
Miraculously, not only did Rivers do well in his first practice since 2020, but he is expected to start this Sunday in Seattle.
Rivers’ mettle will surely be tested. His first game in five years will be in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, and against one of the best defenses in the league.
Indianapolis has weapons like Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren for Rivers to throw to.
If anyone can pull of an upset win on the road in a tough environment, it’s Philip Rivers, as he has shown us countless times before.
The Cowboys need the Seahawks to lose their last four to give Dallas the edge in winning percentage.
A Seattle loss here would strengthen those long odds.
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