Cowboys Win Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive, Wild-Card Climb Remains Steep

Dallas' realistic route is a wild card, with a brutal stretch of opponents raising the bar for any late surge.

Overview

Dallas beat the Raiders 33-16 to move to 4-5-1, staying in the NFC race after Week 11.
The Cowboys sit No. 10 in the conference, effectively out of the NFC East at 3.5 games back of the Eagles and 2.5 behind the final wild-card spot held by the 49ers.
Dak Prescott threw for 268 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, then said the team must “go on a run” to reach the postseason.
The remaining slate features six straight opponents from last season’s playoffs, including the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Vikings and Chargers before road trips to Washington and New York.
Dallas pairs a near league‑best 29.6 points per game with a defense allowing 29.3, and most scenarios require finishing roughly 5-2 to reach a plausible nine-win threshold.