Will the Dallas Cowboys Make the Playoffs?

After a hot start, the Dallas Cowboys have faded — will they make the NFL playoffs?

The Dallas Cowboys did not play on Sunday. Instead, the Cowboys were on the road in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, playing at a place that has always given them trouble. In fact, just a year ago, the Cowboys travelled up to Chicago in need of a win on a Monday night. In that game, Josh McCown threw all over the Cowboys and the Bears won 45-28.  However, 2014 was a different story. Coming off a beatdown at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys got back on track by beating the Bears 41-28.

At one time this season, the Cowboys were 6-1 and the main reason why was because of their success on the ground. DeMarco Murray ran for at least 100 yards eight times to start the season. In Week 8, the Cowboys hosted a bad Washington Redskins team on Monday night. Instead of beating up on them, the Redskins blitzed and blitzed and blitzed. In that game, Tony Romo left the game with what was thought of as a serious back injury, which was extremely concerning considering he had a second major back surgery over the offseason.

The Redskins won the game because they outplayed and outschemed the Cowboys. Washington showed the NFL how to beat the Cowboys. Although Romo’s injury wasn’t that significant, Dallas kept him out of their next game against the Arizona Cardinals. At the time, the Cardinals were playing excellent football. Brandon Weeden started that game and he was horrible. Because of Weeden’s incompetency on offense, the Cowboys dropped their second straight game by losing to the Cardinals.

In need of a win, albeit playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Romo suited up for the Cowboys. In that game, the Cowboys coasted to a 31-17 victory. In Week 11, Dallas would have their bye week before playing two divisional games in a row against the New York Giants and their first go-around with the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Giants were losers of five in a row at the time, records always go out the window when teams in the NFC East match up, as the Cowboys saw in Week 8 against Washington. Although the Giants outplayed the Cowboys throughout much of the night, Romo was able to drive down the field late in the game and hook up with Dez Bryant in the back of the endzone for the go-ahead score.

Just four days later, on Turkey Day, the Cowboys got absolutely obliterated by the Eagles 33-10. The good thing for Dallas is that they would have their chance at redemption just two weeks later on the road in Philadelphia. With Eagles losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, a team the Cowboys already beat and at home for that matter, the Cowboys, despite their loss to the Eagles, have a chance to be in first place after Week 15. Obviously, getting over the 8-8 hump is something to be proud of for the Cowboys. However, the Cowboys are in the midst of the NFC playoff race, and while finishing the year with at least nine wins is nice, it’s not something that matters much to Dallas.

Over the next three games, the Cowboys will go on the road to play the Eagles. From there, they will host the Indianapolis Colts. After that game, the Cowboys will end their season on the road against the Redskins. Dallas is 5-0 on the road in 2014. This just goes to show how mentally-tough Jason Garrett’s football team is. The reality is that the Cowboys are better away from Jerry’s World. That being said, the good news for Dallas is that two out of their remaining three games will be on the road.

When the Cowboys run the ball and establish themselves on offense, their defense is significantly better. When you look at Dallas’ defense this year from last year, the main difference is that this year’s unit has been off the field for longer. Because of the Cowboys’ success in the running game and their ability to sustain drives, their defense has replenished faster, which is something that is needed for them considering how thin they are.

Crazily enough, the Cowboys are in prime position to make the postseason. If the Cowboys make the playoffs, it will be their first time playing January football since 2009. Sure the Cowboys’ Week 15 matchup will tell a lot of things, but Dallas looked like a different team on Thursday night. Granted they did play the Bears, Dallas looked like the team we saw for the first seven weeks of the season. After taking care of business against the Bears, the Cowboys are looking forward to their Week 15 rematch against the Eagles.

Obviously, it will be easier said than done, but if the Cowboys beat the Eagles, there isn’t any doubt in my mind that they will make it to the postseason. The Cowboys control their own destiny. If they keep winning football games, Dallas will find themselves in unfamiliar territory in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. For a team that was projected to go around 3-13 this year, maybe Garrett is deserving of being named Coach of the Year.

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