Well, well, well. Look who turned it around. At 6-5-1 after Week 13, the Cowboys are riding a three-game winning streak that has catapulted them from the dregs of the NFL to the brink of playoff contention. George Pickens is on a 17-game pace of 1,600+ yards and 11 touchdowns, their defense has suddenly picked up its performance, and Dak Prescott is turning in one of his best seasons to date.
But the race isn't over yet. Prior to Week 13, the NFL playoff picture still has Dallas as the ninth seed in the NFC, just a game and change out of the last Wild Card spot. And unfortunately, that distance might be just enough to keep them out. Here's what needs to happen for them to get to the playoffs:
Cowboys road to the postseason
Luckily for Dallas, its schedule to finish out the regular season is an easy one. If they happen to be in the driver's seat of their playoff destiny by season's end (more on that later), the Cowboys would be more than happy. Three easy wins against the reeling Vikings and the bottom two teams in their division put the Cowboys' end-of-season total at 9, while their two other matchups are winnable as well.
The Lions defense has not played up to snuff as of late, and allowed a lesser passing attack in Green Bay put up 31 points on them, and the Chargers might not have the firepower to win an outright shootout with the Cowboys -- not with how Pickens is playing. And if CeeDee Lamb can get his recent bad string of drops under control, well, then no one can keep up with Dallas with its new-and-improved defense. There is a legitimate shot for the Cowboys to finish the 2025 season on an eight game winning streak, and that's something I'd be willing to bet on in a vacuum. And at 11-5-1 to finish their campaign, it'd be hard for them to not make the postseason.
But as for the other Wild Card contenders -- that might be a different story.
The other NFC Wild Card contenders
Chicago Bears
Arguably the toughest division in the NFL is nowhere near decided yet, and while Chicago leads the NFC North, it is only by half a game, and they are a deeply flawed team. The one standout trait that the Bears can boast is one of the best running back duos in the game, and the second-leading time of possession in the entire league.
If they even sniff a lead, few teams are as good at playing keepaway as the Bears are. They can do that at least twice over the final stretch of the season, but with matchups coming against the 49ers, Green Bay (twice), and a finale against what will likely be a desperate Lions team will put them up against too much firepower to do much more than that. Still, a nine-win buffer should be enough to put them in the postseason.
Projected record: 11-6
Green Bay Packers
This is one of the other big ones, and you can bet Micah Parsons will be damned if he allows Green Bay to slip out of the playoffs while the Cowboys make it. Luckily for them, the schedule might be on their side. The Broncos make for a really bad matchup for the Packers' offense through the air, as volatile as it can be sometimes, but every other game is winnable. They'll more than likely split the two matchups they have with Chicago, while packing up a depleted Ravens team and whatever the Vikings have become.
Projected record: 11-5-1
Detroit Lions
Finishing up the NFC North, it is do-or-die time in Detroit. Their defense has steadily regressed to be a middling unit by counting stats, and with their upcoming schedule, Amon-Ra St. Brown missing any amount of time could prove to be fatal. Even if they finish their season with three straight wins against the Steelers, Vikings, and Bears, it might not be enough in such a competitive NFC field.
Projected record: 10-7
Seattle Seahawks
Even if they don't actually lead the NFC West (the other contender fort the NFL's toughest division), you can treat the Seahawks as a division leader. They're sitting comfortably with the top Wild Card spot, and can easily pick up four wins to finish the season against the Vikings, Panthers, Falcons, and a depleted Colts secondary. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that they're the second-most dangerous team in the conference behind Los Angeles.
Projected record: 12-5
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners, injured as they are, are still the perfect mixture of talent, discipline, and world-class coaching. They sit a full 2 games ahead of the Wild Card bubble teams, and are just a half game behind the Packers. Meanwhile, easy wins against the Browns and Titans, mixed with very winnable situations against Chicago and a Sauce Gardner-less Indianapolis could easily bring their own win total to 12 games. Conservatively, and if the Cowboys do pull off an eight-game win streak to finish out the season, they could be in danger -- it's a long shot, but a shot nonetheless.
Projected record: 11-6
Extra note: the NFC South
The NFC South is weird, and so very weak. The Buccaneers are reeling, injured, and are only half a game ahead of the over-performing Panthers for the division crown. There is an outside shot that Carolina could win, but neither team is really talented enough to overtake any of the other Wild Card contenders should the other win the division title.