From losing streak to hopium? Dallas Cowboys shockingly plan to make playoff run by winning out

Just the thought of it defies logic.

But the Dallas Cowboys are not only thinking it, they are openly talking about it.

Yes, the Cowboys, whose fan base had even given up on the season amid a five-game losing streak and already putting their hopes in dreams in getting a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, are suddenly allowing themselves to dream about the playoffs.

Never mind that the Cowboys (4-7) have not won a home game this season and tied for the third worst record in the NFC.

Never mind that franchise quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for the season three weeks ago after having surgery to repair a torn hamstring.

And never mind that the Cowboys have still have just a four percent chance of making the playoffs, according to Next Gen Stats.

Following last Sunday’s 34-26 victory against the Washington Commanders, their first win since a 20-17 victory at Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 6, the Cowboys got a new pep in their step and are brazenly talking about sweeping their final six games of the season, continuing with Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day battle against the New York Giants (2-9).

“That’s the plan. As a football player, as a competitor, we want to win games,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “We saw we were playing good ball the last few weeks. Everything as a team, it wasn’t coming together. It came together in a better way last week, and I feel like that gave us the belief to say, ‘We all can play good ball and win out.'”

The Cowboys certainly should feel good about their chances of getting of finally getting a win at home with the Giants next up on the schedule. The Cowboys have won seven straight the series and 14 of the last 15, including a 20-15 victory earlier this season at the Giants.

But they also feel good about the improvements they made on the defense. They are finally getting comfortable in the new scheme of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

And star edge rusher Micah Parsons has been a dominant force since returning two games ago after missing four games with a high ankle sprain.

“It feels like that because we know what we’re doing,” Lewis said when asked if he sees a light at the end of the tunnel. “We know what we’re doing, and guys are playing hard. We’re executing the right way from all 11 of us on the field. So it feels good. … We’ve been pretty good historically in the past. So we definitely have that confidence in each other that we can go out there and finish games.”

It helps that next four opponents have losing records. Following the Giants, they host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), play at the Carolina Panthers (4-7) and host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) before ending the season at the Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) and home against the Commanders (7-5).

Parsons made it clear after the Washington game that tanking for a high pick was not on his agenda.

“I’m not done yet. I don’t plan on tanking,” Parsons said. “If the higher-ups are looking for a draft pick, I hope that’s ruined, because we got a lot of football left to play. As long as I’m a part of this team, we’re always going to fight.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy acknowledges that the team is deservingly feeling good about themselves after being in the dumps of a five-game losing streak.

But he says they still have a long way to go.

“We’re still pretty far down in the valley of adversity right now,” McCarthy said. “We’ve made one step in the right direction. We’ve still got a lot of climbing to do. It was great to get some wind under our wings and start that. This Thursday game comes on you so fast. It really does. The rest and recovery I think is critical. You learn that over time of how the planning and training of the team to get ready for this game. So that’s really where my mind is and my heart is, too, because I do know how important it is for this locker room. Because we need this game. We recognize that. The urgency’s there. But we’ve got a long ways to go.”