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Cowboys Officially Eliminated From Playoff Contention for Second Straight Year
With the Eagles’ 29-18 win over the Commanders on Saturday, the Cowboys (6-7-1) have officially been eliminated from postseason contention for the second straight season.
Philadelphia clinched a playoff berth and the NFC East with the victory that ended Dallas’s slim hopes. The Cowboys are on a two-game skid with losses to the Lions and Vikings over the past two weeks, which left their only path to the postseason as winning the division. Since the Eagles are now the NFC East winner for the second year in a row, the Cowboys are mathematically eliminated.
The Cowboys are officially OUT of the playoffs for the second straight year pic.twitter.com/x38xL68iG8
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 21, 2025
The disappointing season comes in the wake of the messy breakup between the franchise and star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who owner Jerry Jones traded to the Packers before the season. Green Bay currently has a 90% shot to make the playoffs according to Next Gen Stats, although Parsons tore his ACL last Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. Upon arrival with the Packers, he signed a four-year, $188 million extension with the franchise. He finished his first season in Green Bay with 41 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The 12.5 sacks are tied for third in the NFL.
Dallas’s defense has struggled this season, letting up 30 points per game, which is only better than the 4-10 Bengals. As a unit, the Cowboys are allowing 374.9 yards per game, a mark that’s better than only the Bengals, Commanders and Giants.
The Cowboys won three games in a row before their current two-game losing streak, which has now shut the door on any playoff hopes.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.