Cowboys Playoff Chance Vs. Tank Chance
FRISCO - On the one hand, there is a damning historical number that will now chase around the Dallas Cowboys for the remainder of this likely-lost 2020 NFL season: They are 2-6.
Since the NFL expanded its playoffs in 1990, 112 teams have started 2-6. The total number of those 112 teams to rebound and make the playoffs?
None.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum of hope, thanks to their 23-9 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, the Cowboys are presently positioned to have a top-six pick in April's NFL Draft.
The Jets are 0-8, the Giants, Jags and Texans (whose pick is owned by the Dolphins) are 1-7. Dallas and Atlanta are 2-6 ... and strength-of-schedule is the tiebreaker there, so - despite the Cowboys' "Watermelon Kick'' win over the Falcons - presently the Cowboys are in the No. 5 slot.
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This can mean some wonderful things come April; Dallas is coming off a draft that seems likely its delivered a number of building blocks, including first-round receiver CeeDee Lamb and second-round cornerback Trevon Diggs.
But April is a long, long way away.
"We clearly understand what the loss does to us,'' Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. "But we had some fine individual performances. Some things we can build off of. But we took steps in the right direction in a number of components of our football team.”
Maybe. But the Cowboys took two other directional steps: Away from the NFL Playoffs. And toward a higher pick in the NFL Draft.
