Look, if you’re asking can the Dallas Cowboys still make playoffs, I’ve got some tough news for you. The math has officially left the building. As of January 18, 2026, the 2025-2026 NFL regular season is in the rearview mirror, and the Cowboys are watching the postseason from their couches in Frisco.
It’s been a weird, frustrating ride. One week they’re knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles back-to-back, and the next they’re letting J.J. McCarthy look like a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Honestly, the 7-9-1 finish tells you everything you need to know. They were just too inconsistent to survive the NFC gauntlet this year.
Can the Dallas Cowboys still make playoffs this season?
The short answer? No. The window slammed shut in late December. Specifically, after that Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the "miracle scenarios" started disappearing. By the time they kicked off against the Chargers in Week 16, they were already mathematically eliminated.
The Eagles clinched the NFC East with an 11-6 record, and the Wild Card spots were snatched up by the Rams, 49ers, and Packers. Dallas finished second in the division, which sounds okay until you realize they were four games behind Philly and barely stayed ahead of a struggling Washington team.
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Where the 2025 season fell apart
It’s easy to point fingers, but the defense was basically a sieve for most of the year. They gave up 30 points a game on average. You can’t win in this league like that, even with Dak Prescott playing at an MVP level for stretches.
- The Tie: That Week 9 tie against the Cardinals felt like a minor annoyance at the time. In the end, it was the "1" in 7-9-1 that made the tiebreaker math even messier than usual.
- Defensive Meltdowns: They allowed 511 points over 17 games. That’s nearly 30 points every single Sunday.
- The Detroit Disaster: The Week 14 loss to the Lions (44-30) was the beginning of the end. It snapped the momentum from their big November wins and put them in a "must-win" hole they couldn't climb out of.
What went wrong for Brian Schottenheimer’s squad?
This was Schottenheimer’s first year at the helm, and while the offense put up points, the culture on the other side of the ball just wasn't there. After moving on from Matt Eberflus, the search for a new defensive coordinator is now the top priority for Jerry Jones.
Dak Prescott actually stayed healthy and started all 17 games, which is a silver lining. He threw for over 3,900 yards and 26 touchdowns. But when your defense lets Justin Herbert go an entire game without being sacked—which happened in Week 16—you’re asking your quarterback to be perfect. No one is that good.
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The bright spots (if you can call them that)
KaVontae Turpin was a monster in the return game. He set a franchise record with 1,814 kickoff return yards. That sounds great until you realize he got that many chances because the other teams were scoring so often. Still, the man is electric.
Javonte Williams also hit the 1,000-yard mark on the ground before a shoulder/neck injury sidelined him for the finale. The talent is there on offense, but the lack of depth at safety and linebacker eventually caught up to them.
Looking ahead to 2026
Since the playoffs are out of the question, the focus has shifted to the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency. The Cowboys will have an extra home game next year thanks to the NFL’s rotational schedule.
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They already know their 2026 opponents. It’s a brutal list. They’ll be facing the AFC South and the NFC West, meaning games against the Texans, Jaguars, and those powerhouse Rams and Seahawks teams. Seven of their 2026 opponents are currently in the playoffs right now.
If they want to avoid another January of answering can the Dallas Cowboys still make playoffs, they have to fix the defense. Jerry Jones has hinted at being aggressive in free agency, especially since they have some cap flexibility with the way certain contracts are structured.
Actionable steps for the offseason
To get back into the postseason conversation next year, the front office needs to execute a specific checklist.
- Hire a defensive mastermind. The scheme this year was predictable and soft. They need someone who can utilize Micah Parsons better and fix the secondary.
- Address the run defense. Teams bullied them on the ground. They need a true nose tackle who can eat up double teams.
- Secure George Pickens. There's been talk about his extension, and given that he shares an agent with Parsons, those negotiations are going to be a headache. They need to get it done early.
- Draft for depth. The late-season injuries to Malik Davis and DeMarvion Overshown proved that the bench isn't deep enough to sustain a 17-game grind.
The 2025 season is dead and buried. Now, it's about whether they can learn from these mistakes or if we'll be sitting here next January having the exact same conversation.
Evaluate the current 2026 draft order to see where the Cowboys' first-round pick landed after their 7-9-1 finish. Focus on scouting reports for interior defensive linemen and safeties who are projected to be available in the middle of the first round.