Cowboys Playoff Chances: Dallas’ Quest to Make Postseason

The Cowboys sit in prime position to make the 2019 NFL playoffs. Heading into their big matchup against the Eagles, the Cowboys are one game ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East and are currently the No. 4 seed in the conference.

Football Outsiders’ projections give the Cowboys a 78.9 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 73.6 percent chance to win the division. Dallas has the best chance to secure the No. 4 seed at 54.3 percent. The Cowboys have an 18.4 percent chance to get the No. 3 seed and just a .9 percent chance at the No. 2 position. Dallas is given a .6 percent chance of getting the No. 5 spot and a 4.8 percent chance at the No. 6 seed.

Five Thirty Eight’s projections are even more bullish on the Cowboys postseason push. The projections give the Cowboys an 81 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 73 percent chance to win the NFC East. Based on the computer projections, the Cowboys have a three percent chance to win the Super Bowl.

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The Cowboys Offense Is on the Rise Since Adding Amari Cooper

The Cowboys have looked like a different team, particularly on offense, since making a mid-season trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper. The wideout’s presence has opened up the entire offense to go with one of the best defenses in the league. NFL.com broke down the numbers of how the Cowboys offense has improved since making the move.

Since adding Cooper in Week 8 (the team’s bye week), the Cowboys have improved in points per game (from 20.0 to 21.4), total yards per game (320.0 to 348.8), pass yards per game (183.1 to 224.2) and third-down percentage (31.9 to 48.5).

Not to mention, Prescott and Elliott have seen their individual games surge with Cooper on the field. For instance, Prescott’s completion percentage (from 62.1 to 72.8), pass yards per game (202.4 to 251.8), touchdown-to-interception ratio (8:4 to 6:1) and passer rating (87.4 to 105.9) have all significantly improved since Cooper joined the squad, per Next Gen Stats.

Digging deeper into the stat sheet, Prescott has completed 75 percent of his throws directed to Cooper, while posting an average of 10.6 yards per attempt, a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 123.3 passer rating. By comparison, Prescott has only completed 65.7 percent of his throws to the Cowboys’ other receivers, resulting in an average of 6.9 yards per attempt, an 11:4 TD-to-INT ratio and a 92.0 passer rating.

Dak Prescott noted the team’s mindset has remained the same.

“We’re not necessarily thinking about we’re getting chased now,” Prescott told Fox Sports. “Our backs were against the wall a few weeks ago and they haven’t changed. This is a team that looks to go out there every week and put that on display every week.”

After the Eagles, the Cowboys are likely to be favored in every game they play the rest of the season. The Cowboys go on the road in Week 15 to take on the Colts. Dallas hosts Tampa Bay in Week 16 before ending the season on the road against the Giants in Week 17.

Heading into Week 14, the No. 4 Cowboys would host the No. 5 Seahawks on the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs.

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