After what happened to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, most people believe it does not look good for the franchise in 2026.
The Cowboys lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-16 to start Week 5, with some disastrous performances. Dallas’ defense allowed 419 yards and nearly 40 minutes of possession. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, but the Cowboys’ receivers dropped both and several other passes before and after.
That leaves the Cowboys at 2-3 and facing big problems they need to fix if they want to win the NFC East. The division might still give him a real shot at winning it, though.
Dallas Cowboys Might Still Have a Shot at Winning the NFC East in 2026
In Week 5, none of the other NFC East teams won. The Philadelphia Eagles mirrored the Cowboys, scoring a field goal with eight seconds left and giving up a big kickoff return that set up a game-winning field goal for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As for the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, they went to overtime, and after a Cam Skattebo fumble, the Commanders got a chance to win after driving downfield to get into field goal range. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels then ran the ball up the middle with no timeouts and got on the ground with eight seconds left. After that, Washington moved too slowly and couldn’t spike the ball in time, leading to a 27-27 tie.
This marked NFL history: the first time no team in a division won a game in a week that included two divisional teams playing each other. ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer shared how this actually helped the Cowboys out.
“ESPN Analytics gives the Cowboys a 63% chance at winning the NFC East. They are one of four teams with a better than 60% chance of winning the division. San Francisco (89%), Jacksonville (87%) and Kansas City (79%) are the others. They have combined for just three losses; the Cowboys are 2-3.”
The Giants currently lead the NFC East with a 3-1-1 record. Dallas and Philly are tied for second at 2-3, but the Eagles own the tiebreaker. Washington is last at 1-3-1.
Cowboys Have the Best Odds to Win NFC East in 2026
If the Cowboys want to get back into the NFC East race, they will have to fix a lot. Their biggest problem right now is their defense, which has historically struggled. The hope is that key starters like DeMarvion Overshown and Cobie Durant can return from injury to give them more depth.
Dallas’ offense just needs to clean up the dropped passes. The running game also needs to be more consistent throughout games.
The coaching staff has changed, with Mike Pettine hired. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer also said roster changes are coming.
Dallas knows it has a real shot at winning the NFC East and will do whatever it takes to do it. The hope is that these changes will turn the season around.
NFC East’s Week 5 Dud Opened Unexpected Door for Cowboys in 2026