The Dallas Cowboys are sitting at 3-5-1 as they exit the bye week, with a gauntlet remaining schedule making a path to the playoffs seem near impossible. With eight games remaining, the Cowboys are likely looking at needing at least six, if not seven wins down the stretch to have a good chance at making the dance.
Of course, the key to it all will be winning while the myriad of teams ahead of them in the standings lose. Thankfully, the playoff picture is dominated by teams from the NFC North and NFC West, which means that head-to-head matchups could lead to some teams tumbling quickly, especially if squads are able to sweep their way to division titles. On a week by week basis, there is rooting interest in games that don’t have the Cowboys on the field.
On the flip side, the more likely reality is that the Cowboys are going to miss the playoffs. A team that hasn’t won consecutive games all season going 7-1 across a streak where they’ll face four straight teams that won at least 14 games last season is a laughable hopium take. So while the optimists root for a miracle run, the realists know that Dallas getting a higher draft pick is likely the more beneficial outcome, even if rooting for losses is anti-fan.
Current Draft Order
Dallas currently sits at No. 12, the only team with a 3-5-1 record. The Cowboys also own the Green Bay Packers’ first-round pick in 2026, and they are currently slotted at No. 21 with a 5-3-1 record.
Week 11 Rooting Interests
As always, for playoff purposes, the Cowboys will want to see AFC teams defeat NFC teams. That isn’t necessarily the case for draft order, though.
Chicago Bears (6-3) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: Chicago
The best scenario for the Cowboys is for the Bears to win the NFC North. Dallas lost to Chicago in Week 3 and tied with the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. They will need to beat the Lions in all probability to make the playoffs, giving them the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage, so the Bears being a division winner is the best scenario.
For better draft position, Cowboys should root for: Minnesota
Carolina Panthers (5-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: Falcons
For better draft position, Cowboys should root for: Falcons
Green Bay Packers (5-3-1) @ New York Giants (2-8)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: Giants
If the Cowboys can’t catch the Eagles (they won’t), they’ll need the wild-card. With the head-to-head with the Packers being a tie, the next tiebreaker would be conference winning percentage.
For better draft position, Cowboys should root for: Packers
San Francisco 49ers (6-4) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: Cardinals
For better draft position, Cowboys should root for: Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks (7-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (7-2)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: One of these two teams running their remaining NFC slate would be the most ideal scenario for the Cowboys. They have two games remaining, this week and Week 16.
Outside of those two games, the Rams still face Tampa Bay, Carolina and Detroit. The Seahawks still have The Colts and 49ers, Carolina and Minnesota. It feels like LA has the better schedule, so root for them to win the NFC West.
For better draft position, Cowboys should root for: N/A
Detroit Lions (6-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)
To make playoffs, Cowboys should root for: This comes down to basic math. The quickest path to the playoffs is through a division championship, and if the Eagles begin to falter they’d be the only team the Cowboys need to catch. But the reality is making up three games in a scenario where any number of teams stumble is probably easier than making up four games with only one team capable of failure.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Week 11 Rooting Guide: Who should Cowboys fans cheer for on Sunday?
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
