The Dallas Cowboys, with a 5-7 record after Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season, are still mathematically alive in the playoff race, although the chances of reaching the postseason are

The best-case scenario is that Dallas secures the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference. To do that, the Cowboys must pass Washington and the second-place finishers in the South and West.

In the span of just a few late-October days, the Cowboys morphed from a team involved in "tank talk'' to a team that now talks with confidence about making a playoff run.

The Cowboys are going to need their defense at full strength to continue winning. DeMarcus Lawrence and Trevon Diggs could be returning.

When the Dallas Cowboys dropped to 3-7 with a loss on Monday Night Football to the Houston Texans to close out Week 11, which marked their fifth straight defeat, the chances of America's Team making the NFL Playoffs for a fourth consecutive year were less than one percent.

One group on the Dallas Cowboys football team can revive the playoff hopes for the team. The Philadelphia Eagles are atop the division at 10-2, while the Washington Commanders are in second place with a record of 8-5.

Staying (and getting) healthy, winning the turnover battle, an efficient Cooper Rush and an improving run game are keys to success.