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FRISCO, Texas – The voice came from afar as Dallas Cowboys players made their way to the locker room at Northwest Stadium after defeating the Washington Commanders 34-26 in a wild finish on Sunday.

“We’re not done yet,” the unknown player said to no one in particular and anyone within reach.

It may have been Micah Parsons, as he was among the group of players leaving the field at the time. And later on the X, Parsons let everyone know his feelings.

It’s amazing how a single win can change a mood, how a 49-day, five-loss drought can disappear and dreams of bigger things can arise in a disappointing season for the Cowboys.

So the question becomes: Can the Cowboys (4-7) get themselves into the playoffs?

On Thursday they host the New York Giants (2-9), more unhappy than they have been for a long time. Then there is an 11-day break before “Monday Night Football” against the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), during which The Simpsons will be seen in an alternative broadcast. From there, the Cowboys take on the Carolina Panthers (3-8).

Could the Cowboys get to 7-7 with three games remaining against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles (at Lincoln Financial Field) and the rematch against the Commanders?

Veteran security expert Malik Hooker didn’t take the bait.

“If we sit here and play with the ‘what ifs’ or all these outcomes that could possibly happen before it happens, then we’re already at a disadvantage because we’re not in the moment of opportunity that we have.” re-presented,” said Hooker.

Even rookie center Cooper Beebe thought of one thing.

“Time to get ready for the Giants,” he said.

Maybe it’s presumptuous to think that the Cowboys can put together such a winning streak. After all, they have yet to win a game at AT&T Stadium, going 0-5 heading into their Thanksgiving Day game against the Giants (4:30 p.m. ET, Fox). They have won two games in a row only once, Week 4 against the Giants and Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They find it difficult to score and they give up too many points. They will be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) for the rest of the way.

ESPN’s Football Power Index doesn’t assume a single win either.

That gives the Cowboys a 0.6% chance of making the playoffs, a 0% chance of winning the division, and a 0.1% chance of getting to the divisional round of the playoffs – and no chance of that NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl.

FPI predicts the Cowboys will finish 6-11.

As much joy as some Cowboys fans had in beating NFC East rivals the Commanders, many or even more balked at the win because it could impact the Cowboys’ draft positioning.

They’d rather see the Cowboys finish in the top 5 or no worse than the top 10 than be caught in the middle of the draft, where there’s less chance of getting the safeties in the spots they’re needed , are available.

You know who doesn’t care about draft status? The players and coaches.

The Cowboys have 21 players set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. The better they play, the more they will be paid by the Cowboys or another team. The Cowboys do not have a coach under contract beyond this season. Regardless of whether they stay in Dallas or go elsewhere, their resumes would look better with a few more wins.

“I mean, we don’t come out really losing every game,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “That’s not our mentality and I’ve never accepted losing.”

Currently, the Cowboys are better than just the Giants and Panthers in the NFC. The Chicago Bears have a better conference record (2-4) and are ahead of Dallas. In order to make the playoff dream come true, the Cowboys would have to eliminate the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers from the competition due to losses by both teams.

If all goes well, they could have a must-win matchup against the Buccaneers on December 22nd.

When Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy coached the Green Bay Packers in 2013, they were 5-6-1 following a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions. They were on a five-game winning streak (0-4-1) and were without Aaron Rodgers, but Matt Flynn provided two must-wins in December before Rodgers returned to the finals and beat the Bears.

McCarthy’s only thoughts now are on the rest and recovery of his players and the Giants.

“We’re still pretty far down in the valley of adversity right now,” McCarthy said. “So we have to take a step in the right direction. We still have a lot of climbing to do.”

Since 1990, seven teams have started 4-7 and made the playoffs. However, two teams (Washington in 2020 and Carolina in 2014) won the division with a record below .500. Since the 17-game schedule was expanded in 2021, two teams with 4-7 starts have made the playoffs (Jacksonville in 2022 and Tampa Bay in 2023), but both were division winners.

Just last season, the Packers were 3-6, but won six of their last eight games and secured a wild card berth with a record of 9-8. There’s no need to say who they beat in the wildcard round. Cowboys fans know it.

“We obviously know it’s going to be a tough journey after taking a few hits with back-to-back defeats and stuff, but we kept saying, ‘We’ve got to get one. We just have to get one,’” Hooker said. “Because once you do that, it’s just confidence and guys get going and guys start to realize it’s not just talk and accept what you’re actually saying.”

“That goes a long way once teams start believing in what you train, what you preach. It’s not just talk. The boys accept it.”

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