Dak Prescott Has Still Not Lost Playoffs Hopes After The Gutting Loss to The Lions

Dak Prescott completed 31-of-47 and threw for 376 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions ahead the Detroit Lions.

Dak Prescott Has Still Not Lost Playoffs Hopes After The Gutting Loss to The Lions

Dak Prescott (Image via The Sporting News)

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The Detroit Lions cruised to a major victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday at Ford Field in Detroit, outscoring the NFC rivals 44-30 in the adjacent NFC playoff decider. The Dallas Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs sank to 9% in the aftermath of the loss.

However, the Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott hasn’t lost all hope yet. The 32-year-old Louisiana native claimed that the team is angry about their dwindling chances but admitted that they still have hope. He added that they haven’t given up on the season yet, and he hopes that the anger directs them in the right direction and uses it as a driving force to finish the season on a high note. Prescott told the reporters:

I think guys are pissed off right now… Hopefully it pisses people off the right way. We use it as fuel, and I know, starting with myself, I’ll make sure we have a great week of prep for the next one.

The margin for error has become incredibly slim. For the Cowboys, the only realistic route forward is to run the table, starting with home wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings in the next two weeks.

They need to follow it up by taking care of business on the road against both the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants. Even if they manage that perfect finish, their fate still isn’t entirely in their own hands.

They’ll need the Philadelphia Eagles to stumble, losing at least three of their final five matchups, which include two games against the Washington Commanders, trips to face the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers, and a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Eagles, despite their recent stumble, have only two games against teams with above .500 record.

It’s not impossible, but it’s clearly a much tougher scenario than it looked just a day earlier. Regardless of how frustrated the Cowboys may be, the reality is that their postseason hopes now hang by a thread.

The Detroit Lions are one step closer to the playoffs

For weeks, the Detroit Lions looked like a team stuck between who they wanted to be and who they actually were. The 4–1 start was followed by a sluggish 3–3 stretch, capped by an embarrassing Thanksgiving loss that cast real doubt on their postseason hopes.

Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott (Image via Sports Illustrated)

But Thursday night has changed everything. Detroit’s 44–30 win over the Cowboys wasn’t just their most complete performance of the season; it was the kind of dominant display that drastically shifts the NFC playoff picture.

According to The Athletic, Detroit’s playoff probability jumped from 30% to 45% after the victory. They are now trailing the San Francisco 49ers in eighth place in the conference rankings and pose a threat to current division leaders in NFC North.

Their surge isn’t empty math. They finally resembled the battle-tested group that reached the divisional round in back-to-back seasons. They controlled both lines of scrimmage, smothered a previously explosive Dallas offense, and rolled up more than 400 yards with ease.

More importantly, their remaining schedule offers a realistic path to double-digit wins. If Detroit goes 3–1 against the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears, their playoff odds climb above 90% and even a 2–2 finish keeps them squarely in the hunt.

What makes the Lions dangerous isn’t just the numbers, though. It’s the balance. Jared Goff is on pace for another 4,000-yard season. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs headline an offense stacked with top-tier weapons, even without Sam LaPorta.

Gibbs had three rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Detroit ranks in top-12 in EPA per play and top-five in pressure rate, powered by Aidan Hutchinson’s surge. This doesn’t guarantee a postseason berth, but Detroit’s win has boosted their hopes.

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