Dallas Cowboys Playoff Chances 2017: Schedule Gives Team NFC Wild-Card Shot

This isn’t where the Dallas Cowboys expected to be ahead of their annual Thanksgiving game. The defending NFC East champions are virtually out of the divisional race, holding the conference’s No.10 seed in Week 12.

Even as America’s Team sits at .500 with their star running back and defensive captain set to miss important games, the Cowboys are far from out of the playoff race. Dallas remains a legitimate postseason contender because of their upcoming schedule.

Dallas appears to be one of five teams that are vying for the NFC’s No.6 seed. The Atlanta Falcons hold the final wild-card spot, tied with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks with a 6-4 record. The Cowboys and Green Bay Packers are still alive at 5-5.

The Cowboys might have the most favorable schedule of those five teams. As they welcome in the Los Angeles Chargers to AT&T Stadium Thursday afternoon, Dallas begins a stretch of four straight games against teams with losing records. They’ll host the Washington Redskins in Week 13, followed by road games against the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants.

Ending the season with a home game against the Seahawks and a trip to Philadelphia isn’t as daunting as it might have appeared a few weeks ago.

Seattle will be without Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor in Week 16, and the Seahawks’ defense has been nothing close to dominant when missing key members of their secondary. That’s also the week that Ezekiel Elliott will return from his suspension. Dallas could very well be favored after Seattle is forced to go through Philadelphia, Jacksonville and the L.A. Rams.

Philadelphia might have nothing to play for in the regular-season finale. That was the situation the Cowboys found themselves in a year ago when they visited the Eagles in Week 17. With the NFC’s No.1 seed wrapped up, Dallas rested their starters for much of the game and suffered just their third loss of the season.

With Aaron Rodgers sidelined for the next few weeks, Green Bay could quickly fall out of contention. Playing in the NFL’s best division, Atlanta has four games left against teams that have at least seven wins. Detroit is a home underdog against the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving, and they’ll follow that up with three road games and two home games against divisional foes.

The Cowboys don’t look like a playoff team at the moment, but all hope is not lost just yet.

Dallas has 50/1 Super Bowl odds.