The question “who do the Cowboys need to lose?” usually comes up when fans are talking about playoff scenarios, but right now the Cowboys have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the 2025 season, so there is no specific team they “need to lose” in order to get in.

Current Cowboys situation

  • The Cowboys are out of the playoff race heading into their season finale, so other teams’ results no longer change their postseason fate.
  • Their remaining game (at the Giants) is mainly about avoiding back‑to‑back losing seasons and finishing 8‑8‑1 rather than improving playoff odds.

What’s still at stake

  • Dallas can still affect draft position slightly with win/loss results, but the bigger draft-order drama now involves teams like the Giants, who could land the No. 1 pick if they lose and another result (Raiders over Chiefs) happens.
  • For the Cowboys, the focus has shifted more to offseason questions (coaches, roster cuts, and 2026 planning) than to “who needs to lose” this week.

How this question usually works

In a typical year when they are still alive for the playoffs, “who do the Cowboys need to lose?” would depend on:

  1. Their current record and conference standing.
  2. Tie‑breaker situations with specific NFC teams (common opponents, head‑to‑head, conference record, etc.).
  3. Whether they are chasing the division title or a wild‑card spot.

But this season’s context means that kind of scoreboard‑watching is no longer relevant for them.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.