The Dallas Cowboys faced the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 of the NFL and suffered a defeat by a score of 34-26 in a game that carried major playoff implications. The loss came at a critical moment of the season and immediately raised a pressing question around the league: Are the Cowboys eliminated from postseason contention?
With the defeat, the Cowboys fell to a 6-7-1 record, significantly complicating their path to the playoffs. Their margin for error narrowed to almost nothing, and in the NFC wild-card race they no longer have realistic options, with the No. 7 seed sitting more than three games out of reach at this stage of the season.
What ultimately pushed them out of Wild Card contention was the damaging head-to-head tiebreaker loss to the Lions, which proved decisive in the standings. That result, combined with the Week 15 defeat, effectively ended Dallas’ hopes of continuing the Wild Card chase.
The Cowboys now can only qualify for the playoffs by winning the NFC East. But they need to win out and hope the Eagles lose all three remaining games. Philadelphia only needs one win to win the division and leave Dallas out of the postseason.
Did the win help the Vikings?
The Vikings entered the matchup needing outside help to keep their playoff hopes alive, but even before kickoff against the Cowboys, their fate was already sealed. Minnesota’s playoff chances officially ended earlier in the day when the Chicago Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 31-3, mathematically eliminating the Vikings from postseason contention. The result marked the franchise’s fourth playoff miss in the last six seasons, underscoring an ongoing pattern of inconsistency.
Despite the elimination, the Vikings improved to 6-8 with their second straight victory after being knocked out of the playoff race. The win came one year after Minnesota finished as a 14-win playoff team, highlighting the sharp contrast between last season and the current campaign.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw two touchdown passes, both to Jalen Nailor, while C.J. Ham added a one-yard rushing score to give Minnesota a 24-23 lead late in the third quarter. On the other side, Brandon Aubrey converted four field goals and executed a six-yard run on a fake to extend a drive that led to Dallas’ first touchdown, though he missed multiple field goals at home for the first time in his three NFL seasons.