The Cowboys may be off in Week 10, but many Dallas fans will still be tuning in to action from around the league. What outcomes will best help the Cowboys, whether in trying to salvage the 2025 season or to improve their position in the 2026 draft?
Dallas currently sits at 11th place in the NFC standings, meaning there are currently four teams standing between them and a playoff spot. The 5-3 Detroit Lions hold the seventh seed, or the last wild card spot, as of today. So while this season has felt
mostly gloomy so far, the Cowboys are only a couple of wins below .500 and have eight to go. The math still makes things possible, no matter how we may personally feel.
In terms of the next draft, Dallas’ first-round pick would currently be 14th in the order. The tie on the Cowboys’ 3-5-1 record makes it easy to project where they’ll be in the draft, making most tiebreakers with other clubs irrelevant. There are several teams sitting at 3-5 right now, so there’s plenty of potential for the Cowboys to shoot up the board as this season rolls along.
Whether you’re rooting for a playoff spot or a higher draft pick at this point, we’ve got you covered with this week’s rooting guide. Thursday’s game between the Broncos and Raiders did not go our way, as a Raiders win was the only outcome that really benefited Dallas. We’ll hope the rest of Week 10 is more considerate of the Cowboys’ needs.
NFC East
Eagles @ Packers
PLAYOFFS: Green Bay
DRAFT: Philadelphia
Catching the 6-2 in the Eagles in the NFC East doesn’t seem likely at this point, but neither is catching the 5-2-1 Packers in a potential wild card race. Green Bay is currently leading the NFC North, so it may not matter what their record is. But if something funky happens in Philly over the next two months, Dallas is the only other team in the NFC East with a snowball’s chance of taking advantage.
The draft side of this is only relevant because Dallas still owns the Packers’ 2026 first-rounder. So at the very least, an Eagles win could help the Cowboys in April.
Lions @ Commanders
PLAYOFFS: Washington
DRAFT: Washington
The Commanders aren’t really a threat in the playoff race now, so we can root for them to hang a loss on the Lions. As mentioned before, Detroit is currently the most catchable of the three wild-card teams. And on the flip side, a Commanders victory would make them easier to pass in the draft order. So, a Washington win is a win-win for Dallas.
Giants @ Bears
PLAYOFFS: New York
DRAFT: New York
Another “enemy of my enemy” game; New York’s even less threatening than Washington, while Chicago currently stands between Dallas and the playoffs at eighth place. And as with the Commanders, a Giants win also hurts them in the draft.
NFC vs. NFC
Saints @ Panthers
PLAYOFFS:New Orleans
DRAFT: New Orleans
This one sets up like the last two. A New Orleans’ upset hurts the ninth-place Panthers and the Saints’ draft positioning, both good for the Cowboys. Remember, Carolina and Chicago both have head-to-head tiebreakers over Dallas, making it all the more important to get above them in overall record.
Cardinals @ Seahawks
PLAYOFFS: Seattle
DRAFT: Arizona
Seattle’s the current favorite to win the NFC West. Playoffs-wise, we’re better off with them achieving that goal while hurting the 3-5 Cardinals. Arizona is just a hair behind Dallas right now and has a head-to-head advantage, so we need them off our backs. In terms of draft order, a Cardinals win would bump their record over the Cowboys’ and move Dallas up at least one spot.
Rams @ 49ers
PLAYOFFS: Los Angeles
DRAFT: San Francisco
We’re really splitting hairs between the 6-2 Rams and 6-3 49ers. It could really go either way, but the 49ers are slightly more catchable in the playoff race. And while a Niners’ win may not mean much for Dallas’ original first-round pick, it could improve the pick we’re getting from the Packers.
NFC vs. AFC
Falcons @ Colts
PLAYOFFS: Indianapolis
DRAFT: Atlanta
A win would move Atlanta ahead of Dallas in the NFC standings, so we don’t need that for the playoff picture. But naturally, it would also pull the Falcons below the Cowboys in the draft order.
Ravens @ Vikings
PLAYOFFS: Baltimore
DRAFT: Minnesota
The 4-4 Vikings are right above Dallas in the playoff hunt, so that’s an easy pick. The draft perspective is a little more complex. Baltimore is 3-5, but they may be about to go on a run with Lamar Jackson’s return and a very weak AFC field. Enough wins will take them out of Dallas’ hair in the draft order, so let’s see Minnesota get this one and hurt their own positioning.
Patriots @ Buccaneers
PLAYOFFS: Patriots
DRAFT: Buccaneers
The Bucs are probably out of Dallas’ reach for any playoff implications, but against an AFC team, there’s really no other way to go. As for the draft, Tampa has a better shot of taking a few more losses this year in the tougher NFC. That matters when it comes to the Packers’ pick, so we wouldn’t want the Bucs to fall below Green Bay in the standings.
AFC vs. AFC
- Bills over Dolphins
- Browns over Jets
- Texans over Jaguars
- Steelers over Chargers
With only draft impact to worry about here, what gets interesting is thinking about both of Dallas’ picks. Take the Buffalo-Miami game: we would generally root for the 2-7 Dolphins here, on the off chance that the Cowboys might get ahead of them in the draft order. But that’s not nearly as likely as the 6-2 Bills affecting the Packers’ pick. In this case, Buffalo maintaining a superior record to Green Bay has a better chance of benefiting the Cowboys.
