Dallas, TX
Cowboys’ playoff odds shrink drastically after loss to Panthers
It was supposed to be different for the Dallas Cowboys this season. Last year, the team built their own pressure to be a playoff contender. Instead, it would end up being the final season with Mike McCarthy as the head coach.
Now, the job of getting the team back into the postseason lies in the hands of first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer’s team has shown glimpses of greatness. However, their loss on Sunday to the Carolina Panthers may have drastically cut their chances of making the playoffs.
MORE: Jerry Jones sees silver lining for Cowboys after bizarre Week 6 in NFL
The Cowboys’ playoff chances dropped from 32 percent to 8 percent after their heartbreaking loss to the Panthers, according to Kalshi.
The Cowboys’ next two games are against the Washington Commanders and the Denver Broncos. That is two teams that were in the playoffs last season.
A matchup with the Commanders is a great reminder that the Cowboys are in a stacked NFC East this season.
MORE: Cowboys’ defense to undergo much-needed scheme change to help secondary
Getting to the playoffs is never easy. But getting to the playoffs in a year where everyone within the division is within striking distance makes it much harder.
This team knows the assignment. However, they can’t let games with teams like the Panthers slip away from them. That’s what separates the good from the bad in this league.
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FRISCO, Texas — After 12 seasons in the NFL and the last eight with the Dallas Cowboys, defensive back CJ Goodwin has announced his retirement.
Goodwin, 36, has played in 108 games for the Cowboys since he joined the team in 2018. He was the second longest-tenured Cowboy on the roster behind only Dak Prescott, who preceded Goodwin by two seasons.
Since 2019, Goodwin has been one of Dallas’ key players on special teams, recording 69 tackles with the Cowboys [ninth in Cowboys history] and 87 in his NFL career. In 2021, Goodwin became the first player in franchise history to lead the team in special teams tackles for three consecutive seasons.
After going undrafted in 2014, Goodwin received a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers after Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, whose son attended high school with Goodwin and who Goodwin had worked for as a farm hand, urged the team to give him an opportunity. Pittsburgh would sign him as an undrafted free agent afterwards.
Following time with the Steelers, Falcons, Cardinals, Giants, 49ers and Bengals, the Cowboys signed Goodwin off of Cincinnati’s practice squad in October of 2018.
In his eight seasons with Dallas, Goodwin notched 2,211 snaps on special teams. He worked primarily as a gunner on punt coverage and was one of Dallas’ most impactful defenders on kickoff coverage during his career with the team.
Goodwin was named one of the Cowboys’ six captains in 2025, and the second captain on special teams alongside Brandon Aubrey. He finished the year with 18 special teams tackles.
In 2026, the Cowboys will now have to look to fill Goodwin’s shoes on special teams. Some of their offseason signings, like safety P.J. Locke, have a strong history as defenders on special teams and could end up being crucial for special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen in his second season in Dallas.
Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper-90s and triple digits over the next week, with no real sign of relief! Sunshine dominates the forecast, with only a very slim chance of rain by the end of next week.
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