FRISCO — The Cowboys are tied with San Francisco as the NFC enters the stretch run.

Dallas has a better record than the Cincinnati team it prepares to host on Monday Night Football.

If this scenario had been presented back in September you would have been convinced that the Cowboys were sitting pretty.

Now?

Not so much.

Sure, this modest two-game winning streak has given the team a desperately needed jolt of confidence. It even has Micah Parsons suggesting a playoff run.

Parsons knows how to drop opposing quarterbacks. But his command of the current standings can be called into question.

The problem with having the same record as the 49ers is that 10 teams in the conference have a better record than Dallas and San Francisco at the moment. Seven teams make the playoffs.

The best path to the postseason is to win your division. The Cowboys find themselves five games behind NFC East-leading Philadelphia with five to play.

One more Cowboys loss or one more Eagles win eliminates Dallas from the division race. The only viable path is as a Wild Card. That starts with the division rivalry between Dallas and Washington.

Dallas has the head-to-head advantage here based on their chaotic win nine days ago. But the Commanders currently own a three-game lead in the win column.

Let’s say the Cowboys are somehow able to tie or pass Washington on the final weekend of the regular season when the teams next meet. That would allow Dallas to finish second in the division.

What are they up against at that point?

The NFC North is the most top-heavy division in the NFL. Detroit (11-1), leads the way followed by Minnesota (10-2) and Green Bay (9-3). Those three teams appear to be locks.

If the Cowboys edge past the Commanders — a big if — they will still trail the Vikings and Packers in the Wild Card.

Atlanta and Tampa Bay sit atop the NFC South with 6-6 records.

Seattle leads the NFC West with Arizona and the LA Rams on their heels. Both of those teams have 6-6 records.

The best-case scenario is that Dallas secures the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference. To do that, the Cowboys must pass Washington and the second-place finishers in the South and West.

A daunting task is a kind way to characterize what the Cowboys face in December. Still, going into the month with a two-game winning streak is better than the alternative.

Head coach Mike McCarthy welcomed his players back to The Star on Monday after a three-day break. After getting back into their strength and conditioning work, the players departed for their annual December visit of area hospitals.

The team is off Tuesday and has a light workout on Wednesday — McCarthy said it will be about 60-65% of a normal workout — before hitting a normal practice week on Thursday.

“I feel it’s real important to try to make this a mini-bye for what’s in front of us,’’ McCarthy said. “That’s what I’ve learned over my experience of playing on Thanksgiving, so that’s really what we’re trying to accomplish.’’

And the mindset?

“It’s great,’’ Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin said after his visit to Children’s Health in Dallas. “To come out with two wins, especially on Thanksgiving, it’s huge for our football team moving forward to give us some confidence, give us some momentum.’’

Oh, one more scenario. What happens in the unlikely event the Cowboys and Niners finish in a two-way tie for the final Wild Card spot.

San Francisco advances.

Happy Holidays.

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season in position to land a pick in the first half of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Many draftniks and fans alike believe the Cowboys will target a top playmaker with their first-round pick.

When you look at mock drafts, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has said he would like to play for the Cowboys, and Missouri star wide receiver Luther Burden III have been the most common players mocked to Dallas.

MORE: Updated 2025 NFL Draft order following Sunday’s Week 13 results

While it was a foregone conclusion, Burden has now officially entered the 2025 NFL Draft and will be available this spring. He will skip the team’s bowl game. Burden confirmed the news to ESPN.com.

“I feel like this is the best time to enter the draft,” Burden told ESPN. “I’m confident in myself and what I can do at the next level. I’m ready for the next step.

“The ultimate goal was to come here and make a difference. I feel like I met my goal with everything that I set out before I got here. It was a pleasure being here. I will love Mizzou forever.”

This season, Burden recorded 61 catches for 676 yards and six touchdowns. His best season was in 2023, hauling in 86 grabs for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.

Burden finishes his Missouri career with 192 receptions for 2,263 yards, and 25 total touchdowns (21 receiving, four rushing).

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the first round on Thursday, April 24. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held on Friday, April 25, while the final rounds will play out on Saturday, April 26.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Cowboys from Dallas Cowboys on SI —

5 Cowboys pending free agents who have earned an extension

Who is the Dallas Cowboys MVP so far this season?

5 winners & 2 losers as Cowboys feast against struggling Giants on Thanksgiving Day

Cowboys’ top plays & highlights vs. Giants Thanksgiving Week 13

Meet Abby Summers: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Rookie