"Just two weeks ago, the Cowboys came out of their bye and notched an emotional win over the Raiders on the road. That improved their record to 4-5-1 and improved their odds of reaching the playoffs to a meager 10%. Since then, they've ripped off wins against the last two Super Bowl champions in the span of just five days, and their chance to make the playoffs has more than doubled, sitting at 23% according to The Athletic's playoff simulator."
"Looking at a winning record for the first time all season, Dallas has hope. At 6-5-1, they're currently ninth in the NFC, just one spot behind the 7-5 Lions. Coincidentally, the Cowboys travel to Detroit to face the Lions next week. A win there would offer another exponential boost, increasing their playoff odds to a whopping 41% right before a two-game home stand."
"Either way, the defense has made a considerable improvement. Adding good players will do that. But Eberflus has tweaked his scheme to incorporate his players' strengths, too, most notably using more five-man fronts to get Quinnen Williams on the field with Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark. And against both the Eagles and Chiefs, they've pitched a shutout for four full quarters."
After a bye, the Cowboys moved from 4-5-1 to 6-5-1 by beating the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs, raising playoff probability from about 10% to 23%. A win at Detroit next week would boost odds toward 41% before a two-game home stand. Brian Schottenheimer remained steadfast in his belief in the team all season. Fans had urged firing Matt Eberflus early, but Eberflus's defense improved from 0.172 EPA/play allowed in the season's first half to 0.000 EPA/play over three post-bye games by using more five-man fronts to get Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark on the field, resulting in multi-game shutouts.
Read at Blogging The Boys
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