Whatever the chance is now it has be little to non existent for the Dallas Cowboys, who in their final primetime game of the season fell at home to the Minnesota Vikings 34-26.

Dallas finished with a 0-3-1 record against the NFC North this season, and fell to 6-7-1 on the year and have now dropped back-to-back after winning three straight.

Up next will be another home matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers who won earlier today 16-13 and eliminated the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs from playoff contention.

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Ali Jawad

A close, competitive game shouldn’t have surprised anyone. Minnesota has a defense that allows it to hang in there, while the Cowboys have a defense that allows anyone to stay in it.

While the Cowboys’ offense made some big plays, it wasn’t the usual explosive unit we have seen at home this season.

The third-down offense was an Achilles’ heel as Dallas finished 2-of-12 in that category, and while Brandon Aubrey had four makes, he had two misses that could have pulled this game closer.

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy who saw a pass tipped on just the second play of the game that was intercepted by Quinnen Williams, rebounded by making some big throws on the night including a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver Jalen Nailor and a 58 yard completion to Jordan Addison who burned Caelen Carson for the big reception, and the highlight for the second year McCarthy, was fooling the entire defense like Peyton Manning did back in 2013 on a yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.

What the Vikings defense did do, was allow a 200 yard passer for the first time in over a month, as quarterback Dak Prescott finished the night throwing for 294 yards but was held without a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 8.

Prescott’s attempt at becoming the first Cowboys quarterback in franchise history to throw for 300 yards in four straight games however, was denied by just six yards.

CeeDee Lamb led the way receiving with 111 yards, while George Pickens was a non factor just 33 yards off three receptions.

Javonte Williams, who finished with over 80 yards rushing, for the eighth time this season, tied for the most, ran for 91 yards and a score, while his fellow teammate in the backfield, Malik Davis carried the rock and got his second score of the year, in place of Williams who left in the first half with a shoulder injury but later returned.

Defensively, Dallas did not register a single sack on McCarthy who entered the night with the second highest average time to throw of 3.07 seconds and behind a Viking line that has allowed 47 sacks this season.

All that mattered of course was just getting the win and staying alive in the NFC East race with the Eagles, who shut out the Raiders 31-0 earlier today on this Week 15 Sunday.

It appears those hopes, while not over, are now just microscopic.

Clarence Hill

The Dallas Cowboys are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but there is little hope now after an embarrassing 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium Sunday night.

The Cowboys needed to win their last four games to have a chance and that was with help with two losses from the Philadelphia Eagles to claim the division title. Considering the Vikings were already eliminated from the playoffs, a Cowboys team had won three of their last four was favored to continue their playoff push.

But Cowboys, who put themselves in a hole with a 3-5-1 start, reverted back to the mean.

The defense allowed struggling quarterback J.J. McCarthy to gain confidence with three touchdowns, two passing and one running. The Cowboys defense struggled to rush the quarterback and defend the pass.

The Cowboys simply didn’t have it. Kicker Brandon Aubrey missed two field goals.

The Vikings defense kept a lid on quarterback Dak Prescott and the team’s explosive passing attack, and coach Brian Schottenheimer seemingly blinked when it mattered most.

He settled for a field goal third quarter with 20-17 lead rather than going for it on fourth down and 3 at the Minnesota 18. He had three fourth down gambles in the first half, a successful fake field goal and two regular fourth down conversion.

The field goal put the cowboys up 23-17. 

But the suspect defense allowed the Vikings to walk down the field and take the lead at 24-23.

On the next possession, Schottenheimer trotted out Aubrey for a 59-yard field goal when he should have punted to pin the Vikings deeep.

Aubrey missed.

And the Vikings moved right down the field on the Cowboys for a touchdown and a 31-23 lead. It tied for the second most points the Viking scored all season.

George Pickens, the team’s leading receiver, had just three catches for 33 yards in the game.

Prescott was under duress all night and had to throw everything underneath, he finished with 294 yards, but the third down offense was a dismal 2-of-12.

The Cowboys have now lost two straight after winning three straight after the bye.

They are 6-7-1 into the final three weeks of the season and needing a miracle.