The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-17 on Sunday afternoon, falling to 6-8-1 on the season. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders 29-18 on Saturday. The Eagles are the only team from the NFC East to reach the postseason this year.
Jerry Jones Assigns Blame in Cowboys’ Super Bowl Drought
The Cowboys last reached the postseason in 2023, and their most recent playoff win came against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. The last time Dallas won a Super Bowl was Super Bowl XXX in 1996, when it defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 in Tempe, Arizona.
Longtime owner Jerry Jones assigned blame for the Cowboys’ struggles and their 30-year Super Bowl drought. Jon Machota, who covers the Cowboys for The Athletic, posted Jones’s comments on X. “I’ll admit that the Cowboys management has played a big role [in the 30-year Super Bowl drought],” Jones said. “But seriously, I’m very aware disappointed that the way we’re structured and my role puts us here tonight. I’m tremendously. disappointed.”
There is no refuting that the Cowboys have fielded talented units over the years. They currently rank fourth offensively, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
Quarterback Dak Prescott ranks eighth in PFSN’s Quarterback Impact Metrics with a B- grade. Despite that offensive productivity, the Cowboys have struggled defensively, ranking 31st in PFSN’s Defense Impact metrics with a 60.8 grade.
The Cowboys entered their Week 16 matchup with nothing to play for after the Eagles’ win over the Commanders eliminated Dallas from playoff contention. While the Cowboys showed effort, it was not enough, as they fell 34-17 to the Chargers.
Dallas traded punches with Los Angeles in the first half but failed to generate any momentum after halftime. With the playoff window officially closed, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the team about finishing the season strong. According to The Dallas Morning News, he said, “I addressed it [Saturday] night. And what I told them was this. I said, ‘Hey, in life you’re going to be given bad news, and when given bad news or any news, you’re given a choice of how you respond.'”
He added, “And again, you can’t watch this film and say our guys didn’t play hard. They did play hard. We just didn’t execute very well, didn’t coach well enough to win.”
The Cowboys inserted backup quarterback Joe Milton for the final 4:48 of the game, shifting their focus toward draft positioning and the final two games of the regular season.
Dallas will now turn its attention to closing out the year, while Jones faces another long offseason filled with reflection. Despite the disappointing outcome, the Cowboys still possess significant talent, but substantial work remains if the franchise hopes to return to Super Bowl contention.
