We may only be nine weeks into the regular season, but that won’t stop Stephen A. Smith from sticking a fork in the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff aspirations.
In a Monday morning segment on ESPN’s “First Take,” the popular sports personality didn’t exactly mince words on what he thinks of the Cowboys’ chances to turn their season around. With a 3-4-1 record, they’re currently below .500 as they enter a pivotal primetime clash with the Arizona Cardinals.
Stephen A. Smith Tempers Cowboys’ Expectations
This season has had everything for the Cowboys. They’ve blown out teams while also finding themselves on the other end of a blowout or two; they’ve been perfectly mediocre.
If they can’t string together a couple of wins in the coming weeks and claw their way back into the NFC playoff picture, Smith’s forecast of how the rest of their season will go may come to fruition.
“You ain’t going to no damn playoffs.” 👀
—@stephenasmith on the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/sZIvl2hE63
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 3, 2025
“I got at least eight teams ahead of you right now,” he said of the Cowboys. “Chicago won yesterday. Did they beat y’all? Yes, they did. You gotta think about them. You got Green Bay and Detroit, you ain’t getting ahead of them.”
While being second in the NFC East isn’t exactly anything to scoff at, they’re three games behind the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles’ 6-2 mark. If you aren’t leading your division, these wins and losses become much more critical down the stretch.
The Cowboys are 2-1 in the division, but any notion of them wearing the crown by January can be put to bed.
“You ain’t catching the Eagles, right?” Smith questioned rhetorically. “You got three teams in the NFC West and at least one coming out of the NFC South. You ain’t going to no damn playoffs. You’re going to have your a**** home in January, just like me.”
According to PFSN’s Playoff Predictor, ahead of the Monday night matchup against the Cardinals, the Cowboys have a 10.8% chance of making the playoffs. In comparison, the Carolina Panthers currently sit at 35.6%.
Are the Cowboys in Must-Win Territory in Week 9?
Dipping further below .500 with a loss to the Cardinals on “Monday Night Football” would just complicate matters even further for the Cowboys. It may even incentivize Jerry Jones to be active ahead of Tuesday’s league-wide trade deadline, but that’s still a less-than-ideal outcome for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys are coming off a 20-point loss to the Denver Broncos last week, and it isn’t the first time this season that they’ve lost by three scores. They also suffered a 17-point loss to the Bears on Sept. 21.
Despite the surrounding discord, Dak Prescott is still having a stellar season. He’s completed just north of 70% of his passes for 2,069 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions in what is now his 10th season as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback.
In those 10 seasons, however, the Cowboys have earned playoff trips just five times. They’ve never advanced past the Divisional Round. The Cowboys still have their Week 10 bye to reevaluate what they’re doing and potentially right the ship, but patience may be wearing thin in Dallas as another disappointing campaign looms.