“I Don’t Know, I’m Lost, Man”: Skip Bayless Unsure Whether to Root For or Against the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys (6-8) dominated the Carolina Panthers (3-11) to the tune of a 30-14 victory in Week 15. Normally, this would be a cause for celebration for Cowboys fans like Skip Bayless. But in this instance, the former ESPN and FOX Sports analyst isn’t sure how to feel.

Bayless discussed Dallas’ triumph on YouTube Sunday evening. He revealed the Cowboys were “tearing him apart” despite prevailing by 16 points.

“My emotions are so mixed. I don’t know whether to root for or against them. I don’t know, I’m lost, man… I was convinced they had taken off… [then] Joe Burrow finally did what Joe Burrow always does to everybody… he hit Ja’Marr Chase and the game was over. And so was my season.”

On Monday, Burrow and the Bengals handed the Cowboys a hard-to-swallow 27-20 defeat.  With 61 seconds left in a tie game, “Burrow did what Joe Burrow always does” and clinched a win. The Cowboys’ special team’s blunder in the final moments of the game led to the Bengals recovering a fumble at their 43-yard line.

Joe Shiesty connected with Ja’Marr Chase for a spectacular 40-yard touchdown just three plays later. Chase masterfully outmaneuvered Pro Bowl CB DaRon Bland to land the final nail in the Cowboys’ coffin.

Bayless harped a great deal on the Cowboys’ Week 14 loss as it brought the Cowboys down to a disappointing 5-8 record, drastically harming their playoff odds.

Had they beaten the Bengals, they’d be just two games out of the playoff picture. Instead, they reside three games back following the Commanders’ last-second Week 15 victory.

What are Dallas’ current playoff odds?

According to NFL.com, the Cowboys have just a 1% chance of making the postseason. This likelihood takes their victory over Carolina into account. Dallas needs to win their final three games and have Washington lose their last three contests to retain any possible path to the playoffs.

The Cowboys would also need significant help beyond that to steal a postseason bid.

All CeeDee. All the time.

: #DALvsCAR on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/RqNb3jKKY4

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

This wouldn’t have been the case had Dallas defeated Cincinnati. Entering Week 14, the Cowboys held a 4% chance to make the playoffs. A victory in that Monday Night Football affair, per NFL.com, would have increased their odds to 9%. But the loss dropped them to less than 1%.

When your team is eliminated from the playoffs, you might root for them to lose so their draft positioning improves. However, it can be odd cheering against them. And since Dallas has not been officially ruled out of the postseason, Bayless wants to hope for a miracle turnaround. Add everything up, and it makes sense that he’s unsure of what to want.

Regardless of their fanbases’ potential desires, the Cowboys should be applauded for fighting through adversity and not quitting on the season. Head coach Mike McCarthy’s squad has won three of its last four games following a 3-7 start. They’ve continued to battle and show tremendous heart instead of “tanking” for the sake of a better draft pick. In a year that feels lost, that is worthy of appreciation.