Though the Cowboys stirred excitement after clawing their way back to the fringes of the NFC playoff race, they were always one bad game away from sinking right back to irrelevance. And that’s exactly what happened.
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The Cowboys aren’t mathematically done, but the lights are undeniably dim. Their playoff odds cratered: 9% according to The Athletic’s simulator, 7% according to NFL.com.
According to Emmanuel Acho, Dallas’ predicament is not because the front office cheaped out or the coaching staff sabotaged them. The players only have themselves to blame.
Acho wasn’t having any of the “blame Jerry” talk after the Cowboys’ latest collapse. Following Dallas’ 44–30 loss to the Detroit Lions, Acho flat-out defended the owner and went straight at the roster instead.
“Jerry Jones loaded up this roster, and if we’re honest, the players underdelivered,” Acho said. “Somebody needs to call out those players. This year ain’t on Jerry Jones. This year ain’t on Brian Schottenheimer. This year’s on the players, cuz when they stepped on the field, they weren’t good enough.”
Namedropping the Dallas bigwigs like Trevon Diggs and Kenneth Murray, Acho asked for accountability from the players after Jerry Jones gave the money they asked for.
🗣️ "This year ain't on Jerry Jones… WE GOTTA BLAME THEM PLAYERS!"
– @EmmanuelAcho SOUNDS OFF about the Cowboys players being to blame for their mediocre season this year!
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW TAP IN https://t.co/kdXsT3O63E pic.twitter.com/buIZxYRFAP
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) December 5, 2025
Falling into a 3–5–1 hole halfway through the season meant Dallas needed to be just about perfect the rest of the way. Instead, they gave the same inconsistent performance.
Against the Lions, they got behind early, rallied to make it 30–27 in the fourth quarter, and then instantly gave up a back-breaking touchdown drive. It pushed the game out of reach again.
Any remaining hope disappeared when Jahmyr Gibbs scored his third touchdown of the night, putting Detroit up 14 with 2:19 left. The Lions showed up with the version of themselves that actually looks capable of making a deep run. Coming off a frustrating Thanksgiving loss to the Packers, they handled a must-win situation the way Dallas couldn’t.
With this win, Detroit moves to 8–5, not exactly comfortable, but feeling better about its path.
Dallas, on the other hand, now has to win out just to have a “realistic” chance, and even that still might not be enough.
