COwBOys tAKE NFC’s worst record

The Dallas Cowboys have the worst record in the NFC going into the final quarter of the season, and they aren’t eliminated from the playoffs only because they play in the NFL’s worst division.

Even the NFC East is getting better as the Cowboys (3-9) continue to flounder, with one victory in the past seven games of coach Mike McCarthy’s Dallas debut, and the excuses of the pandemic are wearing thin as the blowouts mount.

Victories on the road by the Giants and Washington over strong contenders (New York beat Seattle, and Washington topped previously unbeaten Pittsburgh) leave little doubt the Cowboys can quit pretending there’s hope of returning to the playoffs a year after missing the postseason cost coach Jason Garrett his job.

After COVID-19 issues caused a five-day delay before the 34-17 loss to Baltimore on Tuesday night, the Cowboys face their second short week of the season going into a visit to Cincinnati (2-9-1) on Sunday.

“I don’t talk about it,” McCarthy said of the division race. “I think it’s known. Frankly, we need to play better. The fourth quarter of the season is upon us and our goal is to finish strong. That definitely starts with a win in Cincinnati.”

Since a surprising win at Minnesota that had a chance to save the season, the Cowboys have been run over — literally — in the fourth quarter of losses to Washington and the Ravens, who almost hung the second 300-yard rushing game of the season on the Dallas defense.

Yes, the pandemic hurt implementation of a new defensive scheme with McCarthy bringing in defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Sure, injuries have played a big role, most notably quarterback Dak Prescott’s seasonending ankle injury and a dizzying amount of changes in the offensive line.