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Most of the Cowboys aren’t focused as much on their 4-9 record these days. They’ve got their eyes on something much bigger: A division title.
Not Aldon Smith, though. Smith, the former 49ers and Raiders pass rush standout, has gone through way too much for way too long on his path back to the NFL to get sidetracked by illusions.
He looks at the Cowboys record and sees it for what it really is.
“We suck right now,” Smith said on the Cowboys’ radio station, “The Fan,” KRLD-FM (105.3) Monday. “I love these guys. We haven’t made the plays we need to make, but we will.
“Stick along for the ride. (Stuff) happens.”
The Cowboys head into Sunday’s game against the 49ers in last place in the weak NFC East. They’ve won just one of their four division games and they’ve been outscored by a whopping 103 points this season.
Amazingly, the Cowboys still have a chance to continuing their trend since 2013 of winning the division every other season. But, as Smith alluded to, stuff has to happen.
“As long as you’re mathematically in it, you’re doing everything you can to stay in the mix,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said on The Fan. “We’re mathematically in it. We know we’re going to need a lot of help.”
It won’t take much for the math to eliminate the Cowboys. Fivethirtyeight’s research shows there’s a 99 percent chance Dallas won’t make the postseason.
That’s right, they’re saying there’s a chance.
If first-place Washington (6-7) wins just one more game, Dallas’ division hopes are done. The Cowboys also need the Giants (5-8) and Eagles (4-8-1), the other two NFC East teams ahead of them, to each lose at least two of their remaining games.
Believe it or not, there’s still a sliver of a shot that Dallas could get one of the NFC’S three wild card spots, according to the Dallas Morning News. Aside from winning all of its games, Dallas would need a lot to happen.
The Cardinals would have to lose their last three games. And, Dallas wound need the Bears (6-7) and Vikings (6-7) to win just once more, and the Lions (5-8) to lose just once more.
As for the 49ers (5-8), they also still have a complicated way to get into the postseason. Aside from winning out, San Francisco, like Dallas, would need a lot of help.
So, are we ready for another in a long line of 49ers
Cowboys games with postseason implications on the line?
Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s game that will eliminate either the 49ers or Cowboys from the postseason chase:
Game essentials
49ers (5-8) vs. Cowboys (4-9) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 10 a.m. Sunday on CBS-TV (Ch. 2). ODDS: 49ers -3.
REASONS FOR OPTIMISM Defensive deficiencies
Under the direction of defensive coordinator and ex-49ers coach Mike Nolan, Dallas has the worst rushing defense in the NFL — allowing 162.7 yards per game. Week in and week out, the Cowboys have seemed to get manhandled at the line of scrimmage. Their inability to slow down the run is one of the biggest reasons Dallas has also permitted the most points in the league — an average of 30.8 per game. On the bright side, Dallas is coming off one of its best defensive showings of the season. The Cowboys held the Bengals to just 101 yards rushing and Cincinnati’s seven points was by far the least amount of points Dallas has given up this season.
Cowboys’ star has not shone
All-pro running back Ezekiel Elliott has been a shadow of himself this season. He has topped the 100yard mark just once in 13 games while averaging just 64 yards per game. That’s not what the Cowboys expected when they made Elliott the NFL’S highest-paid running back when they agreed to a six-year, $90 million deal before last season. Elliott’s latest disappointing performance came against the Bengals, when he managed to gain just 48 yards on 12 carries (including a 26-yarder).
Big troubles on the line
Once the NFL’S gold standard, the Cowboys’ offensive line is a shadow of itself. Injuries and the retirement of 29-year-old Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick before the season have taken a toll. Star linemen Tyron Smith (neck) and La’el Collins (hip) were also lost for the year earlier this season. Guard Zack Martin (calf) is on injured reserve and may not return this year. Through 10 games, Dallas had already used 15 different line combinations, including four left tackles, three right guards and three right tackles, two left guards and two centers. It’s probably not surprising Dallas has given up the ninth-most sacks (34) this season.