This season hasn't started as planned for the Dallas Cowboys, who enter Week 6 with a record of 2-3. Hopes seem incredibly low following their latest loss, which was to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were starting an undrafted rookie quarterback in Jalon Daniels.
That loss led to some changes as the Cowboys added a new defensive coach, signing Mike Pettine as their senior defensive assistant. They're also considering moving defensive coordinator Christian Parker to the booth to get a better view of the field.
In addition to their changes with the staff, the Cowboys are tinkering with their roster slightly. They're aiming to get Caleb Downs back in the slot, which is where they believe he can be the most impactful. Dallas is also experimenting with Jaishawn Barham on the edge, something he did often while at Michigan. Those moves, as well as some misfortunes for the rest of the NFC East, seems to be helping the Cowboys' odds of turning things around. According to Kalshi Sport, they currently have the best playoff odds of the four teams in their division.
— Kalshi Sports (@KalshiSports) October 16, 2026Updated NFC Playoff Chances on Kalshi:
92% — Niners
80% — Vikings
72% — Rams
64% — Lions
59% — Seahawks
54% — Bears
49% — Panthers
49% — Cowboys
38% — Packers
33% — Falcons
28% — Giants
27% — Eagles
24% — Saints
17% — Buccaneers
12% — Commanders
2% — Cardinals pic.twitter.com/s8IzFOLuHp
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Injuries have been a major concern for entire NFC East
Dallas has been getting healthier, with safety Malik Hooker already returning to action. They also hope to see cornerback DaRon Bland and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown back soon, possibly as early as Week 7.
That should help them as they aim to get back on track, but the rest of the division has been dealing with just as many, if not more, injuries.
The Eagles go into Week 6 with quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley both out. Barkley could be back in Week 7 to face the Cowboys, but the situation with Hurts could linger for a while. The New York Giants, who are currently in first place, are without starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is done for the year. For the Washington Commanders, they lost Jayden Daniels for a couple of games, but he still didn't seem to be 100 percent this past week against the Giants.
None of the four teams in the East are much of a threat right now, but the uncertainty around them all could benefit the Cowboys, especially if the Pettine hire pans out.
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