Eagles’ win Saturday night eliminates Cowboys from playoff contention

The Dallas Cowboys will have gone 30 straight years without reaching the Super Bowl after they were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 29-18.

The Eagles’ victory over Washington clinched Philadelphia’s second straight NFC East title, becoming the division’s first repeat champion since the 2004 Eagles. 

The Cowboys’ had an outside chance to compete for the division title entering Saturday night. They would have needed to win their final three games and the Eagles to lose their final three games. 

By virtue of the Eagles’ win, Dallas will now take the field against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday with nothing to play for.

It also marks the first time the Cowboys will miss the playoffs for two consecutive seasons since 2020. 

Dallas went all-in at this year’s trade deadline in an attempt to bolster its playoff chances, trading a 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. But it won’t pay off in the short term for the Cowboys after their 2025 failure. Williams is under contract until 2027. 

COWBOYS’ TRADE FOR JETS STAR QUINNEN WILLIAMS FACES HARSH CRITICISM: ‘DALLAS IS DRUNK’ 

Questions about whether the Cowboys would be competitive in 2025 were raised after the team traded star linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers ahead of the season. The Cowboys’ defense is 29th in the NFL this year without Parsons.

Dallas gave its fans some hope with a three-game winning streak in November, rebounding from 3-5-1 to 6-5-1 and within striking distance of the seventh seed in the NFC. But a 44-30 primetime loss to the Detroit Lions Dec. 4 took all the air out and dropped Dallas’ playoff chances to just 8%. 

They lost their next game at home to J.J. McCarthy’s Minnesota Vikings, who also won’t be going to the playoffs.

The Eagles are looking to defend their Super Bowl championship and right the ship after their win over Washington.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

The Eagles lost three straight games, including a 21-point blown lead to the Cowboys, before snapping the losing streak with a lopsided win over the Raiders last week. 

Philadelphia will finish its season against the Buffalo Bills next week and a rematch at home with Washington in Week 18. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.