As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Detroit, things looked bleak for the Cowboys. The loss to the Lions dropped them to 6-6-1, snapping a three-game win streak and derailing what had suddenly become a burgeoning playoff bid.

A few days – and another Eagles self destruction – later, things have been upgraded from bleak to just dire. They currently have an 11% chance to make the playoffs, according to the playoff simulator at The Athletic. Even a single loss the rest of the way drops them under 3%, and likely eliminates them not long after.

To call it a longshot would be an understatement, but Brian Schottenheimer is fine with that.

The first-year head coach is plenty used to being a longshot. A coach’s son, Schottenheimer was always supposed to be the “next big thing.” You’d thi

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