The Cowboys escaped disaster on Sunday against the Texans thanks to a crucial fourth down stop by DeMarcus Lawrence and subsequent 98-yard game winning drive that was capped off with an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown. With 10 wins under their belt with just four games remaining in the regular season, the playoff push is in full force.
Did the Cowboys narrow win negatively impact where they stand in some of the notable national power rankings, or raise it? Let's take a look.
NFL.com: 1.) Philadelphia Eagles 2.) San Francisco 49ers 3.) Cincinnati Bengals 4.) Buffalo Bills 5.) Kansas City Chiefs
6.) Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: No. 2)
(Dak Prescott and the Cowboys woke up just in time against the Texans. After a goal-line stand by the defense, Prescott completed 6 of 7 passes and added two scrambles (including one for a first down) on a 98-yard drive that culminated with Ezekiel Elliott's 2-yard game-winning touchdown run with 41 seconds on the clock. The 27-23 win was dramatic, but barely finding a way to get past the one-win Texans tells the story of a Dallas team that needs to tighten things up. The remaining schedule is tough, starting with a road matchup against a fast-improving Jaguars team," -Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 1.) Philadelphia Eagles 2.) Kansas City Chiefs 3.) Buffalo Bills 4.) Dallas Cowboys 5.) San Francisco 49ers
Last Week: No. 4
"The Cowboys are one of three teams to rank inside the top 10 in all three categories, so that means they're pretty good. But the fact that the offense is seventh after Dak Prescott missed five games with a fractured thumb is telling. The Cowboys managed their way through Prescott's absence with Cooper Rush, and they have largely excelled since Prescott's return. Thank the running game with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who have combined for 1,610 yards. Thank the red zone offense (20 touchdowns in 28 trips since Prescott's return). Thank the third-down offense (51-of-89 since Prescott's return). But Prescott has to watch the interceptions, with eight since his return," -Todd Archer
Fox Sports: 1.) Philadelphia Eagles 2.) Cincinnati Bengals 3.) Kansas City Chiefs 4.) Dallas Cowboys 5.) San Francisco 49ers
Last Week: No. 2
"Sorry, Cowboys. There's got to be some sort of penalty for needing last-minute heroics to beat the worst team in the league. It's not time to panic, but the Cowboys need to clean up their turnover issues if they're going to piece any kind of run together," -David Helman
