They may be "America's Team," but the Dallas Cowboys will once again watch the Super Bowl with the rest of the country this year. The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention prior to their Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If misery does in fact love company, the Cowboys have that in the 49ers, who also saw their playoff hopes extinguished just prior to their Week 16 showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Both the Cowboys and 49ers entered Week 16 with 6-8 records.
Another NFC team, the Arizona Cardinals, were also eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday. Arizona (7-8) was upset by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday on the strength of Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard's 152 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Adding insult to injury for Dallas is the fact that they were eliminated by one of their chief rivals, the Washington Commanders, who edged the Eagles in Week 16 on the strength of two defensive touchdowns. The Commanders' win also eliminated the 49ers, who join the long list of Super Bowl runner-ups who failed to make the playoffs the following season.
Washington's history against the 49ers dates back to the 1983 NFC Championship, a game that was won by Washington after a few controversial penalties were called against the 49ers' defense at the end of the game. The 49ers used that loss as fuel for their 1984 Super Bowl run.
Injuries played a key role in both the Cowboys and 49ers' demise this season. Both teams lost arguably their top offensive player to season-ending injuries. For the Cowboys, quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. In San Francisco, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey battled with various aliments all year before he was placed on injured reserve earlier this month.
Questions will undoubtedly surround both teams this offseason. In Dallas, the questions will largely circle around the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did recently allude to possible extending McCarthy's contract. The 49ers have Brock Purdy's contract to deal with, as the team's starting quarterback is entering the final year of his rookie deal.