It is official, the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated this 2015 National Football League (NFL) regular season and will not be entering the playoffs after a tough 19-16 defeat to the New York Jets last Saturday.
The Cowboys slipped to 4–10 and even with two more games remaining in their regular season schedule versus the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins, are no longer in playoff contention.
Dallas used two quarterbacks (Matt Cassel, Kellen Moore) and kept the game close all the way, but it was not enough as they failed to walk away with the victory.
Cowboys placekicker Dan Bailey scored a field goal to put them first on the scoreboard in the opening quarter, but the Jets had a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining to take a 6–3 lead entering the second quarter.
The Jets again scored this time with a field goal to take a 9–3 lead in the second period, but Cowboys star wide receiver Dez Bryant caught a 10-yard pass from Moore for a 10–9 advantage heading to intermission.
In the third quarter, the Cowboys are the only ones who scored and extended their lead to four 13–9 after Bailey's second field goal.
Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick recorded his only touchdown pass in the game and regained the lead for his team 16–13 in the fourth quarter, when he connected with wide receiver Eric Decker for a three-yard score.
But Dallas, trying to keep its playoff hopes alive, had another field goal from Bailey to tie the score at 16–16.
Unfortunately, the Jets answered with their own field goal as placekicker Randy Bullock converted one with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter to eliminate the Cowboys.
The Cowboys, who last season are the National Football Conference (NFC) East champions, will be missing the playoffs this 2015 after reaching as far as the Divisional Playoffs (lost to the Green Bay Packers) in the 2014 season.
