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The NFL is approaching the halfway point, and even for teams with a slow start, there's still a lot of football to be played. Since 2000, 35 teams have reached the halfway point of their season with a .500 or lower winning percentage and still proceeded to the playoffs. Of those 35 teams, 28 reached the halfway mark of the season with a 4-4 record.
Seven reached the halfway mark of the season with just three wins and still made the playoffs, five of them in the last four seasons:
| Team | Year | Halfpoint record | Final record | Playoffs |
| New York Jets | 2002 | 3-5 |
9-7 | Divisional round |
| San Diego Chargers | 2008 | 3-5 |
8-8 | Divisional round |
| Denver Broncos | 2011 | 3-5 |
8-8 | Divisional round |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2012 | 3-5 | 10-6 | Wildcard |
| Washington Redskins | 2012 | 3-5 | 10-6 | Wildcard |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2013 | 3-5 | 10-6 | Wildcard |
| Carolina Panthers | 2014 | 3-4-1 | 7-8-1 | Divisional round |
The Cowboys currently stand at 2-4, and getting to the halfway point with a 4-4 record would certainly help keep their playoff chances alive. But the Redskins and Eagles both recently showed that the NFC East can be won even with a slow start.
But for the Cowboys to stay in the playoff race, they'll need to get some wins after their recent four-game losing streak, and this week just might be an opportunity for that; our BTB writers panel has the Cowboys as unanimous picks over the visiting Seahawks on Sunday.
And know this: since moving to a 16-game schedule in 1978, not a single team has made the playoffs with just two wins at the halfway mark.
Here are the rest of our picks for Week 8, 2015. Let us know what you think about the picks, and don't forget to enter our Pick 256 challenge this week - if you haven't already done so.
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| Dave | Danny | Dawn | Jamie | Jim | Michael | OCC | rabble | Tom | Consensus | |
| Season Record |
62-43 |
61-44 |
61-44 |
59-46 |
63-42 |
66-39 |
68-37 |
70-35 |
66-39 |
66-39 |
| Season Percentage | .590 |
.581 |
.581 |
.562 |
.600 |
.629 |
.648 |
.667 |
.629 |
.629 |
| Week 7 Record |
7-7 |
5-9 |
9-5 |
7-7 |
9-5 |
11-3 |
7-7 |
8-6 |
8-6 |
9-5 |
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| MIA @ NE (-8) |
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| DET @ KC (-5.5) |
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| MIN (-1) @ CHI |
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| TB @ ATL (-7) |
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| NYG @ NO (-3) |
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| SF @ STL (-8.5) |
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| ARI (-5) @ CLE |
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| CIN @ PIT (PK) |
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| SD @ BAL (-3) |
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| TEN @ HOU (-3.5) |
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| NYJ (-2) @ OAK |
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SEA (-6) @ DAL |
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| GB (-3) @ DEN |
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| IND @ CAR (-7) |
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Get your picks in for the BTB Pick 256 Challenge!
If you haven't yet submitted your picks, now would be a good time. Here's the link to the entry form.
If the link above doesn't work for whatever reason, use the following alternative, which does not autofill your BTB user name into the entry form.
Alternative Pick 256 Entry Form
We have close to 200 participants who've already submitted their picks for Week 8. If you haven't submitted your picks yet, you still have until 8:25 pm EST tonight to submit your picks, so time is running low.