As the NFC East’s tide began to shift, the Cowboys had a chance to rise to the occasion. They didn’t.

BALTIMORE — New York was the first to suggest the NFC East isn’t the abysmal collection of talent this season suggests.

A few hours after the Giants beat Seattle, Washington came back to knock Pittsburgh from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The tide of derision was turning. Could the Cowboys continue what began on Sunday to at least momentarily restore the prestige of this once, proud division?

What do you think?

In a season defined weekly by unexpected circumstances, bizarre outcomes and COVID-19 tests, there has been one, mind-numbing constant: the Cowboys’ inability to rise to the occasion. Tuesday’s 34-17 loss to Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium was just the latest example.

The reasons for defeat vary, although the Cowboys’ disorganized run defense appears on that list more weeks than not. Dallas was at it — meaning missing tackles and being out of position — again on this chilly evening. The Ravens gashed the Cowboys on the ground for 294 of their 401 yards.

Throw in three missed field goals by Greg Zuerlein and…

Well, you get the 3-9 picture.

“That’s where we are as a football team,’’ head coach Mike McCarthy said. “The only ones that can change that are us.

“We didn’t play well enough to win tonight. Until we take those steps of playing well in all three phases in all four quarters, we’re not going to win these kind of games.

“That was evident tonight.’’

It’s been evident since Dak Prescott went down for the season.

Dallas has now lost six of seven games since that pivotal event. The Cowboys were still below .500, but Prescott overcame a multitude of sins to keep the team in games and give them a chance to win at the end.

Now, the Cowboys simply unravel at the end of games. Dallas has been outscored by 108 points in the last seven games for an average of 15.4 points.

“It’s definitely not a great feeling,’’ said receiver Michael Gallup, who led the Cowboys with seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. “You can have a good game and lose and it doesn’t even feel like you had a good game, period.

“I haven’t had anything like this.’’

The Giants and Washington sit atop the division — we use the term loosely — with 5-7 records. Philadelphia is 11/2 games back, followed by the Cowboys.

Dallas is two out with four to play and has been swept by Washington.

“I wouldn’t say it’s slipping away,’’ Gallup said. “It’s game-to-game now. The division is so tight, you can’t even think about it slipping away. We’re still right there.

“We’ve got to have the mind-set that you can still compete for it.’’

There’s a word for that mind-set.

Delusional.

“We know the situation we’re in,’’ countered quarterback Andy Dalton, who completed 31-of-48 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. “All we have to do is worry about us, control what we can control and see how this whole thing shakes out.

“Would we like to narrow the gap a little bit? Yes. But it is what it is. We’re going to keep moving forward.’’

The Giants and Washington are the only teams moving forward at the moment. The Eagles and Cowboys aren’t.

Philadelphia lost again the other day and has now changed quarterbacks, benching Carson Wentz in favor of Jalen Hurts.

The Cowboys don’t have a quarterback controversy. And there’s no controversy about their defense.

It’s bad.

The 11 days between games didn’t give Dallas enough time to patch up its run defense. What will this coaching staff be able to do with only five days before they’re back on the field to face Cincinnati?

“Hey, that’s the schedule,’’ McCarthy said. “We all know what it is.

“We’ve got to be ready to go when we get back.’’

The Cowboys were scheduled to get home a little after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

“It’s frustrating to be in the positon we’re in, to have opportunities and not able to get it done,’’ Dalton said. “All we can do is put our heads down and work and make the most of these last four games on the schedule.

“We’ll see what happens from there.’’

There’s no reason to believe what happens in these final four games will be much different from what’s transpired in the last seven.

Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.

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