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8 teams that can help Cowboys playoff push over next 4 days

k.d. drummond
·5 min read
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The Dallas Cowboys are on the precipice of going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The club is winning at a clip better than two out of every three games and it’s put them in the position to be one of the first teams to punch their ticket to the 14-team January Invitational. They’ll need some help to do so, but it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion they will win the NFC East if they emerge from this weekend’s trip to New York victorious and the Philadelphia Eagles defend their home turf against the team coming up I-95, the Football Team from Washington.

That scenario will eliminate Washington from the race, and leave the Eagles with only the slightest chance of winning a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Dallas. Right now the teams the Cowboys have defeated have won a total of 56 games. The teams the Eagles have defeated have won 28 games. Dallas’ best wins have come over the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots, winners of eight and nine games respectively going into the weekend.

The Eagles’ best win has been over the 7-6 Denver Broncos.

Because of this, the Eagles would need to win their final three games, Dallas lose their final three games and for the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Denver Broncos and the opponents of both the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots to combine for 12 wins in their final 16 games.

That’s not happening, so while Dallas will need five results (plus a win and Eagles’ loss) to officially clinch this weekend, for all intents and purposes the East will be in the bag just if the division results work as outlined.

But Dallas’ goal isn’t just making the playoffs, they have a realistic shot at the No. 1 seed or at least moving up from the No. 4 seed. Here’s how things can work out in their favor.

Current NFC standings and tiebreaker info

  1. Green Bay Packers (10-3)

  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3)

  3. Arizona Cardinals (10-3)

  4. Dallas Cowboys (9-4)

  5. Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

  6. San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

  7. Washington Football Team (6-7)

  8. Minnesota Vikings (6-7)

  9. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)

  10. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)

  11. New Orleans Saints (6-7)

Two Teams Tied

  1. Head-to-head, if applicable

  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference

  3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four

  4. Strength of victory

  5. Strength of schedule

  6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed

Three Teams or More Tied

  1. Head-to-head sweep (applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others)

  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference

  3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four

  4. Strength of victory

  5. Strength of schedule

  6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed

Saturday, 7:15 pm, New England (9-4) @ Indianapolis Colts(7-6)

Dallas beat the Patriots in Week 6, so any victory by them counts towards the five total results they’d need for a tiebreaker advantage over the Eagles.

Root for the Patriots.

Sunday, Noon CT, New York Jets (3-10) @ Miami Dolphins (6-7)

The Eagles defeated the Jets, so the more New York loses, the less help Philly gets in strength of victory.

Root for the Dolphins.

Sunday, Noon CT, Arizona Cardinals (10-3) @ Detroit Lions (1-11-1)

While the Cardinals beating the Lions helps Dallas out in the tiebreaker with Philly, the Cowboys have bigger goals. Yes, Dallas faces the Cards in Week 17 and if the Cowboys win and the two teams end up tied, Dallas wins the head-to-head tiebreaker and likely conference record if it’s a tie of three-or-more teams, but…

But what if Dallas falls in any of their three other games? Dallas should be rooting for all of their NFC rivals to lose as much as possible.

Root for the miracle of a Lions win.

Sunday, 3:05 pm CT, Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) @ Denver Broncos (7-6)

Another game that only matters in trying to keep the Eagles’ strength of victory from climbing as they were able to defeat the Broncos earlier in the year.

Root for the Bengals.

Sunday, 3:25 pm CT, Green Bay Packers (10-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-5)

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the last best chance for the Packers to take a fourth loss is contained in the hopes of Lamar Jackson’s ankle, and he was carted off the field in Week 14.

Root for the Ravens.

Sunday, 7:20 pm CT, New Orleans Saints (6-7) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3)

Division games are always tough, and the Saints have already taken down the Bucs this season, but COVID hit New Orleans and head coach Sean Payton will be out. Teams without head coaches have done well though, so maybe there’s a chance Tampa loses one of their few competitive situations.

Dallas needs two Bucs losses (along with winning out) or needs to end up in a three-or-more-team tie in order to get ahead thanks to that Week 1 loss.

Root for the Saints.

Tuesday, 6 pm CT, Seattle Seahawks (5-8) @ Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

The Rams are now within a game of the Cards for the NFC West lead and therefore are in the mix for a better seed than Dallas. Right now conference record divides the two, but should Dallas slip they’ll want to remain tied in the loss column if LA catches Arizona.

Root for the Seahawks.

Tuesday 6 pm, CT, Washington (6-7) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)

The game that truly matters, Dallas may be able to have an official watch party now that COVID has rescheduled this game. Perhaps by Sunday night the other five results set this up to be a division-elimination game for both squads, who still have wild-card hopes regardless.

Root for the Eagles and throw up after the fact.

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