Archer: Dallas Cowboys' path to playoffs is set

[Cotton]

Dallas Cowboys' path to playoffs is set
December, 8, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys walked out of AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving night, they could not have been more despondent.

When they show up for work on Tuesday, they should be as pleased as possible because they know this: win their final three games and they will win the NFC East for the first time since 2009.

Thanks to the Seattle Seahawks beating the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Cowboys' rematch with the Eagles has the division on the line again.

Of course, Seattle's win leaves the Cowboys with little margin for error the rest of the way because they are out of the playoffs at the moment because the Seahawks and Detroit Lions, also 9-4, own the tiebreaker over the Cowboys. Dallas' win at Seattle earlier this season is moot in a three-way tie.

The Cowboys could find themselves out of the playoffs even if they win 11 games. That has happened only twice: the 1985 Denver Broncos and the 2008 New England Patriots.

Former Cowboys assistant coach Tony Sparano, now the interim coach for the Oakland Raiders, did the Cowboys a favor by beating the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Niners beat the Cowboys in the season opener and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, but if the Cowboys reach 11 wins, that won't matter.

The Lions play the Minnesota Vikings and close the year at the Chicago Bears and at the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys have to hope the Packers have something to play for in the finale so they don't rest their regulars. Or hope the Vikings or Bears can pull an upset.

All of this is meaningless to Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, or at least so he says. He lives in a day-to-day world, but he also says it is his job to give the players a perspective on what is ahead. Does he even address this when he talks to the team on Tuesday or does he just talk about the Eagles?

The guess is he focuses on LeSean McCoy, Fletcher Cox and Chip Kelly, not all of the scenarios that could possibly affect his team in the final three weeks.

How many times has Garrett said the Cowboys worry about only what they can control? Thanks to the Seahawks, the Cowboys do not control everything.

Win their last three, and they are in. It's pretty simple.

THE REMAINING ROAD TO THE PLAYOFFS

COWBOYS (9-4)
At Philadelphia
Vs. Indianapolis
At Washington

EAGLES (9-4)
Vs. Cowboys
At Washington
At New York Giants

SEAHAWKS (9-4)
Vs. San Francisco
At Arizona
Vs. St. Louis

LIONS (9-4)
Vs. Minnesota
At Chicago
At Green Bay

NINERS (7-6)
At Seattle
Vs. San Diego
Vs. Arizona

 

[BipolarFuk]

Pretty much win out or go home.

I'm betting they go home.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Pretty much win out or go home.

I'm betting they go home.

Not necessarily at all. Seattle still has a pretty brutal schedule ahead of them. They could easily drop a couple of games. Especially with the way the Rams are playing.

 

[Rev]

Not necessarily at all. Seattle still has a pretty brutal schedule ahead of them. They could easily drop a couple of games. Especially with the way the Rams are playing.

I don't think Seattle's schedule is brutal at all. 2 out of 3 at home and the defense is back. Better off looking at Arizona.

 

[UncleMilti]

AZ and SF are not a cakewalk for Seattle.

However, Min and GB are going to pose a real problem for the Lions.

I fully expect them to go 0-2 against Min and GB, but lets say they go 2-1

Seattle might drop 1 of 3. So that's 2-1 for them too.

But Philly also has a tough road....the Giants are a good matchup for them and you can't discount the Skins.

Dallas could go 2-1 and still win the division.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I don't think Seattle's schedule is brutal at all. 2 out of 3 at home and the defense is back. Better off looking at Arizona.

They already lost to the Rams once. Arizona leads their division. San Fran is 7-6 and fighting for their lives to make the playoffs. I'd call that a brutal schedule.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

AZ and SF are not a cakewalk for Seattle.

However, Min and GB are going to pose a real problem for the Lions.

I fully expect them to go 0-2 against Min and GB, but lets say they go 2-1

Seattle might drop 1 of 3. So that's 2-1 for them too.

But Philly also has a tough road....the Giants are a good matchup for them and you can't discount the Skins.

Dallas could go 2-1 and still win the division.

No way, everyone is going to win out.

Didn't you know, the sky is falling?

 

[Rev]

They already lost to the Rams once. Arizona leads their division. San Fran is 7-6 and fighting for their lives to make the playoffs. I'd call that a brutal schedule.

They werent playing as well as they are now when they lost to St. Louis. San Fran that just lost to Oakland and has a QB that is lost? Also both of those games in Seattle and despite us winning there that is a stadium that heavily favors the home team. I just can't label that as a brutal schedule. Maybe they lose to Arizona. Maybe.

 

[vince]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

They werent playing as well as they are now when they lost to St. Louis.

The Rams are playing a lot better now as well.

Also not sure why Seattle is supposedly playing so much better now. Seattle had taken down teams like the Broncos before running into the buzz saw that is Dallas...

 

[vince]

The Rams are playing a lot better now as well.

Also not sure why Seattle is supposedly playing so much better now. Seattle had taken down teams like the Broncos before running into the buzz saw that is Dallas...

 

[lostxn]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

Way to lose all credibility on this board...

 

[kidd]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

Yeah and this "successful season" guarantees Garrett will be back. If that's the case, I at least want a playoff win.

 

[vince]

Way to lose all credibility on this board...

I'm surprised it took someone so long to post something against my comment.

 

[Cotton]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

Nope.

 

[boozeman]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

CHOKE YOURSELF, PRIVATE PYLE!

 

[boozeman]

AZ and SF are not a cakewalk for Seattle..

Feh.

Stanton and a 49er team that has checked out. Easy.

 

[Genghis Khan]

If we miss the playoffs at 10-6 or 11-5, I'd still consider it a successful season.

I would not. Not at all.

Forget the records.

We once again are in control of our own destiny. Win 3 in a row, we are in. And two of the remaining 3 are against teams that suck.

This is not an impossible task in front of them.

If we miss the playoffs, it will be another failure.

 

[boozeman]

I would not. Not at all.

Forget the records.

We once again are in control of our own destiny. Win 3 in a row, we are in. And two of the remaining 3 are against teams that suck.

This is not an impossible task in front of them.

If we miss the playoffs, it will be another failure.

It is not a failure if the fans thought they would win fewer games.

Or something.

 

[Rev]

Feh.

Stanton and a 49er team that has checked out. Easy.

Yeah. I still dont get a brutal vibe from that schedule.