- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,441
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
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