Can the Cowboys make the playoffs in the top spots

Can the Cowboys make the playoffs in the top spots?

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The 2021 NFL regular season is already entering its final stretch. For the second Sunday of January, it will be known who are the teams that will go in search of their pass for Super Bowl LVI. In the case of the Cowboys, only one catastrophe in the next few weeks would prevent them from making the playoffs. This, of course, as champions of the Eastern division of the National Conference.

Now, where in the conference could the Cowboys rank?

After the games of week 13, Dallas ranks fourth in the National Conference. At 8-4, the Cowboy team is behind the other NFC division leaders: the Arizona Cardinals (10-2), Green Bay Packers (9-3) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3).

Having already lost four, achieving the top spot in the NFC and the coveted bye week early in the playoffs it looks very difficult for Dallas. Therefore, the most realistic option on paper would be to achieve second place in the conference. And qualifying in that position would not be too bad.

Recall that the second-best ranked in the conference would face the third-best wild card in the first round of the postseason. This, on paper, means facing the weakest of the three ranked wild cards. However, that spot is currently held by a 49ers whose streak was snapped by the Seahawks on Sunday. However, this can still change. Even more so with the Eagles, Vikings and Panthers stalking that position.

On the other hand, qualifying in fourth place in the National Conference would imply a duel against the best wild card. And, given how the positions were after week 13, this would mean playing against the always difficult Rams led by Sean McVay.

How could the Cowboys improve their qualifying position?

The first positions of the National Conference have not yet been sentenced. Therefore, the Cowboys still have a chance to improve on their current fourth place. And, for this, he must count on his rivals for those positions to worsen his records.

Let’s start by taking a look at the Cardinals. As we mentioned, Dallas is unlikely to be able to achieve first place in the NFC even by winning every remaining match. Among them, their game against Arizona in week 17. That possible loss for the Cardinals would be their third of the season. And while a fourth could happen against the Colts and Rams (their upcoming tough games), this seems unlikely.

Now, the Packers’ second place looks more feasible. Aaron Rodgers and company will have to face Baltimore, Cleveland and Minnesota in the final stretch of the season. Any of these games would end in defeat for Green Bay. If this happens and Dallas ties their record, the Cowboys would be ahead by having the best record against conference opponents.

Lastly, the Buccaneers seem the least likely to worsen their position in the NFC. This, of course, on paper. His next games are against Atlanta, Buffalo, New Orleans, Carolina (twice) and the New York Jets. Only the Bills would be the rival that could trip Tom Brady and company. However, despite their losing streak, do not rule out a few Saints who already defeated the Bucs a few weeks ago.

Of course, the Cowboys also have to do their part to climb the NFC for the playoffs. In theory, Dallas has a fairly affordable schedule in the next five weeks: Washington, New York Giants, Washington again, Arizona and Philadelphia.

The Giants and Eagles shouldn’t be a problem for the Cowboys, whose biggest challenge would be in week 17 against the Cardinals. However, the two games against Washington can be “cheat games.” In recent meetings, Washington has stood out not only for its defensive level but also for dominating possession to neutralize its rivals. And this is something that Dallas already suffered against the Broncos in week 9.

A decisive final leg in the NFC East

Besides, there is another factor to take into account. The final five weeks of the regular season provide a schedule loaded with duels between the NFC East teams. Just as four of the Cowboys last five games will be against divisional opponents, they too will have a similar schedule.

Here’s a glimpse of the NFC East divisional matchups on the schedule starting next week:

  • Week 14: Washington vs. Cowboys
  • Week 15: Giants vs. Cowboys, Eagles vs. Washington
  • Week 16: Cowboys vs. Washington, Eagles vs. Giants
  • Week 17: Washington vs. Eagles
  • Week 18: Eagles vs. Cowboys, Giants vs. Washington

In this way, the Washington Football Team will have a total of five divisional duels in the last five weeks of the season. Dallas and Philadelphia, on the other hand, will each have four games. Ultimately, the Giants will only have three games against division opponents in the final weeks of the season.

This heavy load of divisional matchups could shake things up in the National Conference East in the coming weeks. It is true that the Cowboys, with a record of 8-4, have a good advantage over Washington (6-6) and Philadelphia (6-7). However, all these duels promise to be quite complicated. And even more so when these two teams still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

As we can see, there are many factors that must combine for the Cowboys to be in first or second place in the National Conference. Places that, let’s remember, would give Dallas a more favorable postseason start. However, in the NFL anything can happen, especially as the regular season draws to a close.

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Can the Cowboys make the playoffs in the top spots?

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