What an exhilarating 17-hour stretch for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans. Perhaps there’s something to this breaking the curse thing after all. During halftime of the team’s Week 17 matchup with NFC North champion Detroit, the Cowboys inducted Jimmy Johnson into the Ring of Honor. Long deserved, Cowboys Nation has felt that the team’s drought in playoff success has been a bit of bad mojo after Jerry Jones ousted the two-time Super Bowl winner.
With some late-game craziness aiding Dallas to a 20-19 win over the Lions, the good vibes continued through the early Sunday games. The Cardinals, the team that upset the Cowboys in Week 3 and placed them in a precarious position of chasing the Eagles all season, arrived in Philadelphia as major underdogs. After falling behind 21-6 at half, Arizona scored touchdowns on all four of their second-half possessions and pulled off a 35-31 win. Along with other early-game results, the playoff picture shifted and Week 18’s importance came into focus.