That was quite the entertaining regular season the Dallas Cowboys just completed. They tied for the best record in the NFC and have the second seed in the playoffs thanks to an MVP-level QB, possibly the best receiver in the league, three All-Pro offensive linemen, the best pass rusher in the NFL, and the top corner.
None of those performances matter now.
The tournament begins Sunday, and the players and coaching staff must perform as well as they have during the season or it will all have been for naught. Everything is set up for them: they haven’t lost at home in 16 games, and the team they are up against is the only one younger than them. The Green Bay Packers aren’t yet playoff tested like the Cowboys are, and Dallas is as healthy as a team can expect to be in this part of the season.
The Cowboys will always be judged by this time of the year. If they make it to an NFC Championship game, the season could be seen as a victory, but they need to win the game against the Packers first. The pressure is on, and here are the things they need to accomplish and avoid in order to move on to the divisional round.