The Dallas Cowboys are on the precipice of going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The club is winning at a clip better than two out of every three games and it’s put them in the position to be one of the first teams to punch their ticket to the 14-team January Invitational. They’ll need some help to do so, but it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion they will win the NFC East if they emerge from this weekend’s trip to New York victorious and the Philadelphia Eagles defend their home turf against the team coming up I-95, the Football Team from Washington.
That scenario will eliminate Washington from the race, and leave the Eagles with only the slightest chance of winning a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over Dallas. Right now the teams the Cowboys have defeated have won a total of 56 games. The teams the Eagles have defeated have won 28 games. Dallas’ best wins have come over the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots, winners of eight and nine games respectively going into the weekend.
The Eagles’ best win has been over the 7-6 Denver Broncos.
Because of this, the Eagles would need to win their final three games, Dallas lose their final three games and for the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Denver Broncos and the opponents of both the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots to combine for 12 wins in their final 16 games.
That’s not happening, so while Dallas will need five results (plus a win and Eagles’ loss) to officially clinch this weekend, for all intents and purposes the East will be in the bag just if the division results work as outlined.
But Dallas’ goal isn’t just making the playoffs, they have a realistic shot at the No. 1 seed or at least moving up from the No. 4 seed. Here’s how things can work out in their favor.
