The Dallas Cowboys have a bye this weekend, but that doesn’t mean their future can come into a clearer focus. The slate of Week 10 games is ripe for the plucking in our 2020 Rooting Guide. Normally the guide is figuring out which contests could help the Cowboys in their quest for a playoff spot. This year? It’s which outcomes can assist in the journey towards a top draft pick.
When looking at pick order, teams are arranged by who has the worse record. Unlike playoff seeding, tiebreakers in draft order are done solely by strength of schedule. If teams end up with the same record, whomever faced the easier schedule gets pick preference. That preference is rotational, though. Say two teams are tied like Dallas and the New York Giants. If the Cowboys’ SOS stays easier, they will have the No. 3 pick in the first round, but they’ll flip in the second round. The Giants would be up first.
So, here’s a look at the action that will impact the chase this weekend. There are some easy selections here. Root for:
Carolina (3-6) to upset Tampa Bay (6-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) to upset the Green Bay Packers (6-2)
Denver Broncos (3-5) to beat the Las Vegas Raiders (5-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-5-1) to take down the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-0)
The Patriots (3-5) stopping the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) on SNF would be a big help and definitely root for the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) to win their third in a row by downing the Chicago Bears (5-3).
Those upsets would be great, but here are the matchups to really keep an eye on.