As Mickey points out, the Cowboys had the No.2 offense in the NFL and they closed the season with two shut outs. The very next game they played the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in a row, only to bury them into the ground like skeletons. The Cowboys defense hadn’t given up 20 points in 10 games. The team was hot. Hotter than these New York Jets.

But when that team stepped inside that dome, something happened.

Mickey goes on and on and on—it is downright painful—of how bad the Cowboys were last week. They made the Vikings break all sorts of record on them.

This isn’t about Wade Phillips as the head coach. When a team loses that bad, I think it has a lot more to do with the players.

Some of it was the play calling.

A lot of it was how pressured Tony Romo was all day. He was sacked six times.

Everything was stacked against the Cowboys that day and no one was able to step up and stop the rush. Those two missed field goals may not have meant a victory if they were good, but it did a lot to further lower the Cowboys’ confidence. I knew that not having a threat at the position was going to be damaging to the Cowboys playoff run. At least it didn’t cost the game.

The end of the season leaves everyone wondering what exactly does this team still need? The safeties don’t stink. The cornerbacks are an improving group, but maybe Terence Newman is a tad bit overrated? The linebackers are good and the defensive line is a force in the NFL.

The offense has a serious speedy threat in the backfield with Felix Jones, but maybe another who is losing some of his steam in Marion Barber. If you overplay Felix, there is the injury threat, and using Barber every day has not been the best move either. We have a little problem at wide receiver, and that has more to do with the money, than a weakness. Roy Williams is killing us, for sure. That was a poor scouting decision and the Cowboys really rushed into it. Miles Austin has now had one incredible year. Let’s see if he can pull one in again next season. Jason Witten is the best tight end in the game and Patrick Crayton is not an overpaid second wide receiver.

Then we have Tony Romo. I might be able to–know I can–write an entire chapter on Tony Romo.

But you decide if he is a franchise quarterback. He is already paid like one. Someone could also easily argue the offensive line is overrated, and an easy stat to boost your argument is this offensive line allowed the most sacks of Romo in his career. How is that getting better?

I think the biggest weakness on this team is the offensive line. It might be prime time to give that entire line a hard look.

The game was blocked from television on the East Coast, where the Redskins game was televised for fans to see the team lost its 11th game of the season against the Chargers.

The Cowboys defense has shutout two teams in two weeks, an impressive feat for a team coached by Wade Phillips, who may have had one of the worst game-winning speeches I have ever seen. Phillips mumbled through his thanks to the team for playing its heart out. But Wade’s team needs to do more than just make the playoffs; the team needs to win.

I strongly believe that Jerry Jones will not entertain a fourth season with Wade if the Cowboys do not win at least one playoff game. This will not be easy.

The Cowboys will have to beat the Eagles three times this year for that to happen. Not only is it rare for a team to beat a divisional foe three times in a season, it takes a pretty darn good football team to do it. Part of me wanted the Vikings to lose, too, so that the Cowboys would get that first week bye and the second seed. But the other part said, wait, these teams that are getting these byes are not making it to many Super Bowls lately. A wildcard bid for the Cowboys means no bye, no Mexico and no blond bimbos. The Cowboys have no choice but to stay home, practice and prepare for next week’s game exact the very same opponent they dominated today.

Marion Barber was incredible. It seemed every run was for a first down. And Felix Jones dash at the end was icing on the cake, wasn’t it? One thing you have to congratulate the coaching staff for is how they rested Felix, and didn’t over-use Tarshard Choice. I think that losing Felix last season put a huge dent in the Cowboys offense. This year, everyone is going into the playoffs with a majority of their health intact.

We know that was not the real Eagles today. At least I know. I can’t say I am positive the Cowboys can continue to roll like this, let alone the defense continue to post shutouts, God forbid.

But for right now, let’s celebrate. The Dallas Cowboys are division champions.

How about them Cowboys?

It wasn’t long ago when the Redskins almost beat the Cowboys in a 7-6 game that was as boring to watch as the score indicates. A plus for the Cowboys is that the overrated Albert Haynesworth is scared of Andre Gurode and Haynesworth will not play tonight.

DeMarcus Ware will battle third-stringer Levi Jones most of the night.

The Cowboys need to attack the Redskins fast, and beat them while they are down. Players were accused of quitting last week for the Redskins. But I doubt they’ll play that way tonight.