Dallas Cowboys must-wins begin only half a season in
By Brad Austin
With the only realistic playoff path pointing to a division title, the Dallas Cowboys already face a must-win game at the halfway mark.
Most familiar with NFL playoff qualifications have accepted the Dallas Cowboys only realistic path to the postseason requires winning the NFC East title.
Fortunately, the current standings show the division is still in play, although the Cowboys hopes are hanging by a thread.
WASHINGTON: 5-3 (5-2 NFC, 2-0 NFC EAST)
PHILADELPHIA: 4-4 (2-3 NFC, 1-0 NFC EAST)
DALLAS: 3-5 (2-3 NFC, 1-1 NFC EAST)
NEW YORK: 1-7 (0-6 NFC, 0-3 NFC EAST)
With one division loss already booked, the hard truth is Dallas cannot afford another one for the rest of the season. Even at 9-7, two division losses would likely only be good enough to tie Philadelphia or Washington.
With overall and division records tied, the second tiebreaker compares conference records. At 2-3 now, Dallas is tied with the Eagles and 2.5 games behind the Redskins. With really tough conference games like New Orleans and Atlanta on the horizon, another division loss would sink the conference record resume.
However, let’s say both the Eagles and Cowboys finish tied with the same overall, division, and conference records. The next tiebreaker is recorded against common opponents. To date, both teams lost to Carolina and Tennessee, yet beat Jacksonville.
The advantage for the Eagles comes in their defeating Atlanta and Dallas having yet to travel there. Also, the Cowboys lost to Houston and Philly still gets a chance to beat them at home. Bottom line, Dallas would almost surely lose this tiebreaker too.
Sunday’s Eagles game is a must-win as the Cowboys need six victories in their final eight games and to secure a 5-1 division record above another 9-7 NFC East team. Division record is the first championship tiebreaker, and the only one they’d win.
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Very few fans still believe this battered roster is playoff material, including myself. Nothing to date suggests they can finish out 6-2, much less run the division table. Either way, Sunday night we’ll all know if these comatose Dallas Cowboys have begun to twitch or if it’s time to take this ailing bunch off of life support.