The Dallas Cowboys sit at 10-4 and are close to clinching the NFC East title. Following Week 15’s win over the New York Giants, the Cowboys have extended their win streak to three straight games and continue to inch closer to the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
This final three-game stretch ahead will be vital for Dallas in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
Without further ado, here are my predictions for the final three regular-season games:
Week 16: Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys
The Covid-ridden Football Team had to play their Week 15 game on Tuesday night and now has a short week to prepare for the Cowboys. Washington is still nowhere close to full-strength and the Cowboys dominated this team for 3.5 quarters two weeks ago.
The Cowboys’ defense is playing at an extremely high level. They are allowing only 14.3 points per game over the last three weeks, and they are tied for the NFL lead in takeaways with 31. But, now is the time for the offense to step up and match the defense’s level of play.
Over the last three games, quarterback Dak Prescott has had three touchdown passes and three interceptions. He is only throwing for 222 passing yards per game. The offense is not having the same success that they were earlier in the year and they need to get back to averaging around 30 points per game.
With a victory over Washington officially clinching the NFC East, I expect Dallas to come out firing on Sunday Night Football to dominate their short-handed division rivals.
Final Score: Cowboys 31- Washington 13
Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys
The Arizona Cardinals will be the toughest remaining test for Dallas. But the Cardinals are leaking oil. They have lost two straight games including a brutal loss to the Detroit Lions.
It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals do in Week 16 against the red-hot Colts before playing Dallas. Arizona’s defense has given up 30 points to both the Rams and Lions, and it seems like something is just not clicking for them.
Arizona will be without their best wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the rest of the regular season, which is a huge loss to their passing game. But, they do have a resurgent James Conner at running back who is second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 14.
Ultimately, I think the Cowboys playing at home with so much at stake will be enough to narrowly defeat the NFC West-leading Cardinals.
Final Score: Cowboys 27- Cardinals 23
Week 18: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Some may think this final game will be meaningless because the ‘Boys will have nothing to play for. But, I am here to say this game will be vital for seeding in the NFC.
If the Green Bay Packers can lose one more game, that will give the Cowboys a chance at the No. 1 seed. That alone should be enough incentive for Dallas to play all of their starters and find a way to win.
Playing in Philadelphia in January means cold weather is to be expected. It will be interesting to see how that affects the Cowboys because when they faced Washington and New York in colder weather the offense did not perform their best. It also might prepare them for the potential of playing in Lambeau Field.
At the end of the day, the Eagles are not a good football team, and Dallas should be able to impose their will on both sides of the ball. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is more of a runner than a thrower, so as long as Dallas gets an early lead and stops the run, they should have no problem winning this game.
Final Score: Cowboys 26- Eagles 17
So if all goes the way I think it will, the Cowboys would end the game on a six-game win streak, giving them a ton of momentum heading into the postseason.
That would also give Dallas a final record of 13-4, which would guarantee Dallas a top-three seed in the NFC and at least one home playoff game. The playoff scenarios would be as follows:
- Dallas wins out + one Green Bay loss = Dallas is the No. 1 seed in NFC.
- Dallas wins out + Green Bay wins out + Buccaneers win out + Rams win out = Dallas is No. 1 seed in NFC
- Dallas wins out + Green Bay wins out + Bucs win out + Rams lose one game= Dallas is No. 3 seed
These are just some of the possible scenarios for the Cowboys if they can indeed win out. The fact that Dallas only has one conference loss is the key tiebreaker over most of the top NFC teams.
As long as the Cowboys can take care of their business, they will give themselves the best possible chance to go far in the postseason.