4 Cowboys who will be X-factors in NFL Playoffs

1. T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver

Trying to replace Amari Cooper with James Washington and Jalen Tolbert was a bad idea. Dallas underestimated what Cooper brought to the offense and they tried to address this as the trade deadline approached.

Their first plan was to add Brandin Cooks, but the Houston Texans wanted too much in return. That’s when they turned their sights on Odell Beckham, Jr. but he was reportedly still recovering from his second ACL surgery so they passed on that idea.

Once those options were exhausted, the Cowboys unexpectedly added T.Y. Hilton. It was an interesting move since Hilton was once a perennial 1,000-yard receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He boasted insane deep speed and racked up 9,691 yards and 53 touchdowns in five seasons with the Colts.

But the question in Dallas was whether or not he had anything left in the tank after playing in just 10 games last year with only 331 yards on 23 receptions.

It didn’t take long for Hilton to quiet those concerns as he had a clutch reception on third-and-30 that gained 52 yards in their win over the Eagles.

He followed that up with 50 yards in four receptions — with three of those gaining first downs for the offense.

Hilton has already built a great rapport with Dak Prescott and is nearly automatic on third downs. For Dallas to get where they want to go, he’s going to need to continue to step up in these situations.

NFL trying to screw Cowboys with rumored time slot for Wild Card Weekend

The Cowboys' first-round playoff matchup against the Buccaneers is rumored to get the Monday night slot. Here's why that would screw Dallas.