The Dallas Cowboys are considered one of the three-best teams in the NFC alongside the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. It stings to admit, but the 49ers are the clear class of the conference -- and maybe the entire NFL -- after they routed the Eagles 42-19 on the road this past Sunday.
Fittingly, all three clubs can clinch a playoff berth this weekend.
The Cowboys and Eagles lock horns on Sunday Night Football. The winner will take the lead in the NFC East and also prevent the other team from clinching. That adds another layer of intrigue to the matchup and we haven't even mentioned that the Eagles won the Shaquille Leonard sweepstakes.
At 9-3 and holders of the No. 5 seed in the NFC, the Cowboys' clinching scenarios are much more complicated than the Eagles and 49ers'. All Dallas can do is win and hope it gets favorable results around the conference.
3 ways the Cowboys can clinch a playoff berth in Week 14
1. First Cowboys clinching scenario
In the first scenario, the Cowboys must win and get a Vikings loss (or tie), a Packers loss (or tie), a Seahawks loss, a Buccaneers loss (or tie) and a Lions win (or tie). If you thought that was complicated, Dallas also needs a Rams loss or tie, as long as the Packers and Vikings both don't tie. Then, and only then, is the Rams' result irrelevant.
2. Second Cowboys clinching scenario
The second scenario is similar to the first in that the Cowboys need the Vikings to lose or tie, the Packers to lose or tie, the Seahawks to lose, the Buccaneers to lose or tie, the Lions to win or tie and the Saints (new entry) to lose or tie, as long as the Packers and Vikings both don't tie.
Same as the first. Just swap the Rams and Saints.
3. Third Cowboys clinching scenario
Believe it or not, the third scenario is the most straightforward, but still complicated. The Cowboys would need a Vikings loss or tie, a Packers loss or tie, a Seahawks loss, a Buccaneers tie and a Lions win or tie, so long as the Packers and Vikings both don't tie.
In short, the Cowboys need a lot of help to punch a playoff ticket this week. It's only Week 14, though. The fact they're already in this position is a positive.
Their clinching scenarios will become less murky in future weeks -- maybe even next week -- but the most important thing is that they can prevent the Eagles from clinching this week with a win on Sunday night.