It wasn’t pretty, but the Cowboys escaped Oakland with a huge “W” and just barely kept their fading playoff hopes alive. They had some lucky breaks and benefitted from some generous calls (including a now infamous folded piece of paper used to measure for a first down) but a win is a win in the NFL. I am not going to complain, after all without the “Tuck Rule” and a 48 yard game winning field goal the Patriots dynasty would have never been born. Yes, Even the great Tom Brady had his share of luck and bad calls so why not us?At the end of the day I would much rather have to deal with opposing fans complaining about bad calls in a victory than to hear fellow Cowboy fans whine about them in defeat.
The Cowboys performance on Sunday night does not exactly inspire a lot of confidence but it is not as though the rest of the NFC wildcard contenders are teams without flaws. The Eagles and Vikings have QB issues, the Falcons and Saints have been known to struggle defensively, the Rams are young and unproven, The Seahawks are banged up and have a lousy offensive line, the Lions can’t run the ball or beat a playoff team and the Packers are nothing without Aaron Rodgers. Of all of the teams in the NFC, the Panthers are the scariest team for me but they also have some offensive line issues.
The Cowboys are very much alive in the playoff race but what needs to happen for them to get in? First of all they have to handle their business and take care of the Seahawks at home and then the Eagles on the road. If the Eagles can secure home field in the playoffs, week 17 could be an easy win for the Cowboys. Aside from that, if the Cowboys do their part they will still need some help to get in. The Eagles and Vikings have already clinched their divisions, if the Rams and Saints can follow suit then the Cowboys have a decent shot. The Monday nighter between the Bucanneers and Falcons has huge implications. If the Bucs can upset the Falcons, then the Packers will still be alive and continue to start Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have a much higher probability of knocking off the Vikes in week 16 (which would help secure the 1st round bye for the Eagles) and taking down the Lions in the final game of the season, if Rodgers is on the field. The Cowboys do need the Lions to lose because they have a better conference record than us at this point. If the Falcons prevail on Monday night, it does eliminate the Packers who own a tie breaker over us because they beat us head to head. Unfortunately it would also mean that the Falcons, who also beat us head to head, would then have to lose their last 2 games of the season. This is not out of the question though, the Falcons do have to play their division rivals the Saints and Panthers in the final 2 weeks.
There are numerous scenarios as to how this all plays out and so it is unclear if Cowboys fans should cheer for the Buccaneers or the Falcons on Monday night. Whatever happens, If the Cowboys do manage to get into the playoffs, they have as good a shot as any other NFC team to make a run to the Super Bowl. Even if that sounds like a lofty goal, since the Cowboys do not look like a Super Bowl team right now, just getting to the playoffs and getting a playoff win would do wonders for the development of our young star quarterback. Who knows, that kind of experience could be the spark that ignites a future championship in Dallas.