Dallas Cowboys now tied with Philadelphia Eagles; here’s what they need to reach playoffs
There will be no more free rides for the slumping Dallas Cowboys en route to the NFC East title and a possible playoff berth.
The Cowboys (6-7) have lost three in a row, four of their last five and seven of their last 10 yet they still control their destiny for the division title.
But the back door to the playoffs is now closed.
The Philadelphia Eagles (6-7) used a dramatic comeback to beat the lowly New York Giants 23-17 in overtime Monday night, snapping their three-game losing streak and moving into a first-place tie with the Cowboys atop the NFC East.
Philadelphia wins the division if it wins its final three games, including Dec. 22 at home against the Cowboys.
The Eagles play at the Washington Redskins (3-10) Sunday and then have a rematch on the road against the Giants (2-11) in the season finale.
The Cowboys face the Los Angeles Rams (8-5) at AT&T Stadium Sunday and host the Redskins in the season finale in addition to the crucial Week 16 matchup against the Eagles.
The Cowboys win the division if they win two of the next three games as long as one of them are against the Eagles.
Considering they are 0-6 against teams with winning records in 2019 and are undefeated in the NFC East, the final two games are crucial.
The Cowboys won the first matchup against the Eagles in Week 7, 37-10.
They beat the Redskins 31-21 in Week 2.
Of course, if the Cowboys lose against the Rams and extend their losing streak to four games, will they have the confidence to muster a resurgence in the final two games?
Owner Jerry Jones said he would take the playoffs no matter what, at 9-7, 8-8 or 7-9.
“Are you asking me if I would take the division and go to the playoffs, if we got it?,” Jones said after Thursday’s loss to the Chicago Bears. “On any basis the answer is yes. Absolutely, yes. Acceptable? I don’t know. Not if we’re playing good. But if we’re playing a lot better than we played tonight, I’ll take it.
“Are you talking about getting into the playoffs? Well, yes, I would, on any basis. I realize if we don’t play better than we looked tonight then that’s tough to think about having success in the playoffs. But your first goal is to get to the playoffs.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
