The Dallas Cowboys are 9-3 heading into Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles and can take the top spot in the NFC East.
The Cowboys are still in a perfect position to make a postseason run, but the seeding across the NFC remains a mystery. With the help of PFN’s NFL Playoff Predictor, we can scope out different scenarios for how the rest of the season could play out for Dallas.
Can the Dallas Cowboys Clinch a Playoff Spot in Week 14?
Ahead of Week 14, the Cowboys are currently the fifth seed in the NFC playoff picture following their win against the Seattle Seahawks last week.
Here is what the NFC playoff rankings look like after Week 13:
- Philadelphia Eagles
- San Francisco 49ers
- Detroit Lions
- Atlanta Falcons
- Dallas Cowboys
- Minnesota Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
If Dallas can win at least three of their next five games, they will clinch a spot in the postseason. The Cowboys can technically clinch a postseason spot this week.
However, it’s highly unlikely as it involves games including the Lions, Vikings, Packers, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Rams, and Saints to go in the Cowboys’ favor.
Dallas certainly shouldn’t be allowing themselves to get distracted by how other results fall in terms of clinching a playoff spot. As we mentioned above, win three of their next five, and they’re in regardless, but that’s the very least that they will want to achieve in the coming weeks.
The bigger focus for Dallas is on whether they can challenge Philadelphia for the division, which they have to do to improve their seeding from their current spot. The Eagles, at 10-2, still hold onto the division and the No. 1 seed heading into Week 14. However, their loss to the 49ers last week changed the picture somewhat.
The Eagles’ loss to the 49ers last week opened the door for the Cowboys. However, while they have a chance to win the NFC East division, it still isn’t entirely in their control. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Cowboys just an 18.9% chance of winning the NFC East this season.
MORE: How Can Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers Clinch a Playoff Spot in Week 14?
If Dallas beats Philadelphia on Sunday, that would drop the Eagles’ record to 10-3, putting the two teams in a tie. Temporarily, the Cowboys would jump above the Eagles in the NFC East standings.
Using the NFL playoff tiebreakers to determine the order, the Cowboys would have a better divisional record at 4-1 than the Eagles at 3-1. However, if both teams win out, Philadelphia would still take the division due to them matching Dallas on division record and having a superior conference record.
Therefore, the Cowboys would still need the Eagles to lose one additional game from Week 15 onwards or suffer their fourth loss against an NFC East opponent. If both teams finish at 14-3, the Cowboys will be able to finish no higher than the fifth seed.
However, the range of outcomes for Dallas is wide entering Week 14. The Cowboys could still take the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win. However, they would also need some help elsewhere as the 49ers could finish 14-3 and have the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.
It’s obvious to say, but the focus for the Cowboys just needs to be winning one game at a time for the rest of the season. What that means for the NFC East and the No. 1 seed is out of their hands as things currently stand.
What they will know is that any loss from here on out would significantly decrease any opportunity of them finishing higher than the fifth seed in the NFC.
Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!
