How about those playoffs?
The Cowboys are back in the playoffs after two seasons out of the dance, and in a heavyweight NFC, their seeded position is yet to be established. The key to Dallas’ weekend is what happens in the meeting between the 49ers and the Rams (Sunday, 4:25 pm ET).
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The Cowboys will most likely be stuck at the No. 4 seed once the dust settles, but there are still options for the Cowboys to advance from there if things work their way. First, they need to defeat the Eagles on Saturday night.
Here’s how the Cowboys can still get the No. 2 seed and other playoff scenarios:
How the Cowboys can clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC
Outside of the No. 1 seed, the Cowboys can still finish with the second-best seed in the conference. They will need help:
The Cowboys can lock in the No. 2 seed with:
- A victory over the eagles Y losses of the Rams (vs. 49ers), Cardinals (vs. Seahawks) and Buccaneers (vs. Panthers).
The key to the weekend is for the Rams to lose to the 49ers, which can happen: The 49ers haven’t lost to the Rams since 2018. The rest, however, can be a bit unlikely.
How the Cowboys can lock in the No. 3 seed in the NFC
There’s still a chance for the Cowboys to move from the No. 4 seed to the No. 3 seed as well. That’s how:
- A victory over the Eagles Y wins for the Buccaneers (vs. Panthers), 49ers (vs. Rams) and Seahawks (vs. Cardinals).
That would put the 49ers at the No. 6 seed and they would face the Cowboys in Round 1.
Possible Cowboys playoff matchups
The Cowboys will most likely be locked in at the No. 4 seed.
Even if the Cowboys win, if the Rams knock out the 49ers, then the Rams will own the second seed and the Cowboys will be locked in at No. 4, regardless of other game outcomes.
Depending on how the seeding turns out, these are the players the Cowboys can play in the wild card round, if they beat the Eagles on Saturday night:
- If the Rams beat the 49ers, the Cowboys are locked in at the No. 4 seed and will play the Cardinals in Dallas.
- If the 49ers, Cardinals and Buccaneers win, the Cowboys are the No. 4 seed and will face the Rams in the wild-card round.
- If the 49ers, Seahawks and Buccaneers win, the Cowboys are the No. 3 seed and will face the 49ers in the wild-card round.
- If the 49ers, Seahawks and Panthers win, the Cowboys will be the second seed and will face the Eagles in the wild-card round.
Most likely, the Cardinals and Cowboys will meet in a playoff rematch after their Week 17 showdown.