Cowboys Can Clinch Playoff Spot This Week
By Shawn Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys have won 10 straight games to reach this point in the season and will face a dangerous Minnesota Vikings team on Thursday Night Football. The Cowboys' two rookie sensations will lead the team on the road in pursuit of their 11th win. Here is a look at team's headlines heading into Thursday Night Football.
Dallas Cowboys Can Become First Playoff Team This Week
The Cowboys still have a lot to do in order to lock up the NFC East and potentially a first round bye. While they have the lead when it comes to getting home field advantage, the Cowboys must take the entire playoff process one step at a time. The first step is to clinch a playoff spot. There are a couple of scenarios on the table for week 13 that could help them achieve that goal.
If the Cowboys beat the Vikings this weekend, they will have completed the first step to clinching a playoff spot, but they need a little help from other teams too. The two teams that Cowboys fans will want to watch in week 13 are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins. If the San Diego Chargers beat or tie with the Buccaneers, the Cowboys are a playoff team. Similarly, the Cowboys will be guaranteed a playoff spot if the Washington Redskins lose to the Arizona Cardinals.
Dallas Continue to Rely On Ezekiel Elliott
Two years ago, the Cowboys ran DeMarco Murray a career-high 392 times, and he paid for it the next season. While Murray ran for an NFL-high 1,845 yards in 2014, he was unable to get anything going in 2015. The Cowboys are pushing another running back, Ezekiel Elliott, in 2016, and they don't plan on easing the load. Elliott is on pace for 353 carries and is leading the NFL in rushing with 1,199 yards.
Vikings Coach Says Cowboys Are Similar to '90s Dynasty
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer joined the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach in 1994, after two Super Bowl wins and one year before the Cowboys '90s dynasty won their third Super Bowl in four years. He coached on a team that had players like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and more. Now, he is coaching the Vikings against a Cowboys team that is 10-1 and looks dominant. Zimmer said he sees a lot of similarities between these Cowboys and the ones that won three Super Bowl titles. It will be interesting to watch Zimmer's game plan come Thursday night when his Vikings host the 2016 Cowboys.