Cowboys Can't Rely On A Wild Card Spot
By Ben Rogers | @BenRogers
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) -- Despite the fact that their 9th and most glorious win means that the Cowboys are officially off the 8-8 hamster wheel and therefore may have finally turned a corner, their path to the playoffs remains murky at best.
As a massive rematch with the Eagles looms like a crazy axe murderer beneath their bed, Cowboys fans might be inclined to run for the nearest exit and try their luck in the crowded NFC wild card frenzy. But considering the fact that Jerry's boys have more conference losses than Green Bay, Detroit, Arizona and Seattle (and would lose any multi-team tie breaker because of it), their best course of action is to flip over the bed and duke it out with Philly.
Sure, much can change on the wild card front between now and the end of the season, but wrestling the NFC East away from the Eagles is the only surefire way for the Cowboys to control their own destiny.
Fortunately for Dallas, on Sunday the Seahawks showed Jason Garrett the easy blueprint for how to beat the Eagles. Instead of allowing them to score whenever they want, just hold Chip Kelly's high octane offense to a quiet 139 total yards by playing keep away with the ball for over 40 minutes... and um... the rest just sort of works itself out. Right?
Alright, vastly different defenses, but the ball control premise remains the same. And a case could be made that the rematch will be vastly different from the Turkey Day debacle for a few reasons.
If that disaster truly was all about a short week of rough travel and inadequate prep time, a leaky D that quickly disabled their own run-first offensive identity, and a QB who mistakenly opted not to take a painkilling shot for the first time all season, then perhaps there is indeed hope for the Cowboy nation this Sunday night. Now, if only they could borrow Richard Sherman.
Listen to Ben Rogers on the Ben & Skin Show, weekdays 3-7 p.m. on 105.3 The Fan!
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