News: BTB: The good news and the bad news about the Cowboys playoff position in the NFC

[NewsBot]

It’s a mixed bag for the Cowboys coming off a bye.

Week 6 in the NFL has (mostly) come and gone, and with it the Dallas Cowboy have gotten by their bye. They swing back into action with a game against the winlesss San Francisco 49ers this Sunday looking to rekindle their playoff push. At 2-3, they are behind the pack... but just how far back are they? That’s where you get the good news and the bad news.

Let’s start with the bad news. The Cowboys trail the 5-1 Eagles in the NFC East. That’s not an insurmountable lead this early in the season, especially since the Cowboys have two games left with Philadelphia, but it’s not an easy task. Especially with the way the Eagles are playing right now. In the topsy-turvy world of the NFL, though, anything can happen (see the Packers this weekend), but chasing down the Eagles is going to take some doing. Perhaps the Cowboys should be more concerned with just trying to get a wildcard spot? That, too, brings its own bad news.

In a 16-team NFC conference, the Cowboys playoff position is 12th. That’s six spots out of a playoff spot, not exactly the place to be. And with the way the Cowboys have been playing, making that jump into playoff land may seem like a monstrous hurdle.

But that is where we switch over to the good news. Even though the Cowboys are six spots out of a playoff berth, that last wild card spot is occupied by the 3-2 Saints. That's right, the Cowboys are only one game out of playoff contention. It’s really just a matter of perspective. If the Cowboys can get on a small win streak, they might vault all the way up into wildcard position.

When you look around the NFC, besides the Eagles, all you see are teams with issues. The Packers will be without Aaron Rodgers for a while. The Vikings QB position is unsettled. The Falcons are starting to come apart with a date with the Patriots coming up. Seattle hasn’t looked like their usual selves this season. Basically, the NFC is wide open.

The Cowboys are a flawed team right now, but their stumbling start hasn’t taken them out of the game so far. They have plenty of opportunity to get right back in it with a few wins. Beating the 49ers on Sunday is the first step.

image via ESPN.com

Can the Cowboys get on a run and vault back towards the top of the NFC? Will they make the playoffs in 2017? Hit the poll then the comments with your thoughts.

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