Road To First Seed

[Cowboyny]

Heard this on the radio about an hour ago. These are not my suggestions.

1. Dallas wins out.
2. Az loses tonight and one more game (Dallas game.)
3. TB loses two games.
4. GB loses one game.

-Cowboys first of all have to win out, that includes beating Arizona at home in a couple of weeks.
-If there is a 3 way or 4 way tie, Cowboys own the tie-breaker with the best conference record, even though they lost to the Bucs
-Key is, does GB and & TB lose another game. It's possible especially with covid, but hard to see the Bucs losing to any team left on their schedule.

 

[movaughn88]

The better scenario for the Cowboys is to clinch early and rest the guys who are nursing injuries, including those who may not be on the injury report.

I'd be torn about this, and I agree with you in most part for guys like Tyron, Zeke, and Pollard. Dak....ugh thats very tough.

The schedule works out weird - let's say we beat the Giants and Skins in the next two games and tie up the division win. Do you rest guys against Arizona if there's a chance for a top 3 seed? And then do you rest a ton of starters for the last game if it has no bearing on seeding? That is always such a controversial decision. It's like going for two for a win - if it works out the coach is a genius, if it doesn't then fire the whole dang staff.

From what I've seen from our staff, we won't be resting many and they are going to make Dak work himself out of his funk/calf. Tyron I think might be held out. Unclear how this all works out as there's a lot of moving pieces. Arizona losing last night makes it more complicated imo.

 

[phildadon86]

I just want to get the offense going again. It's not like we have a great home field advantage anyway.

Fan wise no. But I would rather play on the field Dak is used to.

 

[Mk2_Cowboys]

Heard this on the radio about an hour ago. These are not my suggestions.

1. Dallas wins out.
2. Az loses tonight and one more game (Dallas game.)
3. TB loses two games.
4. GB loses one game.

Tampa Bay isn’t losing 2 games

 

[perrykemp]

It' simple, the Cowboys need homefield.

At home, Dak has a 115 QB rating -> 16 TDs, 2 INTs
On the road, Dak has a 85 QB rating -> 8 TDs, 8 INTs

It's a 30 point spread in QB rating for Dak when he isn't in the comfort controlled confines of the Star! It's crazy how badly Dak has been playing on the road.

We wouldn't expect Aaron Rodgers or Tom Bray to play that badly in their respective home fields. Cowboys defense is playing really well, however, I don't see the Cowboys chances being good if Dak plays to his average on the road.

IMHO, the way Dak is playing on the road, it's IMPERATIVE that the Cowboys get home-field.

 

[nightrain]

I'd be torn about this, and I agree with you in most part for guys like Tyron, Zeke, and Pollard. Dak....ugh thats very tough.

The schedule works out weird - let's say we beat the Giants and Skins in the next two games and tie up the division win. Do you rest guys against Arizona if there's a chance for a top 3 seed? And then do you rest a ton of starters for the last game if it has no bearing on seeding? That is always such a controversial decision. It's like going for two for a win - if it works out the coach is a genius, if it doesn't then fire the whole dang staff.

From what I've seen from our staff, we won't be resting many and they are going to make Dak work himself out of his funk/calf. Tyron I think might be held out. Unclear how this all works out as there's a lot of moving pieces. Arizona losing last night makes it more complicated imo.

We know Zeke, Pollard and Smith need to heal up. We don't really know if Dak is dealing with a physical ding or a ding between the ears. I don't think the Cowboys will officially wrap up the NFCE within the next 2 weeks, so the window to rest guys will be limited. If they have a shot at securing the #1 seed when they play the Cards, I think they will and should go for it. They won't go far in teh post season if Dak is not right and one of those two RBs can't be productive.

 

[jazzcat22]

I do believe that TB needs to lose 2 games.

I am not 100% sure, but the 3 way tie is not all as simple as applying the conference record.
Head to head even in a 3 way tie, would eliminate us against TB. Then the conference record between TB & GB would apply to them if no head to head game.

Go look at the rules, it states, if one of the 3 teams are eliminated, then they revert back to the 2 team tie breaking procedure. If I remember that right.
I would need to look it up myself also.
But I do believe that would be the case.

 

[Kingofholland]

Tampa plays Saints/panthers/jets/panthers

They’re done losing.

I don't see them losing to any of those teams at the moment. Saints probably have the best shot, the rest I don't see happening.

 

[jazzcat22]

So maybe some big ol' boy will stomp on Rodgers fake toe injury, and really inure it. He goes out, so does GB.
So maybe some big ol' boy flops on Brady-cheat, and he goes out, so does TB.

We then just need to beat Arizona, and win a few other games.

Problem solved.

 

[CATCH17]

Tampa Bay isn’t losing 2 games

NFL officials man.

Game 1 they helped out Tampa at the end of the game.

Setting a record for penalty yards on Thanksgiving crushed us.

Then this last Sunday they didn’t give the Bills 2 calls and come save the day for the Bucs with Mike Evans.

Good job refs. You got Tom Brady his homefield and bye.

It’s so obvious the NFL wants Brady & Belichick in the Super Bowl. Yawn.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

I don’t see TB losing. Their schedule is easy. Anything can happen but very unlikely.

I mean, I don't think they will but they've already lost to one of their remaining opponents so it's not exactly far-fetched

 

[Kingofholland]

Heard this on the radio about an hour ago. These are not my suggestions.

1. Dallas wins out.
2. Az loses tonight and one more game (Dallas game.)
3. TB loses two games.
4. GB loses one game.

Green Bay has one of the tougher schedules of this group with Ravens, Brown's and Vikings all teams in playoffs. But with possibly no Lamar Jackson one game got easier.

Arizona has Lions, Colts, Cowboys, Seahawks. The Cowboy vs Cardinal game will tell us a lot about our team. Both will need it to stay in the race for the 1 seed.

Rams have the Seahawks, Vikings, Ravens, 49ers. Also a tough schedule that they could very well go 2-2 in or worse.

Buccaneers at first glance seem to be in the driver's seat with the Saints, Panthers x2, and Jets. Saints would have the best chance, but hard to find another game there.

That OT loss to the Raiders was a tough one as we look at these scenarios, but still a lot of games to be played. These scenarios are reminders why I dislike the extra playoff team format.

 

[Walker]

Tampa plays Saints/panthers/jets/panthers

They’re done losing.

Saints is the best shot we have at this point after that its over.

 

[Lutonio]

Tampa will not lose another game with their remaining schedule.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Best I could see is the 2nd seed (Bucs look like #1 is locked up), but that would require Dallas beating Arizona and that isn't happening unless the offense figures out how to start clicking again.

 

[silvernblu]

I do believe that TB needs to lose 2 games.

I am not 100% sure, but the 3 way tie is not all as simple as applying the conference record.
Head to head even in a 3 way tie, would eliminate us against TB. Then the conference record between TB & GB would apply to them if no head to head game.

Go look at the rules, it states, if one of the 3 teams are eliminated, then they revert back to the 2 team tie breaking procedure. If I remember that right.
I would need to look it up myself also.
But I do believe that would be the case.

1. Not same division. Not applicable.

2. One club would have to sweep the others. I don’t believe GB and Arizona play TB. Hence Not applicable.

3. Cowboys win on best conference record.

Three or More Clubs
(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)

1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

 

[Doomsday101]

I'd be torn about this, and I agree with you in most part for guys like Tyron, Zeke, and Pollard. Dak....ugh thats very tough.

The schedule works out weird - let's say we beat the Giants and Skins in the next two games and tie up the division win. Do you rest guys against Arizona if there's a chance for a top 3 seed? And then do you rest a ton of starters for the last game if it has no bearing on seeding? That is always such a controversial decision. It's like going for two for a win - if it works out the coach is a genius, if it doesn't then fire the whole dang staff.

From what I've seen from our staff, we won't be resting many and they are going to make Dak work himself out of his funk/calf. Tyron I think might be held out. Unclear how this all works out as there's a lot of moving pieces. Arizona losing last night makes it more complicated imo.

If Dallas can face Arz. 1 game back and a chance to move up in the seeding, you have got to go with all players we can. I can promise you Cards will be coming to play.

 

[jazzcat22]

Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.

Thanks
This is the statement that clarifies it.
I was looking for that earlier, but the site I went to did not have it or I missed it.

 

[Ranched]

More realistic....

 

[JD_KaPow]

If we pulled that dam raiders game out, we’d be # 1 seed right now! Arghh!

We're 1-1 in overtime games and 4-2 in games decided by 7 points or fewer. That's about what you'd expect, certainly not worse. Sure, if we won every close game we'd be in better position, but every team can say that.

GB is 3-2 in close games (7 points or fewer)
ARI is 2-2.
LAR Is 2-0, so they've been a little luckier.
TB is 4-0. Okay, I'm wrong, not "every team can say that," but we'll never have the refs in our pocket like Brady so no use crying about it.

A couple ways to look at this. The Bucs may not be quite as good as they seem, since there's some luck involved in winning all your close games. But playing lots of close games (the Cowboys have been in more than any of these other teams) is a negative indicator: if you're really that good, you should be winning more games handily and not stuck in nail-biters.