The Cowboys' season now comes down to 2 simple goals

[Red Dragon]

1. Finish with at least the same record as the Eagles. If the Eagles finish 8-8, the Cowboys must finish at least 8-8 as well. If the Eagles finish 9-7, so must the Cowboys also - etc., etc. Of course, finishing at least one game better than everyone else in the division would be simplest and best, since it would hand the division title to the Cowboys outright, but given that the Eagles have an easier remaining schedule than the Cowboys, I would think that unlikely.
2. Win two out of the remaining three NFC East games. This would assure the Cowboys of tiebreaker advantage over any division rival (even if the Cowboys lose to Philadelphia in the season finale), because the Cowboys would have a 5-1 division record while every other NFC East team could finish no better than 4-2.

Things worth noting:

• If the Commanders beat the Eagles, then Philadelphia falls to 2-3 within the division. Then the Cowboys would only need to win one out of their remaining three division games to achieve guaranteed tiebreaker advantage over Philadelphia (4-2 division record vs. 3-3 division record ). The Cowboys would still hold tiebreaker advantage even if they lost to Philadlephia in the season finale.
  
• Because the Cowboys defeated the Eagles 17-3 earlier this season, this means that the Cowboys could fall to one full game behind the Eagles before the season finale and still control their own destiny (assuming the Commanders and Giants haven't caught up.) Even if, say, the Eagles are 8-7 and the Cowboys are 7-8, a simple win over the Eagles in the season finale would put both teams at 8-8 and hand the division title to the Cowboys because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

 

[mitchell2254]

I would just like to see us hold a decent QB under 400 yards. I don't even wanna think playoffs with the way this team is playing.

 

[Red Dragon]

Long story short: The Cowboys have amassed an enormous advantage over all of their NFC East rivals this season by achieving a 3-0 record within the division at the mid-season point. This is when the Eagles, Giants and Commanders are 2-2, 1-2 and 0-2 in the division, respectively. That 3-0 record for the Cowboys will figure enormously into tiebreaker advantages.

 

[mitchell2254]

If you need a tie breaker to win this division just forfeit the spot

 

[Red Dragon]

If you need a tie breaker to win this division just forfeit the spot

Talks big in mid-November, but probably complains if the Cowboys do miss the playoffs in December?

 

[big dog cowboy]

I would just like to see us hold a decent QB under 400 yards.

Brees isn't a decent QB?

 

[mitchell2254]

Brees isn't a decent QB?

Brees didn't attempt a pass in the last 9 minutes and had 396, but ok.. if you want to count it

 

[mitchell2254]

Talks big in mid-November, but probably complains if the Cowboys do miss the playoffs in December?

I won't complain at all. I almost expect it. Sure I would be excited if we get in and do some damage.

 

[Stash]

If you need a tie breaker to win this division just forfeit the spot

This.

Squeaking out a tie-breaker in the league's worst division is setting the bar pretty low.

To what end anyway?

Getting killed by an actually good team in your undeserved playoff appearance?

Why, so we can make some excuse to keep the same structure in place for yet another year?

No thanks.

 

[Risen Star]

Yeah... and I don't care.

Making an appearance in the playoffs with a team this bad doesn't mean anything to me.

Its not just the Cowboys. Whoever wins this division is a fraud one and done playoff performer. They shouldn't be in the postseason.

You can celebrate king of the stupids. My expectations of Dallas Cowboys football is much greater than that. I just refuse to lower the bar and worry about this kind of playoff entry.

Get me to the off season so I can cross my fingers and toes for some real change.

Or, at the very least, Jerry will be a few months older.

 

[mitchell2254]

This.

Squeaking out a tie-breaker in the league's worst division is setting the bar pretty low.

To what end anyway?

Getting killed by an actually good team in your undeserved playoff appearance?

Why, so we can make some excuse to keep the same structure in place for yet another year?

No thanks.

Exactly what I was getting at. We squeak into the playoffs and Jerry will stay the course saying we are making progress.

 

[Red Dragon]

This.

Squeaking out a tie-breaker in the league's worst division is setting the bar pretty low.

To what end anyway?

Getting killed by an actually good team in your undeserved playoff appearance?

Why, so we can make some excuse to keep the same structure in place for yet another year?

No thanks.

So, you would seriously decline an appearance in the playoffs for your team (if your team got into the playoffs,) just because you didn't like the way they got into the playoffs?

 

[mitchell2254]

So, you would seriously decline an appearance in the playoffs for your team (if your team got into the playoffs,) just because you didn't like the way they got into the playoffs?

Whats the positive in going to the playoffs for us fans? We get blew out in Round 1 and have to hear people make fun of the Cowboys even longer.

 

[Red Dragon]

By the absurd logic of some people, I'm not sure why Cowboys fans were upset that their team lost to the Giants in the 2011 season finale and to the Commanders in the 2012 season finale. I mean, it's not like those Cowboys teams (which would have been a mediocre 9-7) would have accomplished much in the playoffs, right?

And yet there was enormous anger and disappointment on CowboysZone over those defeats.

My point? Manyf people like to talk big and say, "Oh well, it doesn't matter if the Cowboys make the playoffs or not, because they won't advance very far if they do" but when the time does actually come that the Cowboys miss the playoffs, those same people are irate and upset.

 

[Red Dragon]

Whats the positive in going to the playoffs for us fans? We get blew out in Round 1 and have to hear people make fun of the Cowboys even longer.

We'll see what you have to say after Week 17.

 

[mitchell2254]

We'll see what you have to say after Week 17.

We will see what you have to say also

 

[Stash]

So, you would seriously decline an appearance in the playoffs for your team (if your team got into the playoffs,) just because you didn't like the way they got into the playoffs?

Emphatically yes.

It would be a completely undeserved and hollow appearance.

A total sham.

One that would be exposed when whatever deserving playoff team we played crushed us.

As all evidence presented to anyone clearly shows.

And the downside would be a lower draft pick and the possibility of a crazy owner convincing himself that this unearned playoff appearance somehow justifies staying the course for yet another year.

Let this team actually earn it.

Win 4 of their next 6 games and show that maybe they do belong?

If they do that, it will show improvement, it will earn Garrett and company another season.

That I would have no problem with, but this 8-8, backing in, suck a little less than everyone else in the NFL weakest division?

No thanks to that.

 

[Red Dragon]

The bravado on this thread cracks me up.

 

[Stash]

The bravado on this thread cracks me up.

For me, it's the desperation and low standards.

 

[OhSnap]

1. Finish with at least the same record as the Eagles. If the Eagles finish 8-8, the Cowboys must finish at least 8-8 as well. If the Eagles finish 9-7, so must the Cowboys also - etc., etc. Of course, finishing at least one game better than everyone else in the division would be simplest and best, since it would hand the division title to the Cowboys outright, but given that the Eagles have an easier remaining schedule than the Cowboys, I would think that unlikely.
2. Win two out of the remaining three NFC East games. This would assure the Cowboys of tiebreaker advantage over any division rival (even if the Cowboys lose to Philadelphia in the season finale), because the Cowboys would have a 5-1 division record while every other NFC East team could finish no better than 4-2.

Things worth noting:

• If the Commanders beat the Eagles, then Philadelphia falls to 2-3 within the division. Then the Cowboys would only need to win one out of their remaining three division games to achieve guaranteed tiebreaker advantage over Philadelphia (4-2 division record vs. 3-3 division record ). The Cowboys would still hold tiebreaker advantage even if they lost to Philadlephia in the season finale.
  
• Because the Cowboys defeated the Eagles 17-3 earlier this season, this means that the Cowboys could fall to one full game behind the Eagles before the season finale and still control their own destiny (assuming the Commanders and Giants haven't caught up.) Even if, say, the Eagles are 8-7 and the Cowboys are 7-8, a simple win over the Eagles in the season finale would put both teams at 8-8 and hand the division title to the Cowboys because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Amen. If these guys could just find a reason to believe they can win their division they could come off the bye and put some lipstick on this pig.