Very close to clinching a playoff berth

[D-TownRadio]

To get a first round bye, all that takes is to have one of the two best records of the division winners.

East: Dallas 10-1
North: Packers 10-1
South: Buccaneers 6-4
West: Seahawks 6-4

So if the Bucs lose to the Commanders and the Seahawks lose to the Rams this Sunday, Dallas would have a 4 game lead over the other division leaders with 6 games to go (maybe add a half game with tiebreakers, which I'm not gonna check). If Dallas were to win their next two games after those losses by the Bucs and Seahawks this Sunday, Dallas would gain a first round bye and the division if the Giants lose one of the next two.

With absolutely no help:

13 wins = first round bye.
13 wins = division title.
12 wins = wildcard (Giants would be 13-3).

11 wins could potentially group them in with the Lions, Commanders, Cardinals, and Eagles. I already know they have tiebreakers over the Commanders and Eagles, so they'd be tied with the Lions and Cardinals. Dallas plays the Lions and I don't know about tiebreakers with the Cardinals.

No we wouldn't have tie breaker with the skins and eagles because we play them both again.

 

[Kevinicus]

No we wouldn't have tie breaker with the skins and eagles because we play them both again.

Yes, we do have the tie breaker with division record.


We are also 2.5 games ahead of the Giants, not 3.5.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

If we win one more, the worst we can finish is 11-5. If NO and Car winn all of their remaining games (which both can't because they will play each other) the best either could finish is 10-6. So they will be irrelevant if we win one more.

Of course, but we do have to win one or have them lose one to be guaranteed to finish ahead. There is no way we lose the next five so in practice you are correct, but in theory, they could finish ahead of us.

 

[D-TownRadio]

Yes, we do have the tie breaker with division record.


We are also 2.5 games ahead of the Giants, not 3.5.

We are 3.5, We won twice thats 2, We now have the tie breaker that gives us 3 we also won this week and they have yet to play so add a .5 and we have 3.5.

 

[DallasInDC]

Of course, but we do have to win one or have them lose one to be guaranteed to finish ahead. There is no way we lose the next five so in practice you are correct, but in theory, they could finish ahead of us.

In my original post I was responding to a question of when we would clinch a playoff spot. My response was 1 win and loss by Az and Det.

We can also clinch a first round bye with 2 more wins and a loss by NYG, Seattle and TB (or 3 more wins).

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

In my original post I was responding to a question of when we would clinch a playoff spot. My response was 1 win and loss by Az and Det.

We can also clinch a first round bye with 2 more wins and a loss by NYG, Seattle and TB (or 3 more wins).

I know we don't play Seattle and Tampa Bay, so what is their conference records? Is it likely they would have a tie breaker over us?

 

[noletime95]

Seattle (Pitt and CLE) and TB (Jax and Indy) have each lost 2 AFC games. Dallas is 3-1 vs the AFC, therefore, both Seattle and TB would win any tie break vs Dallas due to conference records.

Basically, 13-3 guarantees Dallas the East and a first round bye. If the NYG, TB and Seattle lose one more game each, 12-4 gets Dallas a first round bye.

Given GB's remaining schedule (toughest games besides Dallas appear to be vs DET anc at CHIC), Dallas has no shot at home field w/out a victory vs GB on Thursday IMO. There is a good chance Dallas will need to finish 14-2 to secure home field even with a win vs GB on Thursday.

I don't want the last game @ Washington to mean anything, so win or loose on Thursday, Dallas needs to take care of business @ DET, vs PHI and @ CAR to secure its position before hand.

 

[vicjagger]

I don't want the last game @ Washington to mean anything,

Unfortunatley it might, not for Dallas if they'd clinched home field by then, but for Washington.

If you look at the remaining schedules of the 4 teams with the best shot at the 6th seed, I think it'll come down to Arizona or Washington. Arizona has the easier schedule, but Washington owns the tie-breaker over them. So if Arz doesn't take care of business, it's possible that Washington could need a win at home in the season finale to clinch the final play-off spot.


I say the final spot will go to whichever one of these teams gets to 9-7:

Det 6-5 @ Min, Dal, @ SD, KC, @ GB (two 10-1 teams, plus a road game against LT & Co., plus they lose all tie-breakers)

Phi 5-5 @ NE, Sea, NYG, @ Dal, @ NO, Buf (they could easily lose the next 4)

Wsh 5-5 @ TB, Buf, Chi, @ NYG, @ Min, Dal (insert your own thoughts here)

Arz, 5-5 SF, Cle, @ Sea, @ NO, Atl, STL (a whopping 7 wins to date between 3 of these remaining teams, Arz's play-off hopes could hinge on how they handle Cle & Sea)

Head-2-head tie-breakers: Wsh > Arz, Arz > Det, Wsh > Det, Phi > Det

 

[TheSkaven]

I think that it will shape up this way:

#1: Dallas Cowboys
#2: Green Bay Packers
#3: Tampa Bay Bucs
#4: Seattle Seahawks
#5: New York Giants
#6: Arizona Cardinals

No matter how this plays out, it looks like we're going to have to face the Giants at home in the divisional playoffs. Giants will beat the Seahawks on the road, Bucs should handle the Cards.

That's a tough road to the Superbowl for a #1 seed, having to beat the Giants then the Packers.

 

[StylisticS]

Guess I'm in the minority. But I think the Seahawks could beat the Giants if they play in the playoffs. The Seahawks pressure vs a fragile Eli when under pressure in a place the Giants have a hard time winning.