Are the Dallas Cowboys really dodging a bullet this week?

Dallas Cowboys fans got their wish and will face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC’s divisional round, but did they really dodge a bullet or just delay the inevitable?

After the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, the Cowboys had to play the wait and see game.

The Cowboys had to wait and see who their next opponent would be. That game would take place on Sunday afternoon.

But the Cowboys next opponent depended upon the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears game. If the evil buzzards of Philadelphia lost the game, that meant the Cowboys would prepare for a rematch at the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints.

Then the Bears would prepare for a rematch against the Los Angeles Rams.

As we all know now, that scenario didn’t take place because those pesky buzzards found a way to upset the Bears and shakeup the entire NFC playoffs.

Because of that upset, the Eagles will play the Saints in the Superdome, and now Dallas will visit southern California to play the Rams. The media and NFL analysts alike believe Philly did Dallas a favor by beating the Bears.

My question is did Dallas really dodge a bullet by not facing the Saints?

Let’s take a look and examine this question further.

Playing the Los Angeles Rams is viewed as the easier opponent

Out of all of the playoffs teams that received a bye, the Rams are seen as the most likely one to lose this weekend. Because of that wayward thinking, critics believe Dallas has a better opportunity of knocking off the 13-3 Rams more so than the number one seeded Saints.

One of the Rams’ flaws is on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams are the worst against in the league in stopping the run.

The Rams are allowing 5.1 yards a carry. And the Rams defense allows 3.1 yards before contact.

That means NFL leading rusher Ezekiel Elliot will run for 500 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Hoo-Ray! Further, Dak Prescott can use his legs to make plays, pick up first downs and utilize the play action pass to Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.

Dallas’ defense allows a paltry 3.8 yards a carry and 2.02 yards before contact. I guess that means versatile running back Todd Gurley will have a tough day.

Combine Dallas’ pass rush and all of Dallas’ fans in the greater Los Angeles area, and this is a home game away from home.

So now you understand why Dallas can upset them. However, Dallas is still a seven point underdog heading into Saturday night’s showdown.

So did the critics forget that Jared Goff is one hell of a quarterback? One of the best in the NFL?

What about boy genius head coach Sean McVay? (McVay is one of the reasons why Goff is a really good quarterback). Did McVay all of sudden forget how to draw up offensive plays?

With all of that being said, what do you think of Dallas chances of beating the Rams now?

If Dallas advances, its either the Saints or Buzzards (Eagles)

If Dallas upsets the Rams, they’re either playing the Saints or Eagles. Its that simple. But what isn’t simple is for the Eagles to go to the Superdome and revenge a 48-7 drumming earlier in the season from the Saints.

Hey, anything is possible, but I don’t believe it will happen. Yes, it’ll be a closer game than the previous blowout, but I see the Saints winning this game in convincing fashion. If the Saints win, well…Dallas plays the Saints in the Superdome in the NFC championship game.

But I thought Dallas was avoiding the high flying Saints because Dallas was playing the easier opponent in the Rams?

If Dallas has to face the Saints again, they didn’t avoid anything but a revenge game in one of the loudest stadiums on earth.

Can you imagine how loud that place will be and the motivation of head coach Sean Payton to beat Dallas by 100 points! In order for Dallas to avoid Drew Brees and the explosive Saints, they need the Eagles to beat them.

And that leads me to the buzzards.

If Dallas and Philly advance to the next round, it’ll be the first time since 1980 that these heated rivals met in the NFC championship game. I was eight years old, and the Eagles beat Dallas to go to the Super Bowl (I cried like a baby).

Unlike the NFC championship game in 1980, this high profile game would be played in Dallas, and it’ll rank as the NFL’s highest rated playoff games ever because Dallas hasn’t played one since January of 1996!

The problem is the Eagles are the hottest team in the playoffs with as much momentum as Dallas, if not more. Add good luck charm and Super Bowl winning quarterback Nick Foles to the equation, and you have a sequel to Philly’s magical Super Bowl run of 2017.

Because of Foles and Philly’s momentum, this is one team Dallas should be leary of. Yep, I said it. Just because Dallas beat Philly twice already doesn’t mean anything in the playoffs.