Dallas Cowboys: Will a losing record win the NFC East?

Almost in spite of themselves–and with some help from an unlikely source–the Dallas Cowboys still control their destiny in a comically bad NFC East.

Sometimes it’s just best to find the humor in things. If you don’t go looking for it, then it’s only going to drive you further into an abyss of anger and despair. This is where we are with the Dallas Cowboys. Despite an abjectly mediocre record of 6-6, they’re still firmly in the driver’s seat in the NFC East.

This comes after two losses in five days to New England and Buffalo respectively. To be sure, the Cowboys were only able to beat one team from the AFC East this year: the Miami Dolphins. Conversely, Dallas’s lone divisional competitor in this band of clowns–the Philadelphia Eagles–managed to post a 2-1 record versus the their counterparts from the AFC prior to yesterday’s presumed win down in Miami.

But, in a stunning twist of fate, Philly couldn’t get the job done and fell to the Dolphins, 37-31. The Cowboys still hold a one-game lead in the standings. But Dallas also holds the tiebreaker by virtue of their win back on October 20th. So if we’re splitting hairs, the Cowboys essentially hold a two-game lead with four games left.

But Philadelphia’s loss yesterday got me to thinking. Given the way the two teams are playing at this moment, would anyone be surprised if 7-9 got this thing home? Even funnier, if it did come to pass, an incredulous double-digit-win team–likely the Vikings or Seahawks–would be forced to play at either Dallas or Philadelphia on wild card weekend. If I were a Minnesota or Seattle fan, that notion alone would be extremely irritating.

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The smart money was always on the Week 16 matchup in regards to determining NFC East supremacy. Further, it was thought that the Eagles had the much easier strength of schedule as the teams hit the home stretch. But the Eagles’ stumble in Miami throws that all into doubt. Both the Cowboys and the Eagles seem awfully allergic to the concept of a winning a ballgame right now, so it’d be very weird to assume either of them finds the wherewithal to muster a charge to double-digit wins. So, does 7-9 get it done? If so, does either fan base feel good about their team’s chances in January? We all know the answer to that question.

The short answer is yes, a sub-.500 record might be good enough to crown a king to this band of also-rans. The Cowboys’ remaining schedule consists of the Bears, Rams, Eagles, and Redskins. Only one of those could even come close to “gimme” status. Meanwhile, the Eagles finish with a Giants, Redskins, Cowboys, Giants gauntlet. Again, on paper, Philly’s schedule looks easier, but find me a fan of either team that feels good about their chances, and I’ll show you a homer of the highest order.

There’s humor in all of this, remember that. We get sold a bill of goods every year regarding this team. This season, it was that old “Super Bowl or bust” feeling. This was supposed to be the most talented roster the Cowboys fielded since the nineties heyday. They should have lapped the field in their own putrid division by now. But the thing we tend to forget about is that Lucy always pulls that football away from Charlie Brown as he’s about to kick it. It’s happening yet again. The Dallas Cowboys do not handle success well at all, so you might as well laugh about it.

• Published on 12/02/2019 at 13:30 PM
• Last updated at 12/02/2019 at 11:51 AM