DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys got a pivotal win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, and they did it in blowout fashion, 33-13.
Which meant, at the end of the night, the Cowboys went to sleep in first place in the NFC East.
For now.
Dallas and Philadelphia now both own 10-3 records, and the Cowboys hold the tiebreaker because of their 4-1 record in the NFC East, opposed to the Eagles' 3-1 record.
But that doesn't mean the Cowboys are in the driver's seat for a division title, and the all-important home playoff game that comes with that.
Let's walk through the various playoff and tiebreaker scenarios, as they stand now (Monday, Dec. 11):
What are the NFC playoff standings?
If the season ended today, this is how the NFC would be seeded (division leaders in bold):
- 1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
- 2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
- 3. Detroit Lions (9-4)
- 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
- 5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3)
- 6. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
- 7. Green Bay Packers (6-6)
If both the Cowboys and Eagles win out...
With four games remaining, this might be a tall task for either team to pull off, more so the Cowboys, who have the tougher home stretch of games.
The Cowboys finish at Buffalo, at Miami, home vs. Detroit and at Washington. The Eagles finish at Seattle, home vs. the New York Giants, home vs. Arizona and at the Giants.
If both the Cowboys and Eagles win out and finish 14-3, the Eagles would win the NFC East by way of tiebreaker. They'd be 1-1 against each other, which would then send the tiebreaker scenario to their records within the division. And again, they'd be identical, at 5-1 (each losing once to each other).
The next round of tiebreakers would be winning percentage in common games, another category the two teams would be tied: The Cowboys beat the Jets, while the Eagles lost to the Jets. But the Cowboys lost to the Cardinals, while the Eagles - in this scenario - will have beaten the Cardinals.
The next tiebreaker scenario is where the Eagles would have the advantage: Best win percentage in the NFC.
The Cowboys are currently 7-3 in the NFC, and Philadelphia is 6-2. So if both teams win out, the Eagles would maintain that advantage.
Of course, all of these tiebreakers go out the window if either the Cowboys or Eagles slip up down the stretch. But as it stands now, the Eagles still control their own destiny.
What's the overall playoff picture?
If the Cowboys manage to win the NFC East - but don't jump the San Francisco 49ers for the top seed in the NFC - they'd host the No. 7 seed in the first round of the playoffs. As of Dec. 11, the seventh seed was the Green Bay Packers.
If the Cowboys finish second in the NFC East, they'd hit the road and play the fourth seed in the NFC. As of Dec. 11, the fourth seed was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Cowboys somehow jump the 49ers and take the top overall seed, they'd get a bye in the first round and meet the winner of the No. 4 vs. No 5. matchup at home. That would potentially be a matchup against the Eagles.
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