How the Dallas Cowboys Can Still Make the Playoffs
Nov 8, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) rolls out of the pocket in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Eagles (4-5)
Schedule:
Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 12: @ Detroit Lions
Week 13: vs. New England Patriots
Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins
Week 17: @ New York Giants
The Eagles are 4-5 and second the division, which means the Cowboys need Philadelphia to finish the season at least 4-3 if Dallas wants to win the division outright. Again, Dallas must win out for this to happen, but Philly cannot lose more than two games if they hope to beat out a 9-7 Cowboys team.
Philadelphia’s schedule isn’t quite as soft as the Giants’ and they’ve got several very difficult games left. Week 11 sees the Eagles face a stout Buccaneers team that just handed the Cowboys a very tough loss. They follow that with a very winnable matchup against the Detroit Lions, but then their schedule gets a bit rockier.
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The Eagles will be a huge underdog against the Patriots in Week 13, and I find it hard to believe that either Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez has any chance at keeping up with Tom Brady‘s high-flying offense. We’ve already discussed how tough the Buffalo defense can be, and that could easily be a loss for Philly as well. Then they host Arizona, one of the league’s best overall teams this season, another team that will be tough to beat.
The Eagles close the season with divisional matchups against Washington and New York, and these games should be anything but easy, especially if all of these teams are still in the playoff hunt as I expect them to be.
Dallas once again will be in a decent spot to win a tiebreaker if both they and the Eagles finish 9-7, so long as one of Philly’s losses comes against either Washington or New York. The Cowboys have a 1-1 record against the Eagles, and they both have a 2-2 division record. Philadelphia cannot drop another division game if they hope to win a tiebreaker against a 9-7 Dallas team.
Next: What Dallas Needs from Washington