6. Dallas Cowboys
The way this season is closing out, the Dallas Cowboys have to be kicking themselves for letting a couple of wins get away from them this season. They had a 14-point lead given up against Green Bay and then a 17-point lead was lost to the Jaguars.
With their win over Philly last week, they could have made a real run after the NFC East title and maybe even the No. 1 seed. Now, they’re 12-4 and left hoping the Eagles will lose out. Of course, they got a huge hand when the Saints beat the Eagles in Week 17 but Jalen Hurts should be back in their finale, and the Giants have little to play for with a postseason berth already clinched.
Those early losses really haunt them as they’re now counting on the Giants to give them a Week 1 bye, and if not, they stay at No. 5 in the playoff seeding and will have to go on the road to face Tampa Bay and the Bucs.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Buffalo Bills
Entering Week 17, the Cincinnati Bengals have reeled off seven wins in a row, including an impressive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and a comeback over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, their latest test is going to be the toughest, and possibly most important, of the regular season.
At 11-4, they’re still in play for the No. 1 overall seed. Kansas City won, which means they’re 13-3 but should they fail to win against Las Vegas in Week 18 (they did struggle with the Broncos), Cincinnati could tie things up, and they have the head-to-head win.
None of that matters if they can’t beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 though. Buffalo is also ahead of them at 12-3, but a win means they knock them down a peg and have a tie-breaker over both teams.