Dallas Cowboys Will Win NFC East, Chasing Chicago Bears For No.3 Seed In NFL Playoffs

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t officially clinch the NFC East title Sunday, but they are on the virtual one-yard line. After beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14, America’s Team will almost certainly win the division and get back to the playoffs.

By defeating Philadelphia 29-23 in overtime, the Cowboys took a two-game lead over the Eagles with three games left on the schedule. The New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins Sunday, putting Washington two games out of first place. The Giants are three games out of the race.

Dallas swept the season series with Philadelphia. They are guaranteed to finish with a better division record than both the Redskins and Giants. That gives the Cowboys the tiebreaker over every NFC East team, essentially making their two-game lead a 2.5-game lead in the division.

Even if the Cowboys ended the season on a three-game losing streak, the Eagles or Redskins would have to win three straight games in order for Dallas to not win the NFC East. Considering the upcoming schedules for each team, that appears to be just about impossible.

The defending Super Bowl champs will have to go on the road in Week 15 and face the Los Angeles Rams. Philadelphia is an 8.5-point underdog, per OddsShark, in L.A., where the Rams are undefeated. The Eagles will host the AFC South-leading Houston Texans in Week 16 before ending the season in Washington.

The Redskins might not win another game because of their quarterback situation. Without Alex Smith, Washington has lost by a combined 47 points in their last three contests. The Redskins are scheduled to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans in the next two weeks.

A first-round bye is likely out of the question for Dallas, who is three games behind both the Rams and the New Orleans Saints. They’ve got a real chance to catch the Chicago Bears for the NFC’s No.3 seed.

The Cowboys are a game behind the Bears with the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Giants left on their schedule.