Dallas Cowboys Have Only One Playoff Scenario

There’s no more NFL playoff scenario formulas for the Dallas Cowboys. The team has one game left, including its final chance to make the playoffs: Beat the Washington Redskins on the road in Week 17 for the NFC East crown.

After they lost to the New Orleans Saints in a 34-31, Week 16 overtime thriller at Cowboys Stadium, the Cowboys became scoreboard watchers and were relieved when the Baltimore Ravens knocked off the New York Giants, setting up a division title game in D.C.

Had New York won, then Dallas would have needed to beat Washington and have the Giants lose their final game to win the NFC East. Even so, the Cowboys are still out of the Wild Card running since both the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears won their Week 16 contests. So as painful as it sounds to the Dallas faithful, the Cowboys have one game to decide their fate.

Considering the trashing the Redskins gave the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, the debacle in New York last year in the NFC title game and Jason Garrett‘s awful play-calling against the Saints, Dallas fans don’t have a lot on which to place their hopes for this final winner-take-all contest.

Let’s be real here: The Redskins have won six straight games, including one and a half without starting quarterback Robert Griffin III. Dallas had won five of its last six before Week 16 when Garrett reverted back to his moronic offensive play-calling and Lord knows if RG3 comes out firing like he did on Thanksgiving that Garrett will fall right into the trap again like he’s done so many times this year, including the overtime loss to the Saints. Delusional Cowboys fans are grasping at straws right about now.

On the flip side, Tony Romo and his receivers (including record-breaking tight end Jason Witten) almost overcame Garrett’s stupidity on their own against the Saints and the Redskins’ defense is about as bad as New Orleans’ has been this year, ranking 28th and 32nd in the NFL. So even if Garrett is a complete idiot again when the Cowboys get to D.C., Romo and company might put up 40 points and have a ball or two bounce their way. Of course, if that happens, Garrett will probably call 70 pass plays in Dallas’ first playoff game against the red-hot Seattle Seahawks and the Cowboys will get trounced, but at least they’ll be in, right? Ho ho ho, Cowboys fans.

Jeric Griffin is the Director of Content for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JericGriffin, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google