Dallas Cowboys wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
The Cowboys beat the Eagles on Saturday and kept the door open for an unlikely NFC East title. Here’s what they need to clinch it.
Dallas is entering the final weeks of the regular season on a high after knocking off the Eagles.
The Cowboys delayed Philadelphia’s coronation as the NFC East champions. And it could turn out to be even more meaningful than that because the division is still up for grabs.
The chances that Dallas actually pulls off the biggest heist of the season by stealing the division title out from under their rivals are very low. However, the possibility still exists.
Updated NFC East standings after Cowboys beat Eagles
- Eagles (13-2)
- Cowboys (11-4)
- Giants (8-6)
- Commanders (7-7)
Cowboys NFC East clinching scenarios
- Cowboys beat the Titans and the Commanders
- Eagles lose to the Saints and Giants
Dallas has a simple, albeit unlikely, road to the NFC East title. They need to win out and they need Philadelphia to lose out.
If both teams finished the season at 13-4, Dallas would win the tiebreaker on the strength of their divisional record. Saturday’s win over the Eagles helped in that measure but an Eagles loss to the Giants would seal the deal.
The path is visible but the results will be difficult to pull together.
Dallas can only control the games they play in.
The Titans are in a dogfight for the AFC South having fallen behind the Jaguars in the standings with a shock loss to the Texans. They’ll be fighting for their playoff lives when they mean the Cowboys next week.
The Commanders could also enter the regular-season finale with a postseason berth hanging in the balance.
Even if the Cowboys took care of business, it would be surprising if the Eagles lost to both the Saints and the Giants, though both of those teams are also fighting for playoff positioning.
