NFC's No. 1 Seed Still in Play: How Cowboys Clinch

It's a longshot, but the Dallas Cowboys still have a chance at a bye and home-field advantage in the NFC.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 1, 2023

The Dallas Cowboys are enjoying their New Year's Day off after beating the Tennessee Titans on the road Thursday night.

And they are also liking what they are seeing from Sunday's NFL action.

The Philadelphia Eagles had a chance to capture the NFC East title with a win against the 6-9 New Orleans Saints, but Jalen Hurts' absence hurt the Birds as they were upset, 20-10. With the Eagles losing their last two games, the door is cracked open for the Cowboys to no only win the NFC East, but also snag the NFC's No. 1 overall seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The most likely scenario has Dallas traveling to Tampa to play the Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend. But there are moving parts that allow for the dream ending:

1. Cowboys beat Commanders.

2. Giants beat Eagles: Not as likely given the fact that Hurts is set to return in the Week 18 finale against New York, which is slotted into the No. 6 seed regardless of any future results. This means the Giants could rest their starters without consequence in the regular season finale as they prepare for the playoffs.

3. Vikings lose one of last two games: Minnesota is on the road against the must-win Green Bay Packers today, while they visit the 3-13 Chicago Bears in next week's finale.

4. 49ers lose one of last two games: They are playing on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in the late window and host the 4-12 Arizona Cardinals in the season finale. Also unlikely, but possible.

The chances are slim, but there is hope for Cowboys fans if they want the NFC playoffs to go through Arlington.

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Published Jan 1, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.