Cowboys Clinch? How Seahawks Loss Changes Dallas Playoff Chase

The Dallas Cowboys in the NFL playoffs seems a foregone conclusion. The questions of how and when they will make it official linger.

The 10-3 Dallas Cowboys are one of the best teams in the NFL, and many are talking not just about playoffs but Super Bowl. In Week 15, the team travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars, with the chance to punch its ticket to the 2022 postseason. 

To get to 10-3, the Cowboys survived a scare at home against the Houston Texans last week, a game that required a last-minute, 98-yard game-winning drive to seal victory for Dallas.

Currently in the fifth spot in the NFC playoffs bracket, it's unlikely the Cowboys can catch the red-hot 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title. As the fifth seed, Dallas will be tasked with traveling to the winner of the struggling NFC South.

How can the Cowboys join the Eagles by officially clinching a playoff spot?

The easiest scenario is to beat Jacksonville on Sunday, as the Cowboys are in a "win and you're in" situation. But now that Seattle has lost to the Niners (on Thursday night)?

Things are simplified.

The Cowboys now can clinch a playoff berth Sunday if any of the following scenarios occurs:

Cowboys win or tie at Jaguars

Lions lose at Jets

Commanders lose at home to Giants

Dallas in the playoffs seems a foregone conclusion. But the chance to clinch now, Cowboys Nation surely hopes, will motivate the Cowboys to seal the deal on Sunday at the Jags.

---

Follow Timm Hamm on Twitter and Instagram

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?

America's Team ALERT! Get your Dallas Cowboys game TICKETS from SI Tickets ... here!

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!