Reality Reversal: How Far Did Cowboys Fall in Power Rankings?

After Sunday's loss, Dallas drops to No. 8 in Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday 25-22 in a home defeat that raised plenty of questions about their rushing attack, penchant for penalties, clock management, ball security and use of timeouts.

The NFC East Champions experienced a reality check in the its first real test against an NFC playoff team since opening day in Tampa Bay. Dallas' four-game winning streak came to an end and, at least temporarily, hushed most of the Super Bowl chatter.

Around the NFL, Week 17 proved to be another exciting dose of football with a few upsets that displayed significant separation from the best and worst teams in the the league's power structure. Where do the Cowboys stack up in Sports Illustrated's Week 18 Power Rankings? After Sunday's loss, Dallas dropped to No. 8, behind NFC co-contenders Green Bay (No. 1), Tampa Bay (3) and the Rams (7).

A disappointing performance against the Cardinals this weekend, which followed a 50-plus point performance a week before. This team waltzed through an underwhelming NFC East this year, but it’s still fair to wonder if they possess the completeness to survive a long playoff run. Regardless, the future is bright. Mike McCarthy better hope that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn doesn’t leave for another head coaching job right away.

The Cowboys slipped to No. 4 in the NFC's playoff seeding, but can climb back as high as No. 2 depending on results in this weekend's Week 18 finales. A win could possibly help Dallas avoid the Los Angeles Rams or the Cardinals in the first round to instead play host to a theoretically less-challenging opponent.

“We’re going to play to win the game," said coach Mike McCarthy. "We’re going to Philadelphia, and we’re going to line up to do what we need to do in order to win the game.”

There is also a philosophy that preaches to “keep it simple,” and that seems to be the mindset of Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.

Said Prescott: “I plan on playing. Period.”

Las Vegas hasn't given up on the Cowboys (or perhaps, their bettors). Dallas has +550 odds on FanDuel to win the NFC conference. First, the Cowboys must clean up the root of their struggles and grab another division win on the road against the Eagles this Saturday night at 7:15 p.m.