DC.com: Cowboys Pass Skins But Still Trail In the Wild-Card Race
Rob Phillips
November 30, 2008 5:57 PM
IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys (8-4) finished the holiday weekend in second place in the NFC East but still trail the Carolina Panthers (9-3) and Atlanta Falcons (8-4) in a crowded race for the conference's two wild-card spots.
With four games left in the regular season, the Cowboys have moved past the Washington Redskins (7-5), who lost to the first-place New York Giants (11-1) on Sunday. The Cowboys have a better chance of earning a wild-card spot than catching the Giants for the division title, but if the playoffs started today they'd be on the outside looking in despite beating Seattle decisively on Thanksgiving Day.
The NFC's current six-team field includes the four division leaders - the Giants (11-1; NFC East); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3; NFC South); Arizona Cardinals (7-4; NFC West); Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings (6-5; NFC North) - and two wild-card teams, the Panthers and Falcons, who each won Sunday.
Carolina rallied for a 35-31 victory over Green Bay, and Atlanta beat San Diego on the road, 22-13. Despite their identical records, Atlanta has a slight edge over the Cowboys in conference winning percentage (.625 to .600).
The Cowboys have won three straight, including two in a five-day Thanksgiving stretch, but realize they have to keep winning. Aside from the four division leaders, seven teams are vying for two wild-card spots: the Cowboys, Panthers, Falcons, Redskins, Eagles (6-5-1), Saints (6-6) and the loser of Sunday night's game between the Bears and Vikings.
The Cowboys' four remaining opponents (Pittsburgh Steelers, Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Eagles) have a combined record of 34-13-1. But Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has preached focus on the next game, not all four at once. And they've gotten an extra three days' rest before Dec. 7 at Pittsburgh.
"It's going to be a tough road," tight end Jason Witten said. "Obviously Pittsburgh is playing well, the Giants and Baltimore is going to put up a fight. And we just have to continue to play well."
Here's a closer look at the NFC playoff race:
Division Leaders
NFC East: *New York Giants (11-1)
NFC South: *Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
NFC West: *Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
NFC North: *Chicago Bears (6-5; pending Sunday's outcome)
Wild-card Contenders
*Carolina Panthers (8-3)
*Atlanta Falcons (8-4)
Dallas Cowboys (8-4)
Washington Redskins (7-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1)
Minnesota Vikings (6-5; pending Sunday's outcome)
New Orleans Saints (6-6)
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November 30, 2008 5:57 PM
IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys (8-4) finished the holiday weekend in second place in the NFC East but still trail the Carolina Panthers (9-3) and Atlanta Falcons (8-4) in a crowded race for the conference's two wild-card spots.
With four games left in the regular season, the Cowboys have moved past the Washington Redskins (7-5), who lost to the first-place New York Giants (11-1) on Sunday. The Cowboys have a better chance of earning a wild-card spot than catching the Giants for the division title, but if the playoffs started today they'd be on the outside looking in despite beating Seattle decisively on Thanksgiving Day.
The NFC's current six-team field includes the four division leaders - the Giants (11-1; NFC East); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3; NFC South); Arizona Cardinals (7-4; NFC West); Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings (6-5; NFC North) - and two wild-card teams, the Panthers and Falcons, who each won Sunday.
Carolina rallied for a 35-31 victory over Green Bay, and Atlanta beat San Diego on the road, 22-13. Despite their identical records, Atlanta has a slight edge over the Cowboys in conference winning percentage (.625 to .600).
The Cowboys have won three straight, including two in a five-day Thanksgiving stretch, but realize they have to keep winning. Aside from the four division leaders, seven teams are vying for two wild-card spots: the Cowboys, Panthers, Falcons, Redskins, Eagles (6-5-1), Saints (6-6) and the loser of Sunday night's game between the Bears and Vikings.
The Cowboys' four remaining opponents (Pittsburgh Steelers, Giants, Baltimore Ravens, Eagles) have a combined record of 34-13-1. But Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has preached focus on the next game, not all four at once. And they've gotten an extra three days' rest before Dec. 7 at Pittsburgh.
"It's going to be a tough road," tight end Jason Witten said. "Obviously Pittsburgh is playing well, the Giants and Baltimore is going to put up a fight. And we just have to continue to play well."
Here's a closer look at the NFC playoff race:
Division Leaders
NFC East: *New York Giants (11-1)
NFC South: *Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
NFC West: *Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
NFC North: *Chicago Bears (6-5; pending Sunday's outcome)
Wild-card Contenders
*Carolina Panthers (8-3)
*Atlanta Falcons (8-4)
Dallas Cowboys (8-4)
Washington Redskins (7-5)
Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1)
Minnesota Vikings (6-5; pending Sunday's outcome)
New Orleans Saints (6-6)
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posted by The Gryphon at 9:30 AM
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