Dallas Cowboys clinch playoff berth

The Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night clinched a playoff berth, the franchise’s first trip to the NFL playoffs since 2018.

The San Francisco 49ers were the last team capable of knocking the Cowboys out of contention. If the Cowboys failed to win the NFC East, mitigating them to the NFC Wild Card hunt, the 49ers could have claimed that spot — that is, until Thursday, when the Tennessee Titans overcame significant injuries to their offensive line and defeated the 49ers on a game-winning field goal. Randy Bullock’s game-winning kick clinched the Cowboys’ trip to the NFL Playoffs, either via Wild Card or winning the NFC East.

The Cowboys currently sit at 10-4 with three more chances to improve heading into the big dance starting with a home contest against the Washington Football Team, then a home game against the Arizona Cardinals before concluding with an away game at the Philadelphia Eagles.

The last time the Cowboys went to the playoffs was in 2018. Dallas finished the 2018 season with a 10-6 regular-season record; in the first round of the playoffs, they faced the Seattle Seahawks, and they emerged in a narrow 24-22 fashion. The next round, however, the Cowboys lost in the divisional playoffs, 30-22, to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cowboys can clinch the NFC East in Week 16 in a myriad of ways. Should Dallas win or tie against the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys will clinch the division. The same applies to the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants; if the Eagles lose or tie against the Giants, then Dallas will clinch an NFC East title.

Cowboys playoff push led by defense

In previous years, star quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Amari Cooper have been the shining lights of the Cowboys team. This year, the trio is certainly playing up to par — Prescott has thrown for roughly 3,600 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, averaging 284 yards per contest; Elliott has been productive with 862 yards and nine touchdowns and has paired extremely well with Tony Pollard’s 676 yards and two touchdowns; and though Cooper’s 683 yards is second to CeeDee Lamb’s 940, the Cowboys receivers are pulling their weight.

Those three, however, have hardly been the highlight of the Cowboys to date, which has been elite defensively. Led by Micah Parsons, a rookie first-round pick out of Penn State, Dallas has had no trouble shutting down opposing offenses. Parsons has 76 total tackles (57 solo stops) lining up at linebacker and defensive end, while notching 12 sacks and three forced fumbles too. Furthermore, second-year Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs has had a historic season, totaling 10 interceptions through just 14 games.