Dallas Cowboys vs. Pats & Beyond to the Playoffs?
The 2-2 Cowboys come off their bye week to play the best team on their 2011 schedule. This is a huge test for the Cowboys who do not want to compound a terrible come from ahead loss to the Lions.
Even if this is not the Cowboys week, how they lose will be as important as if they win it. This game win or loss will set the tone for the rest of the season. Play these guys tough in their stadium and the rest of the schedule does not look that bad. The NFC East in my opinion is wide open as no team looks good at all. To be 10-6 or 9-7 may be enough to win this division and it may be good enough to get in as a wild card.
OK, if the Cowboys lose they will be 2-3. Not good! But looking forward in the schedule the Cowboys can put a run together against some average NFC East teams to stay in the playoff hunt.
After the Patriots, the Cowboys return home to play the 0-4 Rams. They then travel to play division foe 1-4 Philadelphia who just can’t seem to get it together. It’s always a toss-up but the Eagles are beatable at home. Then its back home against 2-3 Seattle who are not fooling anyone and then the red hot 4-1 Buffalo Bills.
They then travel to DC to play the NFC East Leading 3-1 Redskins who the Cowboys already beat. I am not afraid of the Redskins. Then it’s a quick flight home to play the winless Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day. I am having Mahi Mahi on that day just to get into the mood.
Then comes December, always a tough month for the Cowboys. The Cowboys, if they are still in playoff contention will have the long week off after the T-Day game to have a X-Mas day rematch with the Cardinals in the desert. If there was any game the Cowboys should have won last year it was this game. Again this year the 1-4 Cardinals stink and the Cowboys should make quick work of them.
If the Cowboys are still in the hunt in December it will be the 3-2 NY Giants right there along side with them. They play the Cowboys twice in the last 4 weeks of the season including the season ending game in NY on January 1st 2012. The first matchup is in Dallas and the Giants are a very beatable team. If the division crown is on the line that week look for the Cowboys to make the Giants look pretty small that week. It’s hard to say about the last game of the season as it may not matter to either or both of the teams so that game is a toss-up.
The Cowboys travel to Tampa Week 15 to play the 3-2 Bucs. The Bucs just got crushed by a 49ers team that the Cowboys beat a few weeks ago. It hard to tell which team will show up but either way this is a winnable game for the Cowboys.
Then there is the Christmas Eve Special with the Eagles coming into Cowboys Stadium. This is the game that may make or break the Cowboys playoff chances. Win this game and that final game of the season may not mean very much.
So the Cowboys remaining schedule is against teams with a combined record of 25-32. Not overly impressive. If the Cowboys can remain tough against the run and not turn the ball over excessively (Mr. Romo) the playoffs including a NFC Division win are a real possibility.
Even if the Cowboys lose all of the Toss Up games listed below they still end the season 10-6. A solid improvement from 6-10 last year.
COWBOYS REMAINING 2011 SCHEDULE
|
Week |
Opponent |
Wk 5 Record |
Prediction |
|
SUN, OCT 16 |
4-1 |
Loss |
|
|
SUN, OCT 23 |
0-4 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, OCT 30 |
1-4 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, NOV 6 |
2-3 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, NOV 13 |
4-1 |
Toss Up |
|
|
SUN, NOV 20 |
3-1 |
Win |
|
|
THU, NOV 24 |
0-4 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, DEC 4 |
1-4 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, DEC 11 |
3-2 |
Win |
|
|
SAT, DEC 17 |
3-2 |
Toss Up |
|
|
SAT, DEC 24 |
1-4 |
Win |
|
|
SUN, JAN 1 |
3-2 |
Toss Up |
