This year’s playoff field has its first entrant.
The Cowboys didn’t play on Sunday, but they have booked a ticket to the postseason. Their win over the Vikings on Thursday night gave them routes into the playoffs with losses by either the Buccaneers or the Redskins.
Tampa rallied to win in San Diego, but the Redskins couldn’t do the same in Arizona. That makes the loss of a divisional rival even sweeter than it might have been under other circumstances.
Another divisional rival lost on Sunday when the Giants saw their six-game winning streak end in Pittsburgh. That means the Cowboys can clinch the divisional crown if they beat the Giants next Sunday night.
It would also give them payback for their only loss of the 2016 season and push them a little closer to the No. 1 seed in the conference, so there’s still plenty to play for with a playoff trip already assured.
