Cowboys' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 12

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have some extra time to kick back and eat the leftovers after feasting on the Washington Commanders in a 45-10 win on Thanksgiving.

Everything came up Cowboys in the national television showcase. The defense shut down the Commanders offense, the offense was clicking on all cylinders and DaRon Bland had a history-making pick-six.

Now, the Cowboys get to kick back and watch the playoff picture get a little more clear this weekend. Dallas is a virtual lock to make the postseason field but there's still seeding and matchups to figure out.

Here's a look at the most important games to the Cowboys playoff picture and who they should be rooting for to come out on top this weekend.

Bills over Eagles

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Stefon Diggs and James Cook

The Cowboys still have a shot at winning the NFC East. According to the New York Times playoff probabilities, they have about a nine percent chance of winning the division.

They are going to need help, though. The Eagles win over the Chiefs gave them a 9-1 record to the Cowboys 8-3 mark. The Eagles already have a head-to-head win so the Cowboys just get one more chance to hand the Eagles a loss and make up ground in the playoff race.

Essentially, the Cowboys need two surprise losses for the Eagles and they need to run the table the rest of the season.

One of those surprise losses could come this week against a Buffalo Bills team that has their back against the proverbial wall. According to the New York Times, the Bills can elevate their playoff chances from around 29 percent to 45 percent with a win over the Eagles.

Their odds shrink to 19 percent with a loss.

The Bills seemed to get the offense back on track with a 32-6 win over the Jets last week. When Josh Allen is playing his best, the Bills have a shot at beating anyone. With the 49ers up next week against the Eagles, they could ostensibly be on a two-game skid when the Cowboys meet them again in Week 14.

That's the best possible scenario for the Cowboys NFC East hopes because the Eagles finish up with the New York Giants (twice), Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.

Falcons over Saints

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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 12: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Atlanta Falcons runs the ball during the fourth quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

The Cowboys should have a close eye on the NFC South picture the rest of the way. It would be ideal to catch the Eagles and win the NFC East, but the odds aren't in their favor.

While a home playoff game is the most ideal scenario, the fifth seed isn't a bad draw either. That seed will likely see the NFC South champion in the wildcard round. Right now, that's the 5-5 Saints.

The Cowboys would be a road favorite in that scenario, but a runaway champion in the NFC South isn't ideal. If the Saints can start stringing together wins, they could be in a situation where they get to rest their starters in Week 18 when they play the Atlanta Falcons again.

To avoid that scenario, the Cowboys should be rooting for Atlanta to even things up at 5-6 at the top of the division.

The Saints have been the better team this season. According to ELO rating, which attempts to rate teams compared to average, the Saints are just above the average score of 1505.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are 25th in the league and below average.

The Falcons have been trying to figure out the quarterback situation and repair a leaky run defense. Desmond Ridder was benched for two games but is now slated to take over for the rest of the season.

The Cowboys will be a favorite over either team, but it helps if they spend the final seven weeks beating up on each other. That starts with a Falcons win over the Saints.

Bears over Vikings

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Justin Fields

There isn't much of a chance that anyone is going to catch Dallas for the No. 5 seed.

At 8-3, the next closest wildcard team right now are the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. Both are 6-5.

The Cowboys have a two-game cushion, but it doesn't hurt to watch the other wildcard teams prove they are mediocre over the final stretch of the season.

In that spirit, fans should be rooting for the Vikings to falter against the Bears in an NFC North Monday Night Football matchup. The Bears are eliminated from the playoff race, but they still have plenty to play for.

Chicago might wind up with the No. 1 pick because they own 1-9 Carolina's pick. That means Justin Fields could be playing to convince his franchise that they don't need to take a quarterback with that pick.

That plays in Dallas' favor as the Bears really don't have reason to tank. With Fields returning to the lineup for the first time since Week 5, the offense looked explosive in a close 31-26 loss to the Detroit Lions.

That gives them a fighting chance to pull off an upset and widen the distance between Dallas the other wildcard teams.