Cowboys' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 17

Against all odds, the Dallas Cowboys remain in the playoff hunt entering the final week of the NFL regular season.

Even without star quarterback Dak Prescott, an incompetent defense for most of the season and injuries across the offensive line, there is still a chance they make the postseason at 7-9.

Three straight wins and the collapse of the Washington Football Team over the final two weeks have the Cowboys are right back in the NFC East picture. Fans may be a bit conflicted about the situation, though. Making the playoffs would have a negative impact on their draft slot.

They are slated to pick 11th as it is, but that would go back to at least No. 19 if they were to make the field.

Regardless, it's always good to have something to play for in the final week of the season, as Dallas will when it plays the New York Giants on Sunday. Here's a look at the playoff picture and what Mike McCarthy's team will need to get into the postseason.

NFC Playoff Picture

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There's still a lot of room for a shakeup in the NFC in the final week of the regular season. The Green Bay Packers (12-3), New Orleans Saints (11-4) and Seattle Seahawks (11-4) have all clinched their divisions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-5) are also guaranteed a wild-card spot regardless of what happens Sunday.

That leaves the NFC East as the only division without a champion, and the Cowboys are joined by Washington and the Giants as contenders for the crown.

The final two wild-card spots will come down to the Los Angeles Rams (9-6), Arizona Cardinals (8-7) and Chicago Bears (8-7). The Bears play the Packers, who will be looking to claim the No. 1 seed and a bye. The Cardinals and Rams have a head-to-head match which could serve as a de facto elimination game.

In short, a few teams who have punched their tickets, but the field is far from solidified. There's still plenty to track in relation to the Cowboys' fate and whom they would play if they get the fourth seed.

Here are the games that will determine whether the Cowboys get in and their opponents if they do.

Cowboys at Giants

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We'll start with the obvious. The Cowboys have to beat the Giants to have a chance. Both teams have a shot at the winning division, so there isn't a motivational edge.

Unfortunately, both teams are dealing with issues related to the coronavirus. The Cowboys moved safety Darian Thompson and defensive tackle Justin Hamilton to the COVID-19/reserve list Friday. Thompson was out with a concussion anyway, but Hamilton is an important piece on the defensive line.

The Giants avoided having any players placed on the list, but offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo will miss the game after a positive test for the virus.

Dallas won the first meeting between these two teams in a 37-34 shootout in Week 5. However, the Giants offense has cooled down considerably since that meeting. The team is on a three-game losing streak and hasn't put up more than 13 points in any of those losses.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys offense is humming with Andy Dalton at the helm. They have put up 108 points over the past three weeks.

Washington at Eagles

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This is the big one. If the Cowboys beat the Giants and the Phildelphia Eagles beat Washington, Dallas is in.

This means rooting for a bitter rival, but it also means hoping the team they in Week 16 will turn around get a win over the division leader. To make matters worse, it doesn't sound like the Eagles will be all that invested in playing spoiler.

Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports reported that several veterans didn't participate in Philadelphia's final practice and likely won't play Sunday. That group includes Miles Sanders, Fletcher Cox, Dallas Goedert and Derek Barnett.

That being said, Washington is dealing with some injury issues that could even the odds. Quarterback Alex Smith has missed the past two games with a calf injury. He will carry the "questionable" tag with him into the game while Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin have the same designation.

That's Washington's best option at quarterback, top running back and receiver who are, at the very least, less than 100 percent.

Should Smith miss the start, it will be Taylor Heinicke who gets the nod. The team signed him to the practice squad in early December, and with Dwayne Haskins recently released, he's next up on the depth chart.

Rooting interest: Eagles

Falcons at Buccaneers; Cardinals at Rams

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Neither of these games will have an impact on whether the Cowboys get in, but they will affect which team the NFC East champion plays in the first round.

As it stands, the Buccaneers are the No. 5 seed. This is bad news the NFC East champion. Regardless of record, Tampa Bay is a serious threat in the postseason. They are second in the NFC in overall efficiency by ESPN's metrics and sixth in the league.

By contrast, a matchup with the Rams is somewhat more favorable. They are fifth in the NFC by the same metrics and 11th overall. A loss to the New York Jets showed they aren't above putting up a miserable performance as a big favorite.

If the Cowboys are going to make the playoffs at 7-9, they might as well earn a matchup in which they have a shot at pulling an upset. That figures to be a much more likely outcome with the Rams than it does with the Tom Brady-led Bucs.

For that to happen, Tampa Bay will need to lose to the Atlanta Falcons in a game they don't have to win and the Rams to put away the Cardinals.

Rooting interest: Falcons and Rams