Dallas Cowboys: Odds on Who They Could Meet in Playoffs and How They Matchup

There is a little tiny light at the end of the tunnel, sports fans. The Dallas Cowboys are maybe just a few wins away from securing a playoff spot and maybe, just maybe, one step closer to making a Super Bowl.

That's right, I said it, a Super Bowl for the Dallas Cowboys.

But before we get to that point in February, Dallas has to run through a few teams in the NFC that may stand in the way of a possible Super Bowl spot. Like the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and the New York Giants.

It's always fun to play a game of "what-if" and that's what we're going to do today. Who might the Cowboys meet in a possible playoff matchup? Let's jump in the funkadelic futuristic NFL playoff machine to find out.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are an interesting team right now. They lost their starting quarterback to a thumb injury and in the process lost a ballgame on Sunday. The Bears have a manageable stretch of games coming up with Kansas City, Denver, Seattle, Green Bay and Minnesota.

If they are able ring out at least three wins out of their last five, Chicago should be just fine.

If Chicago ends up with Dallas in the wild card round of the playoffs it will be a rusty Jay Cutler against an aggressive Dallas defense. If Dallas is able to make it this far then they had a successful December and January and will take that positive momentum into the playoffs.

What will be key with this type of matchup is how well Dallas is able to run the ball, if their defense can cause turnovers and if Dallas' offense can hold onto the ball.

Atlanta Falcons

Color me confused on the Atlanta Falcons. Not sure if the birds will pass the ball or run it with Michael Turner. However, Atlanta has been hot as of late. Over their past six games the team is 5-1 and quarterback Matt Ryan has found his old form.

But their schedule gets no easier as they have the Texans, Saints, Panthers and Bucs to end the season. While the Bucs and Panthers are struggling this season, both teams are division rivals and Atlanta has already lost to the Bucs once this season. New Orleans beat the Falcons in overtime three weeks ago and Carolina is always a threat with Cam Newton behind center.

I won't go so far as to call the Falcons frauds but I believe that Dallas can handle Atlanta and in convincing fashion. If the Cowboys are able to pressure Ryan enough, that should give cover to Newman and Jenkins trying to cover Roddy White and Julio Jones.

So far I believe that Dallas can beat both teams.

Detroit Lions

The Cowboys have experience with the Lions and we've all seen the ending to that movie. But this will be the sequel and I'm pretty sure the outcome will be different.

The Lions will have to win out to give themselves a punchers chance of making the playoffs. Remaining for the Lions are the Saints, Raiders, Chargers and Packers. Not really looking good for Detroit but any given Sunday an NFL team can win.

Come January if these two teams meet, it will be one of the most intriguing matchups due to their regular season game where Detroit came back from 24 points down. The difference in this one should be the final score with Dallas coming out on top.

New Orleans Saints

Does anyone else feel as if the Saints are flying under the radar this season? Two of their loses are pretty explainable. The Saints were beaten by the defending world champs on the first night of the NFL season back in September. Just coming back from a shortened offseason and New Orleans loses 42-34 in an offensive explosion.

The second game was to a tough Tampa Bay team in Tampa by just six points. The Bucs are a division rival and New Orleans exacted their revenge just three weeks later.

The Saints third loss is a bit of a head-scratcher because it was to the St. Louis Rams by 10 points. It was a game the Saints should have won but lost. I guess most teams have at least one loss of that nature per season.

Remaining for the Saints are the Giants, Lions, Falcons, Titans and Vikings. N.O. should win at least two of those games but it will be no cakewalk. The Saints playoff seeding will depend on how they finish the season, and if they struggle to 10 wins, Dallas will have a better shot of beating them.

For the Saints it will be key for the Cowboys to slow down their high-powered offense, cause turnovers and control the clock. Dallas is capable of doing so but from my standpoint this will be their toughest possible playoff matchup.

New York Giants

The Giants are an enigma to me at times. They look great one week and then lose to the Seahawks the next.

New York usually fades down the stretch and if they lose to the Saints tonight on Monday Night Football then their traditional late season poor play will be in full effect.

The Giants beat the Cowboys the last time the two teams met in the second season back in 2007. Dallas seemed to have control for the majority of the contest but the Cowboys offensive line got tired and wore down and the Giants defensive line stepped up. Without going into further detail, the Giants won and the Cowboys lost.

It's tough to judge a rivalry game, especially when it's a playoff contest. Depending on how their two regular season games end up will sway my thinking on how a possible playoff game will go.

As of right now, I do not believe that the Giants will make it that far, but if they do, this will be a fun game to watch.

Cowboys News and Notes.