5 Ideal Postseason Scenarios for the Dallas Cowboys

Before Dallas can start to think about postseason scenarios, it should probably concentrate on getting there first. Dallas had a golden opportunity to seal its playoff fate on Sunday night against the Giants at home, but the Cowboys blew a 12-point lead and ended up losing.

Dallas is now 7-6 with their only hope of making it to the second season hinging on winning its last three games.

So the Cowboys had the chance to take a peek into their possible playoff future, but slammed the window shut on their fingers. Dallas had an epic defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter laced with penalties and loaded with ineptitude.

The Cowboys had three game-killing penalties in the last period and watched as Eli Manning drove his team down the field to take the lead.

Before I end up going off of the deep end on how the Cowboys screwed their chances of making the playoffs, let's explore the best postseason circumstance for your Dallas Cowboys.

Wild Card Round: Falcons at Cowboys

Because the Cowboys would hypothetically win the NFC East, Dallas would host a wild-card game. Now I do not believe that the Cowboys would have an easy chance to beat the Falcons, but I do believe they can beat them. Atlanta is starting to come on, as evidenced by their comeback win against the Panthers on Sunday.

Dallas isn't a hard team to beat at home, and the absence of running back DeMarco Murray doesn't help. But the Falcons aren't scaring anyone away, and with the Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's aggressive approach, the 'Boys average defense could give Atlanta an above average problem.

The Falcons wide receivers would be matchup problems for the Cowboys' short corners, but with DeMarcus Ware coming off the edge and maybe linebacker Anthony Spencer turning it up a notch, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan could be in for a long evening.

The Atlanta Falcons are no slouch, but this would be one of the Cowboys ideal playoff matchups.

Divisional Round: Lions At Cowboys/Cowboys At Niners

We all remember what happened when the Lions traveled to Dallas earlier this season, right? Detroit came back from 24 down to beat Dallas and make Tony Romo look like a junior varsity quarterback in the process.

The Cowboys would have a chance to exact revenge on the Lions if Detroit is able to beat the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs. This would be an ideal revenge game for the Cowboys, and it would give their defense a chance to show and prove their worth.

The Lions are a team with holes, which is why Dallas was able to jump out to a 24-point lead. The Cowboys would have to try and exploit those same holes and find a few new ones to either create or expose.

I think the Cowboys would beat the Lions. Maybe not in a convincing 24-point manner, but it would be enough to warrant Dallas as a serious Super Bowl contender.

Wild Card Round: Bears at Cowboys

Again, hypothetically Dallas wins the division and gets to host a playoff game. This time the Bears come to town, and my confidence of the Cowboys winning this game is about a six.

Chicago would still be without quarterback Jay Cutler and maybe running back Matt Forte. But the Bears defense is a force, and Dallas' offense may not be the same without DeMarco Murray.

Nevertheless, Dallas would still have a great shot at beating Chicago based off its offensive firepower. Quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Laurent Robinson's chemistry along with the big play ability of Dez Bryant and Felix Jones would give the Bears problems.

Plus the Bears offense without Cutler and Forte wouldn't scare an 80-pound little league team.

I think Dallas would win a close one with the Bears defense keeping Chicago in the game.

Divisional Round: Dallas At San Francisco/Falcons At Cowboys

If the Cowboys beat the Bears, they would move on to face the Niners or the Falcons. Dallas has already beaten San Fran once this season and would have a great opportunity to win against the Falcons.

The one advantage the Cowboys would have against the Falcons is that it’s a home game. Dallas wouldn’t have to leave the Lone Star state for the first two rounds of the playoffs, something that should play to their advantage.

The Cowboys went to Candlestick earlier this year and beat the 49ers in a hard-fought contest where Tony Romo cracked his ribs and Miles Austin was lost to a hamstring injury.

This game proved that the Cowboys can win a close game, but as evidenced against the Giants on Sunday Dallas, still has a long way to go.

NFC Championship Game: Cowboys at Packers

I struggled with this one a little because the Packers are undefeated and the Saints have three losses. New Orleans has a fast offense and the Packers have a fast offense. Both Green Bay and N.O. give up tons of yards and Dallas could score lots of points on both teams.

But the Saints are a different team in the Superdome, and when their crowd reaches an apex, it's almost impossible to stop the Saints from rolling. I understand that Dallas was able to go down to the dome and beat the Saints a few years ago, but that was a different year and two different teams.

The Saints have a potent offensive attack, and unless the Cowboys defense all of a sudden comes back to life at night in New Orleans, it would have more to do with Louisiana voodoo than Rob Ryan's defensive scheme.

I do not believe the Cowboys would beat the Packers on a cold winter's night at Lambeau Field, but their chances of success against Green Bay are far greater than beating New Orleans on that Superdome carpet.