NFL Playoff Scenarios: Making Sense of the NFC East Puzzle

Welcome to the NFC East, the division race that nobody wants to win.

For a variety of reasons, that's just how the NFC East cookie has crumbled this season. It's been a mess from the very start, and it boggles the mind that the Philadelphia Eagles still have a shot to win the division. 

Luckily for us, the NFC East picture is not quite as complicated as it was before Week 15. The Dallas Cowboys were able to regain control of the division after thrashing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before watching the New York Giants lose to the Washington Redskins. For their part, the Eagles stayed in the race by dismantling the New York Jets.

Heading into the final two weeks of the season, all three teams have a chance to win the division. I'm going to do my best to break it all down in a simple manner right here and now.

How the Cowboys Can Win

Since the Cowboys already have a leg up in the division, their path to the NFC East crown is simple. All they have to do is win their final two games. 

However, they do have the option of losing to the Eagles on Saturday, if they so choose. No matter what happens with the Giants in Week 16, the Cowboys would head into their Week 17 showdown with the option of punching their own ticket.

If the Cowboys win, they're in. As embarrassing as it may have been, it will be like their Week 16 loss to the Eagles never happened.

How the Giants Can Win

Just like the Cowboys, the Giants can win the division if they win their final two games. That's the simplest and the straightest path to the NFC East crown.

If they must, the Giants can afford to lose to the New York Jets on Saturday. However, if they do, they will need the Eagles to do them two favors: beat the Cowboys and lose to the Washington Redskins.

If the Giants lose to the Jets and the Eagles do both of those things, the Giants can win the division by beating the Cowboys in Week 17. It won't exactly be backing into the playoffs, but it will be pretty close.

How the Eagles Can Win

First and foremost, the Eagles need to win both of their final two games at Dallas and versus the Washington Redskins. 

At the same time, they will need the Giants to lose to the Jets and then beat the Cowboys. That would mean an 8-8 finish for all three teams, allowing the Eagles to sneak in thanks to a couple of tiebreakers.

The Eagles would get the edge over the Giants because of their winning percentage in division games, and they would get the nod over the Cowboys thanks to two head-to-head wins.

Are the Eagles a legitimate threat? Honestly, I think the answer is yes. They've already beaten the Cowboys once this season, and they could very well beat them again on Saturday. After that, it will be a simple matter of them beating the Redskins, which isn't asking a lot.

So, yeah. Don't sleep on the Dream Team quite yet.

Predicted Winner: Cowboys

I can see the Cowboys losing to the Eagles, but I don't see them dropping two games to the Giants. The Giants needed a little (okay, a lot) of luck to beat the Cowboys the first time around. I just don't think they're going to be so lucky the second time.

It may not be pretty, but I think the Cowboys are going to come out on top when all is said and done.