The December doldrums have been corrected; now the Cowboys need a playoff win.
They will get a chance to earn one this season after winning 17-0 Sunday night against the Redskins. The victory means that next week’s Cowboys-Eagles game will decide the NFC East champion.
There is a strong chance the Cowboys and Eagles could play a rematch in the wild card round, but a lot could happen to scramble the NFC seeds between 2-6.
While the seeds are to be determined, the NFC tournament teams are decided. The Giants will be watching from home.
Whether the Cowboys win the NFC East or not, their peaking pass rush will make them a tough playoff out. As the Giants showed Sunday, however, it’s risky to draw many conclusions from a performance against Washington’s offensive line.
While the Cowboys defense dominated Sunday night, the offense took care of business. Their short-yardage rushing struggled, but Tony Romo played another solid game with 286 yards on 38 attempts. Jason Witten and Miles Austin combined for 209 receiving yards.
The Cowboys handled a crumbling opponent, and deserve all the credit for it. They have already beaten some expectations by making the playoffs. Now the hard part starts.