Cowboys, NFL Playoffs Schedule Set; Bucs, 49ers & How Dallas Can Still Host a Game
There's no place like home ... for the NFC title game.
Any hope the Dallas Cowboys have of returning to AT&T Stadium before this season lets out hinges upon the fortunes of one of their most common rivals. Seeded fifth on the NFC playoff bracket, the first among the wild cards, Dallas' only hope of hosting a game was dependent upon either the New York Giants or Seattle Seahawks, the respective sixth and seventh seeds, joining them in the NFC title game on Jan. 29.
While Seattle bowed out to second-seeded San Francisco on Saturday, the Giants' Sunday victory over the Minnesota Vikings kept the dream alive for at least 24 hours. New York now moves on to face the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles either next Saturday or Sunday, which also narrows down Dallas' potential Divisional playoff option to the aforementioned 49ers.
That, of course, means that Dallas needs New York to keep winning, a tall task considering the Eagles (14-3) are the NFC's top and that they swept the Giants in their two-game regular season set (though one came against New York's backups in Week 18).
Despite their long-running rivalry, the Cowboys and Giants have met in the postseason only once, an infamous occasion in Dallas history that saw New York earn a Divisional round victory en route to a victory in Super Bowl XLII.
A Divisional date with San Francisco ... which, of course, is dependent on the Cowboys taking care of business against No. 4 Tampa Bay on Monday (7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN/ABC) ... would be a rematch of last season's NFC Wild Card matchup won by the 49ers en route to their surprise appearance in the semifinal round.
It would also be the ninth postseason meeting between the five-time Super Bowl champions, which would make it the most common playoff pair in NFL history (joining Dallas' series with the Los Angeles Rams and the 49ers' set with the Green Bay Packers).
And now we have times and dates for next weekend ..
NFL divisional round schedule
No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, Jan. 21 | 3:30 CT | NBC
No. 6 New York Giants at No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles
Saturday, Jan. 21 | 7:15 p.m. CT | Fox
No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals at No. 2 Buffalo Bills
Sunday, Jan. 22 | 2 CT | CBS
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers/ No. 5 Dallas Cowboys at No. 2 San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, Jan. 22 | 5:30 CT | Fox
So ... a Cowboys win would set up a rematch of last year's playoff opener, and would reignite one of the NFL's all-time greatest playoff rivalries. ... a lot of work to do, though, starting Monday.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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