'It Won't Shake Us!' Dak Prescott's Dallas Cowboys' Playoff Road Just Got Bumpy
If the Dallas Cowboys had gained 10 more yards Sunday, they may very well have defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, they suffered a crushing 28-23 loss that likely dashes any hopes of catching their division rivals in the NFC East and means any potential playoff run would have to come mostly or entirely away from AT&T Stadium.
Regardless of how close quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb came to engineering a game-winning drive Sunday evening at Lincoln Financial Field, a loss in Week 9 dropped the Cowboys to 5-3. Meanwhile, the Eagles improved to 8-1. The Eagles are up three games on the Cowboys in the NFC East race, and at least until the two teams meet again in Week 14, Philadelphia is basically up four games because they own the tiebreaker.
Prescott insists the Cowboys' confidence is "not shaken.''
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"We’re doing things right,'' Dak said. "We’re working our (butts) off. We’re going through the right plan. We're not gonna change up who we are ...
"Honestly I wanted to be in this position and I'm sitting over there thanking God for putting me in this position, having a chance to go win this game. Just because I didn't win it's not gonna shake me and I'm not gonna let it shake this team.''
The Eagles do have an incredibly tough schedule after their bye week next Sunday, as their next five games will come against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. There's still an outside chance that the Eagles have a disastrous month and the Cowboys are able to make a run at the division, but that feels pretty unlikely.
What's more, the Cowboys would have to come close to winning out to have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC. That means if the top seed in the conference -- which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason -- is going to come from the NFC East, it will probably have to be the Eagles. If the Eagles slip up and Cowboys somehow win the division, they still probably won't be the top seed. The Detroit Lions are 6-2, and the 5-3 San Francisco 49ers own the tiebreaker over the Cowboys by virtue of their 42-10 drubbing of Dallas earlier this season.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.
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Road postseason runs are hardly unheard of, but former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett explained last month why it was so important for Dallas to earn home-field advantage in the postseason.
"I do think Dallas is a little slower on defense when they play on grass," Garrett said. "When they're at home on that fast track, it's like they've got 14 guys on defense."
Not only is Dallas now unlikely to have any home games on the artificial turf at AT&T Stadium in the postseason, but at least one game on grass would likely stand in their way of making a run to Super Bowl LVIII. Sure, Dallas could play on artificial turf if they go on the road to Seattle or Detroit this postseason. But a January trip to San Francisco and/or Philadelphia -- both of which the Cowboys have now lost at this year -- would be a near certainty.
These are the realities when you don't consistently take care of business against other contending teams in the regular season -- you make your postseason route, assuming there is one, that much more difficult.
