Why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes 'there's too much to play for' against Washington
The Eagles are on a two-game losing streak, opening the door for Dallas to grab the No.1 seed in the NFC with a win Sunday at Washington. It's a golden opportunity the Cowboys shouldn't waste by benching their starters. Per owner Jerry Jones, they won't.
Here are Dallas' basic playoff scenarios, which do not factor in ties:
Cowboys will be No. 1 seed if:
1. Beat Washington
2. Eagles lose to Giants
3. 49ers lose to Cards
Cowboys will be No. 2 seed if:
1. Beat Washington
2. Eagles lose to Giants
3. 49ers beat Cards
If the 49ers and Eagles win, the Cowboys will be seeded fifth.
Historically, No.1 seeds matter.
Since 2012, 12 of 20 teams that made the Super Bowl were their conference's top seed. Five of those teams won the Super Bowl.
Dallas faces an unfavorable matchup if it remains the No. 5 seed and plays the NFC South champion Buccaneers and Tom Brady in the wild-card round.
Three of Dallas' four losses have come on the road this season. Brady has a 7-0 starting record against Dallas, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't won a road playoff game in seven seasons.
During his Monday news conference, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy didn't indicate whether he plans to play starters.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said resting starters before the playoffs "is one of the biggest mistakes people make."
If Dallas wins and the 49ers (12-4) and Eagles (13-3) lose in Week 18, the Cowboys' championship chances rise from 12 percent to 27 percent, per FiveThirtyEight.
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