The path to the playoffs is well underway, and with only five weeks remaining in the 2021 season, no teams have yet to clinch a spot. Three teams in the NFC have a chance to book a postseason trip this weekend, none of which are likely to be impacted by the outcome of the Dallas Cowboys divisional matchup on Sunday.
The Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers can each wrap up their divisions with wins, but the Cowboys will need at least two wins in the next three weeks to take the NFC East title. At 8-4, the Cowboys will face four division opponents in five games to finish out the season.
Of the three teams, only Arizona won’t have an opportunity to clinch their division with a win, this despite the Cardinals owning the NFL’s best record at 10-2 and playing against a division rival in the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona will need to win to get into the playoffs but will need at least another win in the division to take the title.
Tampa Bay and Green Bay can both take their respective divisions with wins and a little help from some of Sunday’s other games. Green Bay has the likelier scenario to capture the NFC North division for the third consecutive year. The Packers have won the NFC North eight times since the 2010 Super Bowl season.
Tampa Bay needs a win and losses by both New Orleans and Carolina to clinch the NFC South division. The Buccaneers are looking to win their second division title in a row as they attempt a return to the Super Bowl. Currently, Tampa Bay is the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl this year.
The Dallas Cowboys are facing one of the most challenging stretches of the season for the final five games. They meet up with second-place Washington this week, then play against the New York Giants the following week. In an odd wrinkle in NFL scheduling, the Cowboys then face Washington yet again.
The last two games will be a match against Arizona and then, wrapping up the season, a rematch of the Philadelphia Eagles.
A win over Washington this week will get the Cowboys one step closer to the playoffs for the first time since a 10-6 season in 2018 that ended in defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Currently, the Cowboys hold the number 4 seed in the NFC but won’t have a clear path to the playoffs for at least two weeks.
Should the Cowboys hold the number 4 seed at the end of the season, they will face off against the highest-seeded wild card team in the NFC, currently held by the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams now sit at 8-4, but Dallas retains an advantage with a 2-0 record in the NFC East. The Rams are 1-2 in the NFC West, with three division contests remaining in the 2021 season.
