NFL playoff photo for week 11: Alex Smith's injury opens the door for the Dallas Cowboys playoff series



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Life starts at you fast, and it's even faster when the NFL is involved. Just look at the Dallas Cowboys, who have been able to reverse their season in the last two weeks and put themselves in a pretty good position for a playoff run. Imagine saying "Jason Garrett's extension" out loud a few weeks. Now, this could be a reality.

Dallas came out of his 3-4 start, needing a big home win against the Titans after trading for Amari Cooper. Instead, Dallas was pushed in the second half by Tennessee and dropped to 3-5. Everything seemed dark until they went to Philly and won a victory the following week.

The Cowboys did the same with another huge win in Week 11: a second straight road win against a dangerous home team, in this case the Atlanta Falcons. Driven by a second consecutive 100-yard game for Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys tied their record at 5-5 and placed well to qualify for the NFC crown.

Part of this position is about bad luck for the biggest hurdle, with the Washington Redskins losing quarterback Alex Smith with a broken leg, 33 years old on the day of Joe Theismann's famous injury. The fall of Smith means that Colt McCoy has to occupy quarterbacks, which means that McCoy will benefit from a homecoming for Texas, as the Redskins travel to Dallas for a match. afternoon of Thanksgiving against the Cowboys.

The first lines suggest that the Cowboys will be close to the favorite of the touchdown. It's a game that they should win. The Cowboys also have two games at the end of the season against the Buccaneers and Giants, both of whom should be winners. We are therefore considering a team of eight victories with the Saints (at home), the Eagles (at home) and the Colts (of the road). Presuming that many wins for a failed Cowboys team is a dangerous move, but they will certainly be the big favorites in at least three other contests.

Succeeding at 4-2 with a victory over Washington, which has four of the remaining six games on the road and two games against the Eagles, could easily give the Cowboys the division title when all is over. .

If this scenario materializes and the Redskins also manage to end up at 9-7 – 3-3 would be absolutely out of the question – the Cowboys would probably break the tie because, in that case, the Cowboys would beat Washington and have a better record in the division.

The unthinkable of a few weeks ago may well blend in with reality. The Cowboys could very well end up holding a playoff game.

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AFC: Who is in

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)

The Chiefs will face the Rams in Los Angeles on Monday.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1)

It was not good, but the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger found a way to escape from Jacksonville with a win. They are in pole position to win the division and have a confrontation with the Patriots who could very well determine who will eventually cash the other.

3. Patriots of New England (7-3)

The Patriots are goodbye to the 11th week.

4. Houston Texans (7-3)

The Texans rolled to Washington and stole a two-point win over a dreaded redskin team. But the victories are the victories and it is now the Texans who have the most chances in the AFC South. They still have a match against every rival of AFC South and they are all at home.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-2)

The Chargers play the Broncos Sunday afternoon.

6. Baltimore Ravens (5-5)

The Ravens ended their game by throwing Lamar Jackson and beating the Bengals in a game that will have significant consequences in the playoffs at the end of the season. Baltimore could not afford to be swept away by Cincinnati if he wanted to make a playoff race.

AFC: Who went out

7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5): Approximate loss for the Bengals, who had a great race trying to overthrow the Ravens.

8. Miami Dolphins (5-5): The dolphins are on a bye in the 11th week.

9. Colts of Indianapolis (5-5): The Colts absolutely destroyed the Titans at home on Sunday. They have a legitimate chance of winning the AFC South if they maintain that consistency.

10. Tennessee Titans (5-5): The Colts have stood firm at home against the Jags to give some life to their hopes for AFC South. They may have one of the best offensive lines in the league right now, and Andrew Luck is protected at a high level by the players ahead of him and his team of coaches. It's a dangerous team.

11. Cleveland Browns (3-6-1): The Browns are on leave in the 11th week.

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7): The Steelers have suffered a brutal defeat against the Steelers, which could well end their season, since they are four games behind the Texans six days from the end. The joker is a long shot too.

13. Denver Broncos (3-6): The Broncos play the Chargers Sunday afternoon.

14. Buffalo Bills (3-7): The bills are on a bye in the 11th week.

15. New York Jets (3-7): The Jets are on a bye in the 11th week.

16. Oakland Raiders (1-8): The Raiders will face the Cardinals Sunday afternoon.

AFC: Who's eliminated

Nobody … again.

NFC: Who is in

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-1)

The Rams face the Chiefs Monday night in Los Angeles.

2. Saints of New Orleans (8-1)

The Saints play the Eagles Sunday afternoon.

3. Chicago Bears (6-3)

The Bears play the Vikings Sunday night.

4. Washington Redskins (6-4)

Washington may have seen its season burn on Sunday against the Texans beaten at home and Alex Smith had a broken leg that will end his season. The Cowboys are coming in force and Washington will have with Colt McCoy in Dallas for Thanksgiving.

5. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)

The Vikings play the Bears Sunday night.

6. Carolina Panthers (6-4)

The Panthers suffered a big defeat against a really strange Lions team in Detroit and will now have a lot of trouble chasing the Saints in the division.

NFC: Who went out

7. Seattle Seahawks (5-5): A win against the Packers on Thursday night gives the Seahawks a serious window to try to qualify for the playoffs. That will not happen for the title of the division, but Russell Wilson and Co. can definitely sneak up.

8. Dallas Cowboys (5-5): Do not look now, but here are the Cowboys. After winning in Atlanta, Dallas pinches his heels like a star and in the NFC East.

9. Green Bay Packers (4-5-1): Very difficult defeat for Green Bay in Seattle on Thursday, which made them waste time qualifying for the playoffs. The best they can do is finish 10-5-1 if they manage to impose it.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-5): The Eagles will face the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.

11. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): The disappointing Falcons season is probably over Sunday at home against the Cowboys. They will likely have to win and get to 10-6 to have a chance to play in the playoffs.

12. Detroit Lions (4-6): The Lions are a disconcerting monster between Jekyll and Hyde NFL and have returned to the positive team with a shocking win over the Panthers at home on Sunday.

13. Giants of New York (3-7): Eli Manning is currently playing very well and the Giants are doing their best to avoid being in the top five.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7): The Buccaneers still played two quarters Sunday, which summarizes their season. Jameis Winston almost helped them defeat the Giants, but they just missed them.

15. Arizona Cardinals (2-7): The Cardinals will face the Raiders Sunday afternoon.

16. San Francisco 49ers (2-8): The 49ers are on a bye in the 11th week.

NFC: Who is eliminated

Nobody … again.

Legend:
(x) – place for the playoffs
(y) – division won
(z) – first round won in the first round
(*) – advantage won in the field

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