The top half of the NFC playoff picture is coming more into focus, and it sure looks as though the fourth-seeded Dallas Cowboys will once again host their Week 17 opponent during wild-card weekend.
In their final home game of the regular season, the Cowboys failed to develop an offensive rhythm, as they lost, 25-22, to the fifth-seeded Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. The final score didn't tell the entire story -- Dallas trailed from start to finish, converted on just 3 of 11 third-downs, and was held to less than 30 points for the fourth time in five games.
"I know the NFC isn't this crazy juggernaut, but do the Cowboys feel like one of those teams that's going to rise to the top? I just don't see it," Maggie Gray said during Monday's edition of the Maggie and Perloff show. "I just wouldn't put my money on Dallas. And why I say this is, I was actually riding with Dallas for more than half of the season. Even though they've clinched the NFC East, I mean, congrats. What do you give the team that clinches the NFC East?"
The opportunity of a statement win on home turf was squandered. One week after scoring a colossal 56 points against the rival Washington Football Team, the Cowboys tallied just 301 total yards against Arizona, and star quarterback Dak Prescott threw for only 226 yards. To make matters worse, the team lost receiver Michael Gallup to a season-ending ACL injury, which occurred during the second quarter.
Dallas (11-5), which clinched its fourth NFC East title since 2014, will visit the rival Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) in a Week 18 matchup on Sunday. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Cowboys currently have a 4-percent chance to win Super Bowl 56. In seven contests against teams with winning records, the Cowboys are now 3-4.
The entire NFL-Cowboys conversation between Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.