Cowboys, Eagles clinch NFL playoff spots in Week 15 thanks to help from others
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both received an early present for the holiday season ahead of their Week 15 games.
The Cowboys on Sunday became the second NFL team to clinch a playoff berth this season, thanks to the Green Bay Packers' 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with the Atlanta Falcons' 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Those results, combined with the Detroit Lions' 42-17 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, wrapped up a berth for Dallas.
The Eagles later sealed a spot in the playoffs thanks to several results, with the San Francisco 49ers' victory over the Arizona Cardinals being the final piece that nudged the defending NFC champions into the postseason.
The 49ers, meanwhile, wrapped up the NFC West crown with their win.
Dallas is in the postseason for the third consecutive season, marking the first time since 1994-96 that the organization has strung together such a streak. The franchise is still seeking to reach at least the NFC championship game for the first time since 1995.
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The Cowboys last week leapfrogged the Eagles to take the NFC East lead last week after beating their division rivals 33-13, but Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills dropped the team back into a wild-card spot for the time being.
Philadelphia, which will be in the postseason for a third consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years, is seeking to become the first NFC East team to repeat as champions since the franchise claimed four consecutive division titles from 2001-04. The Eagles will face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
San Francisco has now claimed consecutive division titles for the first time since 2011-12.
The Lions and Baltimore Ravens still have a chance to join the playoff field in Week 15 as well.