A 9-7-1 finish by the Cowboys (which would be 3-2 in their remaining games) would risk the Panthers overtaking them in the standings. It would also, likely, put the 49ers out of reach, and you have to assume Dan Campbell will rally the Lions into playoff contention.

On his Week 13 power rankings, Brady announced that the Cowboys have made the list for the first time this season. The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star placed Dallas at No. 10, highlighting the team’s wins against the Eagles and Chiefs as the reason for its rise.

The Cowboys have narrowed the Eagles’ division lead from 4 1/2 games when they kicked off two weeks ago to just 1 1/2 as they begin Week 14.

The Dallas Cowboys saw their three-game winning streak end in primetime with a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. The loss was a significant hit to their playoff chances, as Dallas (6-6-1) now sits in 10th place in the NFC standings and is down to a 19% chance to make the playoffs, per SportsLine's projections.

"America's Team" often finds itself in the national spotlight -- often in primetime -- which means a whole lot of Monday and Thursday games. And it's Thursday again this week, as the Cowboys travel to Detroit to face the Lions in a game with huge implications for the NFC playoff standings.