The Dallas Cowboys' recent four-game winning streak exemplified their ability as a Super Bowl contender. The overtime losses to the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars at the beginning and end of the streak highlighted their vulnerability.
The Cowboys' win streak saw them score 54 points against the Colts, rout the Minnesota Vikings 40-3 and score a big win over an NFC East foe in the New York Giants.
With a massive game against the Philadelphia Eagles on tap, it's fair to say that the Cowboys are capable of beating anyone, but they are also ripe for an upset.
WIth that in mind, getting the right matchups in the playoffs is going to be crucial. Last year, the Cowboys suffered a first-round exit because they matched up poorly with the San Francisco 49ers.
Here's a look at some of the best and worst matchups they could see in the 2022 postseason.
There are about 37 reasons to believe this is a good matchup for the Cowboys. That was the margin of victory when these two teams met just a few weeks ago.
Dallas sacked Kirk Cousins seven times. According to PFF, the Vikings offensive line surrendered 16 total pressures on the day.
While it's important to note that Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw only played 18 snaps before exiting the game with an injury, it was clear that Dallas held a clear advantage along the defensive line.
On offense, the Cowboys had all the answers for the Vikings defense. The offensive line kept Dak Prescott clean, and he was a surgical 22-of-25 for 276 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
The Vikings did hold the Cowboys to just 3.8 yards per rush, but that's hardly a problem when you put up 40 points.
While this is a matchup the Cowboys would love to see in the postseason, it's unfortunately one that is the least likely to happen (at least in Wild Card Weekend). The 11-3 Vikings would likely need to fall to the third seed, while the Cowboys would have to get surpassed by the Giants.
If the playoffs were to start today, this would be the matchup for the Cowboys. For their sake, it's a good thing that a lot has changed since their 19-3 loss to Tampa in Week 1.
In that game, the Bucs' defensive front carried the day. They sacked Prescott twice before he was injured and took down Cooper Rush twice once he was put in the game. They also held the Cowboys rushing attack to just 3.9 yards per carry.
The current iteration of the Tampa Bay defense has given up 69 points to the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers over the last two weeks while missing powerful nose tackle Vita Vea.
The Niners were able to blow them out with Brock Purdy at quarterback. While the former seventh-round pick should be given credit for filling in nicely for injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the ground game averaging 5.8 yards per carry really opened up the offense.
And after watching Tampa's offense turn the ball over four times against the Bengals, it's hard to feel like they are a serious threat to the Dallas defense.
If it weren't for the poor state of the NFC South, the Buccaneers likely wouldn't even be a playoff contender. While it's hard to count Tom Brady out, the Buccaneers are a 6-8 team for a reason.
The possibility of this matchup is why it's crucial for the Cowboys to remain in their current spot as the fifth seed in the NFC. If the Cowboys were to fall to the sixth seed, then a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers could be on the horizon.
The 49ers were able to force Dallas into an early playoff exit through their rushing offense and their ability to get after Dak Prescott. They sacked the quarterback five times while rushing for 169 yards.
It's a blueprint that still has the potential to hurt the Cowboys. The Jaguars just racked up 192 yards on the ground and won the battle up front on defense by holding the Cowboys to just 3.8 yards per carry and sacking Dak Prescott three times.
The 49ers' defensive front is among the best in football. DeMeco Ryans' defense can not only get to the passer but is stout against the run. They are second in EPA against zone runs and eighth against gap runs, per The 33rd Team.
Brock Purdy's inexperience makes them a bit less intimidating, and the Cowboys could still be favored, but Kyle Shanahan's ability to generate offense without an elite quarterback combined with a really talented defense makes them a bad matchup for Dallas in the postseason.