Here is something that might surprise you … today is Monday.
Not on the calendar, but in the National Football League. In order to allow college football to have their traditional New Year’s Day games while not conflicting with NFL action, the senior league has shifted their Monday Night Football contest this week to Saturday night. And, they’ve served up a game that is a lot more attractive now than it may have looked on the schedule before the season started.
The Detroit Lions, who for most of our lifetimes have struggled with the bottom feeders in the league, are this year still alive to land the top seed in the National Football Conference playoffs. Last week, Dan Campbell’s men secured the Lions first division title in 30 years, and if they close out their regular season with two more wins, they currently have 11 victories against 4 losses, and the San Francisco 49ers lose one of their final two games the Lions land the top spot for the playoffs.
If that happens, the Lions will take their common bye the first week of the playoffs, but this time their season won’t be over.
The Cowboys offer stiff competition, particularly on their home field where they have won all seven of their contests in front of hometown fans.
The quarterback many football observers consider one brick short of the stuff it takes to win a Super Bowl, Dak Prescott, is having a career year. He teams with CeeDee Lamb to form one of the best passing combinations in the league. The Cowboys offense has scored the second most points in the NFL, 451, which only trails the Miami Dolphins 463.
The Cowboys are potent on defense too. Only four teams have allowed fewer points than the 286 surrendered by Dallas. And, on defense, the Cowboys have what most great stop units have, that one special player that opponents need to game plan for in linebacker Micah Parsons.
Like the Lions, the Cowboys are assured of a postseason date this year and are still holding out hope for the top seed with a win tonight and next Sunday in their season finale against the Washington Commanders coupled with two losses by San Francisco and the Philadelphia Eagles.
So, the NFL offers up a Monday Night Football game on Saturday that is truly worth primetime viewership. The game also falls into our wheelhouse for making a pick on the game.
The Lions clinched their first division title since 1993 last week and now go to Dallas in hopes but not expectations of gaining the top seed in the NFC. The Cowboys have a lot more at stake tonight.
Because two of the best teams in the NFC are coupled in the NFC East, the Eagles and Cowboys, one of them is going to be home to open the postseason and the other is going to be seeded fifth in the playoff alignment and play on the road in the Wild Card Weekend. While Detroit is assured of at least a third seed and home playoff game the Cowboys need a win tonight and next week and hope the Eagles get tripped up by either the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow or next Sunday against the New York Giants.
I just can’t see the Lions playing with as much enthusiasm and focus after locking up their first division title in three decades as the Cowboys at home needing a win and help to earn that all important NFC East Division title.
Qoxhi Picks: Dallas Cowboys (-6) over Detroit Lions