Beating Atlanta crucial for Dallas

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Plenty at stake for Eagles, Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys close the season at home today in a high-stakes finale against Philadelphia. Although both teams have clinched a playoff berth, the winner will be crowned champions of the NFC East and earn the reward of a home playoff game.

If Philadelphia wins, it will earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. Dallas could get that, too, with help.

Two weeks ago, Dallas was coming off consecutive losses and could have easily folded, especially going to New Orleans to play the 13-0 Saints. But the Cowboys knocked off the Saints, then shut out the Redskins in Washington. The surge probably saved Wade Phillips' job.

Cowboys shut down Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys returned to the playoffs Sunday night, dominating their 100th meeting with the Washington Redskins and setting up an NFC East title showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tony Romo threw for 286 yards, Jason Witten had a career-long 69-yard reception to set up a score, and the defense pitched the rivalry's first shutout in six years in a 17-0 win over the Redskins.

The victory eliminated the New York Giants from playoff contention and gave the Cowboys a jinx-bursting late-season winning streak. After starting 0-2 this month, Dallas recovered to win back-to-back December games for first time since 2003.

Steelers win could drop the Cowboys a notch

Sunday will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' seventh trip to the Super Bowl, which, as we will hear ad nauseam over the next week, is only one short of the Dallas Cowboys.

You could make the argument that if the Steelers win Sunday, which would be their sixth Super Bowl victory, that they're the most successful franchise of the Roman Numeral Era.

But where do they stand as of today? That's Tuesday's Top Five -- the top five franchises since Super Bowl I in January 1967:

Cowboys easily take NFC East

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys had their way with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Their reward: the NFC East title and the challenge of trying to do it again.

Romo threw two early touchdown passes and the defense took over from there, sending Dallas to a 24-0 victory and setting up a rematch at their new palace in the first round of the NFL playoffs next weekend.

The Cowboys (11-5) have quickly become a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. This was their third straight impressive win and their most complete performance of the season.

Cowboys send Saints to first loss

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are marching toward perfection no more.

Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware helped Dallas end its December doldrums and the Cowboys held off a frenzied rally by the Saints for a 24-17 victory Saturday night.

The loss by the Saints (13-1) left the Indianapolis Colts (14-0) as the NFL's only unbeaten team this season.