Before the Dallas Cowboys even took the field this afternoon to face the Buffalo Bills, they already had good enough reason to celebrate. Because the Desmond Ridder and the Atlanta Falcons gift-wrapped a win to the Carolina Panthers late in the 4th quarter, the Cowboys clinched a postseason berth for the 36th time overall. Why is this significant? I'll let Dallas Morning News writer Calvin Watkins fill you in.

“The Cowboys will make their 36th playoff appearance in franchise history, that breaks a tie with Packers (35) for most in league history.”

Congrats to the Cowboys, who are arguably the co-favorite to win the NFC along with the San Francisco 49ers, for reaching the NFL Playoffs for the third straight time under head coach Mike McCarthy, who is in his fourth season as the Cowboys head coach. McCarthy, the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, led Green Bay to the postseason eight times during his thirteen years with the Packers, winning one Super Bowl in 2011, which was his third time in the postseason. McCarthy hopes that his third appearance in the NFL Playoffs with the Cowboys will net the same result.

It's still in play that the Packers could make a push for the postseason and thus move back into a tie with the Cowboys atop this list, though their loss today at Lambeau Field to the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers did some damage to their playoff hopes. But given the construction of Dallas' roster compared to Green Bay's, it's possible that the Cowboys will continue to build on their lead over Green Bay and the rest of the NFL.