The Dallas Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot on Sunday afternoon, and it's not too complicated.

Beat the Philadelphia Eagles, and they are in.

If the Cowboys were to lose on Sunday in Philadelphia, that's where things would get complicated because they wouldn't control their destiny. If that happens, they would need the Eagles to lose in Week 17 and get some help to make it into the postseason.

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Earlier this season, when before the Cowboys beat the Eagles, Pilly's head coach Doug Pederson guaranteed his squad would win. Pederson knows he made a mistake making such a claim, and he isn't going to make that mistake again.

“Listen, they got us the last time and they kicked our tail and they had a great game plan,” Pederson said to reporters on Monday via Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. “Listen, we just have to come prepared each day this week and study the tape. Coaches have to have a great game plan, obviously, and our players have to understand the game plan, either how we are trying to attack or defend the Cowboys and then go play.

“We're here at Week 16 and again, like I said, there's a lot of tape out there, another division opponent. There's probably a little more obviously on the line this week than most weeks, but it's where we are right now, and we've dug this hole, but we're slowly climbing out of it, and we're excited for the opportunity.”

These are both teams who have been disappointing this season, but all that could be forgotten if they make it into the playoffs. Anything can happen in the playoffs, so whoever makes it from the NFC East shouldn't be completely ruled out.