NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott vows the Dallas Cowboys will bounce back from a humbling shutout loss to Indianapolis last week with a victory to claim a playoff berth.
The 23-year-old Dallas running back has 286 carries for a league-high 1,349 yards and six touchdowns this seasons as the Cowboys (8-6) try to secure a post-season berth by beating visiting Tampa Bay (5-9) on Sunday.
“At one point we were 3-5 and all of you guys counted us out,” Elliott said. “None of you guys thought we had a chance of making the playoffs. And we took that on the chin and we won five straight.
“Now we hold our future in our hands. We have to win one more game to make the playoffs. This team has responded to adversity all season and I don’t think we won’t respond well to this one.”
Even with a loss, the Cowboys can capture a playoff spot by winning next week over the New York Giants or with Washington and Philadelphia each losing. The Redskins visit Tennessee on Saturday while Philadelphia hosts Houston on Sunday.
Six teams in all can secure NFL playoff berths this weekend — Dallas, Seattle and Minnesota in the National Conference and Houston, Pittsburgh and New England in the American Conference.
Five of 12 NFL playoff berths have been taken with the NFL-best New Orleans Saints (12-2), Los Angeles Rams (11-3) and Chicago Bears (10-4) having taken National Conference division titles and the Kansas City Chiefs (11-3) and the Los Angeles Chargers (11-3) having sealed American Conference playoff spots.
The Saints can secure a home-field playoff edge throughout the NFC playoffs with a home win Sunday over Pittsburgh, while the Rams can swipe a first-round bye with a win at Arizona and a Chicago loss at San Francisco.
The Chiefs can seal a division crown and first-round bye with a victory at Seattle if the Chargers lose at home Saturday to Baltimore and take the American Conference home-field edge if Houston also falls at Philadelphia.
Seattle will grab a playoff berth by downing NFL passing leader Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs if Washington or Minnesota also loses.
Minnesota, which visits Detroit on Sunday, can reach the playoffs as well but the Vikings need a win plus a loss by Washington and loss or draw by reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
In the American Conference, New England can take a berth by winning at Buffalo (5-9) and Houston seizes another with a win at Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would clinch a playoff place by upsetting New Orleans and a loss by Baltimore or by both Tennessee and Indianapolis, which plays host Sunday to the New York Giants.
This week’s other NFL games find Jacksonville at Miami, Atlanta at Carolina, Cincinnati at Cleveland, Green Bay at the New York Jets plus Denver at Oakland on Monday night.AFP
