If the Cowboys finish as a wild-card team, in either the fifth or sixth spot, they likely will play the Vikings, Packers or Panthers.
Here's a look at the Cowboys recent history with each team and the best scenario to create a possible match-up.
Minnesota (9-6) - If Minnesota wins Sunday at Arizona, the Vikings win the NFC North and are assured of a first-round home game. If Carolina (10-5) beats the Giants on the road, the Panthers would claim the third seed in the NFC. That would leave the Vikings at No. 4, matching them with the top wild-card team, which is currently the Cowboys. The Cowboys could fall out of that fifth spot with a loss to the Saints, a Green Bay loss to Denver and a Seattle victory over San Francisco. That would put Seattle in the playoffs ahead of the Cowboys based on a better strength of victory percentage. If that were the case, the Cowboys would then travel to Carolina.
The Cowboys have not played the Vikings since the 2000 regular season. But Minnesota is the last team to play the Cowboys in the playoffs, beating them in 1999, and the last team to lose to the Cowboys in the playoffs (1996).
Carolina (10-5) - The Panthers have already won the NFC South and currently rank third in the NFC playoff picture. A win Sunday over the Giants would lock up that position, meaning Carolina would play at home against the sixth and final wild-card team. If the Cowboys and Seahawks end up tied, the Seahawks would be the fifth seed, pushing the Cowboys to the sixth spot and playing the Panthers.
But the Cowboys and Panthers could also play in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game, if Carolina loses to the Giants this weekend and the Vikings beat the Cardinals. That, coupled with a Cowboys win over the Saints, would send the Cowboys to Carolina for a first-round game.
The Cowboys already have beaten the Panthers this season, 24-20, on Nov. 23, and haven't met Carolina in the playoffs since losing a divisional-round game in 1996.
Green Bay (10-5) - The Packers have not clinched a spot in the playoffs yet, but have become big Cowboys and Cardinals fans this weekend. If Dallas beats the Saints and the Packers win at home against the Broncos, they would claim the sixth playoff berth. However, if the Cardinals beat the Vikings and the Packers win, they would win the NFC North and be the fourth seed. Green Bay cannot become the third seed, based on tiebreakers with Carolina.
The Packers will play the Cowboys if they beat Denver, the Vikings lose to the Cardinals and the Cowboys either win against the Saints or the Seahawks lose to the 49ers.
The Cowboys have not played the Packers since the 1999 season, and the two teams haven't met in the playoffs since the NFC Championship in the 1995 season. The Cowboys did eliminate the Packers in the playoffs three straight seasons (1993-95), but the Cowboys haven't played the Packers in a playoff game in Green Bay since the "Ice Bowl" in 1967. The Packers beat the Cowboys 21-17 on Bart Starr's infamous quarterback sneak to advance to Super Bowl II.
Whether the Cowboys head to Green Bay, Carolina, Minnesota or just stay right at home with a first-round bye, one thing is certain about the whole situation:
It all gets sorted out for sure this weekend.
