Playoff scenario includes new twist for Parcells

This was something new even for Bill Parcells.

He is used to making the playoffs in his second season with a team. He's always done it.

This time, he did it in his first year with the Dallas Cowboys, clinching their first postseason spot since 1998.

The Cowboys even stayed alive for the NFC East title and a possible first-round bye when Philadelphia lost in overtime to already-eliminated San Francisco.

Is Dallas legit?

Even Parcells won't concede that, although he did say after Sunday's 19-3 win over the Giants that his expectations are high. "That's where mine are, so get them up," he said.

Still, with the Eagles losing, St. Louis looks like a prohibitive favorite to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC. The Rams are 8-0 at home and their defense is playing as well as their offense.

In the AFC, New England (13-2) looks almost as good, assuming it beats Buffalo at home next week to ensure itself the home-field edge. Indianapolis can score, but is not an impact defensive team, and Kansas City's defense is not good enough.

But Dallas is this year's turnaround team after three straight 5-11 seasons -- there seems to be one every year in this era of parity. Perhaps that's the reason Parcells was able to get the Cowboys to the playoffs in Year 1, something he couldn't do with the Giants in 1983, the Patriots in 1993, and the Jets in 1997.

"This league is such that if you get things going, get the right pieces at the right time and get a couple of breaks, you can make some advancement," said Parcells, a combined 17-30-1 in those other three inaugural seasons, but now 10-5 in Dallas.

That's certainly true this season.

Of the teams that have clinched playoff berths, only Tennessee, Indianapolis and Philadelphia made it last year. Green Bay, which plays at Oakland on Monday night, is the only other playoff team from last season with a shot.

Besides the two division titles, the most important things to be decided next week will be first-round byes and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

In the AFC, New England (13-2) will be home for the postseason if it can beat Buffalo at home next week. Kansas City, which won its first nine games, is 3-3 since and is in jeopardy of losing even its bye after its 45-20 loss in Minnesota on Saturday.

"The one thing we did not want to sacrifice was the momentum," Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes said. "We definitely have some things to work on."

In the NFC, the Rams now have the direct track to home-field advantage. If they win at Detroit, it doesn't matter what the Eagles do in Washington. And if the Eagles lose and Dallas wins at New Orleans, the Cowboys would be off the first week because they would hold tiebreakers over both Philadelphia and Carolina, the winner of the NFC South.