NFC Playoff Preview

Here’s a closer look at each team in the NFC playoffs, including Big Blue’s first-round opponent.

- Jerry Foley

No. 1 Dallas Cowboys NFC East Winner (13-3)

First-round opponent: Bye Man if there is one team that does not want to see

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense again it is the Team with the Star on Their Helmets. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have run roughshod over a league that looks to be a step slow whenever anyone lines up against the Cowboys. As a rookie, Elliott is even better than advertised — he is an explosive running back who can take it to the house every time he touches the ball. Meanwhile, Prescott has teams that chose quarterbacks in the first three rounds ahead of him kicking themselves for passing on the Mississippi State product. Prescott has made most everyone forget about Tony Romo since he has Dallas in the driver’s seat in the NFC with the conference’s best record. But as good as Prescott and Elliott have been, the MVP in Dallas as we see it is the Great Wall of Dallas 2.0. Elliott doesn’t experience any contact until he is three yards past the line of scrimmage while Prescott has all day to throw since the Cowboys boast the finest offensive line in the NFL.

Key Matchup: Giants front seven vs. Ezekiel Elliott