NFL Playoffs 2016-17 Schedule: Dallas Cowboys First to Claim Top Spot at NFC, Oakland Raiders at AFC

By Carlo Monzon
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2016 NFL season go into Week 14 the playoffs for this year has already started taking shape. The Dallas Cowboys, the team that has maintained a strong performance throughout the season, has claimed a playoff berth while the Oklahoma Raiders are emerging to be the top team at the AFC.

It probably didn't come as a surprise that the Cowboys will make a Super Bowl appearance this since given the way they have been playing since Week 2. After their first loss at Week 1, the Cowboys, under the leadership of breakout star Dak Prescott, have managed to decimate all of their opponents and are now looking at an impressive 11-1 record.

If the Cowboys manage to take out the New York Giants on Sunday, the team that handed them their only loss of the season, then they'll be able to claim the NFC East. Trailing behind the Cowboys in the NFC are the Seattle Seahawks, which are looking to secure the West title by beating the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Washington Post reported.

As for the ACF division, leading the pack are surprisingly, the Raiders. This marks the first time that the Oakland franchise was able to secure a winning record since 2002, which was also the same year when they made a Super Bowl appearance.

Technically, the Raiders and the New England Patriots are tied as the No. 1 seed of the AFC because of the two squads' identical 10-2 records. However, the Oakland squad was able to edge out New England thanks to a tie-breaker game involving the Buffalo Bills.

Back at Week 4, the Bills defeated the Patriots with a final score of 16-0. However, when they took on the Raiders at Week 13, the Buffalo franchise suffered a 24-38 loss. The results of this common game then gave the Raiders the advantage that it needed to become the No. 1 seed, with the Patriots closely trailing behind them, according to Latin Times.

Right now, there are still four weeks to go in the regular season but things are starting to shape up for the NFL. If the Cowboys and Raiders continue doing what they're doing, then these two could end up facing each other at Super Bowl 2017.

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