Cowboys can't help Patriots

OK, so here's where things stand after the Ravens' somewhat surprising win over Dallas on Saturday night:

* The Ravens get into the playoffs with a win over Jacksonville in Week 17. If they lose (or tie) that game, it'll be about as bad of a Week 17 choke as we've seen in a while; the Jaguars have completely collapsed down the stretch.

* The Patriots, then, would only be able to get into the playoffs as the AFC East champion. For them to do that, they need the Jets and Dolphins each to lose at least once. The most plausible scenario would be for the Jets to lose at Seattle on Sunday and then to beat the Dolphins at home in Week 17, but any scenario in which neither team goes 2-0 down the stretch would work.

That's pretty much it. The Cowboys could have cleared a smooth road for the Patriots with a win on Saturday night, but it didn't happen. All of New England suddenly will have to be rooting for the Seahawks and Chiefs on Sunday -- one of them needs to pull an upset for the Patriots to have any realistic hope of making the playoffs.