Gregg Rosenthal

The Cowboys completed their most impressive victory of the Tony Romo era Sunday with the knowledge that it doesn’t mean that much. That’s a good thing.

By throttling the Eagles 24-0, the Cowboys dusted off the December doldrums, and began January in exhilarating fashion. The defense has put together back-to-back shutouts. The Cowboys dismantled two playoff teams in the final three weeks, and you could argue no NFC team is playing better. Romo is playing smart football, the running game is peaking, and the pass rush may be the league’s best.

Yet these Cowboys have been around long enough to know all progress will ring hollow without a playoff win. To get there, they will have to beat the Eagles three times in one season and in back-to-back weeks. Considering the coaching staff in talent in Philly, that’s going to be an incredible challenge.

Unlike Cowboys teams of years past, this group looks ready for it.  

Going out with a bang
1. The Texans may not make the playoffs, but at least they finally have a winning record. Over the last two weeks, they have shown the ability to win meaningful close games for the first time in franchise history. A four-game winning streak gives Houston something to feel good about, and all but guarantees Gary Kubiak will be back next season.

Give all the credit to Matt Schaub. His only interception Sunday came on a dropped pass. It was returned for an interception, but Schaub kept scoring points — 21 in the fourth quarter. Houston came from 14 points down to win 34-27. Schaub finished with 4,770 yards, 29 TDs, and 15 INTs on the season. He’s proven he’s tough enough to withstand an entire season.

2. This clearly wasn’t a great Steelers team. The running game improved, but often couldn’t pick up a crucial yard. The secondary gave up huge plays and late leads with regularity.

But at the end of a disappointing season, the Steelers gave their fans a glimpse of why they are champions. Pittsburgh’s 30-24 win over Miami was a reminder why the Steelers were never out of a game, whether far ahead or behind and finished the year on a three-game winning streak.

In most years, Ben Roethlisberger’s campaign would be deserving of MVP talk. He didn’t get help from his teammates, but he put together the most consistent and impressive 16-game stretch of his career.

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Compare Pittsburgh’s finish to what happened to the Giants, the 2007 champions. New York was outscored 85-16 the last two weeks. There are few organizations you can say that simply wouldn’t happen to. Pittsburgh is one of them.

3. The Falcons looked like one of the league's deadest teams after slumping to 6-7 after a 4-1 start to the season. Matt Ryan showed why he’s a franchise quarterback by returning from turf toe quicker than expected, then leading Atlanta to three straight wins to end the season.

Atlanta can finally say they have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. With Ryan at the helm, they should be a playoff contender for a long time.

Going out with a whimper
1. The Broncos changed coaches, but this end to the season felt awfully familiar. A 6-0 start turned into a 8-8 finish with a miserable 44-24 loss to the Chiefs. Denver’s defense collapsed down the stretch, losing to the Raiders and Chiefs at home. Josh McDaniels did so many positive things at the beginning of the season, but the tumult surrounding his relationship with Brandon Marshall is back where he started. So is his team.

2. All year, I wrote that the Jaguars were the worst team with a winning record in football. They finish as the worst 7-9 team after a four-game losing streak ended the season. This is a young roster without a lot of talent, as showed in the team’s 23-17 loss to Cleveland.

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3. The Dolphins were down to their third quarterback Sunday after injuries took out Chad Henne and Pat White. Yet they still fought back like they have all season, only to come up short once again in a 30-24 loss to Pittsburgh. Miami finishes at 7-9, but they are further along than they were at the end of last season. The team is strong on both lines, and Henne is a guy you can win with at quarterback.

4. Just two weeks ago, there was talk about the Giants’ renewed mojo. After losing by a combined score of 85-16 over the last two weeks, expect heads to roll. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan seems likely to get the axe.