One of the NFL's most storied franchises and its fan base is certain not to have a happy new year, because on New Year's Day 2012, the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) and New York Giants (8-7) will do battle for the NFC East title at MetLife Stadium. It's a match made in football heaven, though made possible by how inconsistent each team has been this season.
Once New York defeated the New York Jets 29-14 this past Sunday, the outcome of Dallas' game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles was rendered moot, and there was no reason to keep putting quarterback Tony Romo in harm's way after he bruised his right hand in the first quarter.
It's not often that a divisional title game occurs in the NFL, but that's exactly what Sunday's matchup is: Dallas vs. New York for the NFC East championship. The victor plays on, the loser's season ends.
There is no NFC wild card slot for Dallas or New York to fall back on, so we're in for a dramatic conclusion to the regular season. You can even argue that neither New York football team has played a more important game at MetLife Stadium in its brief history.
The prospect of a postgame rant by either Giants running back Brandon Jacobs—who ripped Jets heads coach Rex Ryan after Big Blue won the battle of New York—his teammate, safety Antrel Rolle, or Dallas owner Jerry Jones (or any combination thereof) is enough of a reason to remain fixated on the TV well after the game concludes. Also of note, rumors abound of firings that may take place as a direct result of which team loses in Week 17.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is a common mention in such chatter (and Bill Cowher as his replacement), and Eli Manning torching Dallas' secondary for 400 passing yards as he did in a 37-34, Week 14 win at Cowboys Stadium couldn't help defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's cause as far as Jones is concerned. In that regard, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett probably isn't far behind Ryan.
But should everyone's job be secure no matter the result, great pain and disappointment still awaits Dallas or New York on Sunday. Because, as if losing this game wouldn't be devastating enough, falling to a hated rival with everything at stake instantly becomes a dark chapter in the history of one of these proud franchises.
What a way to start the year in sports.
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
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