Once the finals seconds tick off the clock of Monday Night Football, it's officially a new NFL week, and all the experts and prognosticators have all the results they need to decide which teams are the top contenders at this exact moment in time.
The Cowboys have already played some statement games this season, but is the national media buying them?
Every week we'll round up three of the league's most read and respected Power Rankings (ESPN, NFL.com, and CBS Sports) to see where Dallas stands among the rest of the league.
ESPN: 1.) Green Bay Packers 2.) Kansas City Chiefs 3.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4.) Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 6)
"How hot is Mike McCarthy's seat: Cold seat. The campaign might not have started out that way after last season's 6-10 finish, but McCarthy has the Cowboys poised to clinch the NFC East title and perhaps the top seed in the playoffs. He has managed a team that has dealt with injuries and COVID-19. He has had some eyebrow-raising moments with his clock management at times, but he has done a good job making sure the players have been physically and emotionally ready to play a 17-game season. Ultimately, he will be judged by what the Cowboys do in the postseason, but there's no question about his status going into 2022. -Todd Archer
NFL.com: 1.) Green Bay Packers 2.) Kansas City Chiefs 3.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4.) Los Angeles Rams 5.) Arizona Cardinals 6.) Indianapolis Colts 7.) New England Patriots
8.) Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 7)
"The Cowboys have become the NFC version of what the Chiefs were in the AFC for much of this season: a team filled with high-profile stars on offense getting regularly carried by its defense. Dak Prescott and the Dallas attack continued to look pedestrian in a 21-6 win over the Giants, leaving it to the defense to do the heavy lifting. Dan Quinn's guys happily accepted the challenge, forcing four turnovers for the third consecutive week. The stats tell the story of an opportunistic unit: The Cowboys lead the league with 23 interceptions and are tied for first in takeaways with 31. The D will take Big D to an NFC East title, but there's no road back to the Lombardi unless the offense finds its groove." -Dan Hanzus
CBS Sports: 1.) Green Bay Packers 2.) Kansas City Chiefs
3.) Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 7)
"The offense still didn't click against the Giants, but the running game did. They still need to get Dak Prescott going." -Pete Prisco
This Sunday the Cowboys will host the Washington Football Team, who experts have ranked 23rd (CBS Sports), 22nd (ESPN), and 22nd (NFL.com)
