ARLINGTON, Texas - A few thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys' 42-7 win against the Indianapolis Colts at AT&T Stadium:
What it means: There is not a soul who saw this coming. Not even those inside the Cowboys' locker room.
With their 35-point win, the Cowboys (11-4) not only clinched their first playoff berth and NFC East championship for the first time since 2009, but they also served notice to the conference that they just might be for real.
The Cowboys have a slim chance for a first-round bye. That will require the Arizona Cardinals to lose their final two games and the Seattle Seahawks to lose in Week 17 against the St. Louis Rams.
That the Cowboys are in the playoffs at all is a major accomplishment for a team that had low expectations entering the season and had lost de facto NFC East title games in each of the past three seasons.
Jason Garrett's mantra all year has been to fight. The Cowboys finished the fight Sunday.
A gritty effort: DeMarco Murray missed 11 games in his first three seasons with ankle, foot and knee injuries, which left many to question his durability. Just six days after undergoing surgery to stabilize a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left hand, Murray showed a toughness that should take away the durability question. He was held to a season-low 58 yards on 20 carries, but he was able to score a touchdown in his fourth straight game. He needs 29 yards to surpass Emmitt Smith's team record for yards in a season, but he won't get that chance if the Cowboys rest some of their regulars in Week 17.
Game ball: On a day a Hall of Famer's record was broken, it's hard to give this to anybody but Tony Romo. With a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten in the third quarter, Romo surpassed Troy Aikman as the franchise's leader in passing yards. Aikman had 32,942 yards from 1989-2000. Romo now has 32,971 yards, and he has started 122 games in his career. He completed 18 of 20 passes for 218 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. It was the fifth time in the past six games Romo has had at least three touchdown passes. His completion percentage (90 percent) is also a team record.
Stock watch: Facing the NFL's top quarterback in Andrew Luck, the Cowboys' defense offered up their best performance of the season. It was aided by how well the offense played, but it opened the game by not allowing a first down until the second quarter. They flustered Luck -- who was without his best receiver, T.Y. Hilton, because of a hamstring injury -- into two interceptions before he was sent to the sideline, and they forced three turnovers overall. The Cowboys lost their chance at their first shutout since Week 17 of the 2009 season with 5:24 to play after a borderline pass interference penalty on Brandon Carr.
What's next: The Cowboys conclude the regular season at FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins. In 2012, they finished the season there by losing a winner-take-all game on three Romo interceptions. They don't have to worry about a playoff spot now. The question is whether the Cowboys play their regulars a lot with little on the line.