The Cowboys are embarrassingly the only NFL team to lose to a No. 7 playoff seed in 5 years

We're now five years into the NFL's expanded playoff format featuring 14 teams and additional No. 7 seeds. Somehow, despite a half-decade in the books, we have yet to see much of any quality returns on this expanded (inflated?) field.

Sunday's initial two wild-card games further served as a referendum on the idea of a No. 7 seed ever seriously rocking the playoff boat.

In Western New York, Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills systematically dismantled the AFC's No. 7-seeded Denver Broncos. They turned their attention to Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens without breaking a sweat in a decisive 31-7 win. In Southeast Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Eagles were much shakier as the favorite. Still, they were never seriously threatened by the NFC's No. 7 seed, the Green Bay Packers, who looked like they didn't belong in the playoffs in the first place.

With both No. 7 seeds out of the picture before the divisional round for the fourth time in five years, it's worth noting that none of this is unexpected. The NFL's expanded playoff field was not necessarily about the good-natured spirit of competition and guaranteeing more quality football to fans. The NFL knew that No. 2 playoff seeds were, historically, elite teams who fully deserved bye weeks they used to earn in the old, much more enticing 12-team format. It's not shocking to see them cruise over teams who, most of the time, kinda snuck into the big dance without a date.

No, no, this was always about the league shoehorning in two more playoff matchups on Wild Card Weekend for additional revenue, knowing people would likely watch "TENSE PLAYOFF GAMES" anyway.

Five years into the NFL's brazen grand experiment for competition (for money), the No. 7 seeds are now 1-9 against the No. 2 seeds.

Sigh. Alas, those results are not particularly shocking:

What's really funny, however, is the identity of the only top-seeded squad to fall flat on its face against a massive underdog so far.

That's right, dearest readers. Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys, the one and only "America's Team," are the only franchise to lose to a No. 7 seed in half a decade. And not only did the Cowboys lose to the 2023 Packers, they also got blown out of the water in a 48-32 game where they barely bothered to show up:

Man, there's something so poetic about this small statistical morsel. Of course the sham Cowboys are the only ones who bothered to show up and hold serve as a purported Super Bowl contender. That almost sounds scripted when you read it back to yourself.

Congratulations to Jerry Jones. I'm sure he's so proud of his team.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Cowboys are embarrassingly the only NFL team to lose to a No. 7 playoff seed in 5 years