North Dallas Thugboys: Why the number and the entire NFC might depend on what the league does to Elliot...

One of the reasons I think the Cowboys and their off-field garbage is about the only real story the NFL has is the lack of other options (Atlanta and their demographics again?  Green Bay and their trips to the doghouse?  Philly or Seattle with some of the anti-league mouths on the team?  The Giants with Odell Beckham?)...

Although I am reasonably clear the league does not want to rain on Jerry Jones' parade by announcing anything on Elliot close to his induction into the Hall of Fame, it is also clear that the entire NFC probably depends on what number of games Elliot gets suspended for (especially if that number is zero or six or greater).

Why?

Look at the schedule:

Removing the one-year ban for Randy Gregory (and the life ban for Rolando McClain) from the equation...

The Cowboys are already minus DaMontre Moore and David Irving (Shaquelle Evans was cut after his suspension, but the Cowboys are still responsible under policies) for a home game with the Giants and a road game at Denver.

Irving is also banned for a road game with Arizona and a home game with the Rams.

So here's the skinny on why the number of games is that important...

Game Five is a showdown with Green Bay, in Dallas.

Then the bye week.

Then a road game with San Francisco.

If Elliot is banned two games, it's the same as Moore's.  Four is the same as Irving's.

Six, however, and he's out of that Green Bay game and doesn't come back til two weeks after the bye week, in Washington.

A six game suspension would make the following games quite lose-able for Dallas:  The Giants in Week 1, the Broncos in Week 2, the Cardinals in Week 3, the Packers in Week 5.

1-4 at the bye week?

He gets off scot free, and the chances are the only real problem that schedule appears to have at the moment is Week 2.

And the schedule does Dallas few favors afterward:  Home to Kansas City (seen as 2nd or 3rd best AFC team), at Atlanta (might be for #1 seed), home to Philly, the Chargers, and Washington (could get a run going there, depending on where the league wants to put the Boys), at the Giants and Oakland (ouch), home to Seattle (see Atlanta) and at Philly.

That's another reason I'm thinking 11-5 or 5-11, and I don't know which.