Their embarrassingly long wait between playoff wins is history, shredded to pieces alongside their December jinx. Now it’s time to consider something a lot more meaningful about the Dallas Cowboys, like how long this playoff run might last.

A 34-14 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday night guarantees Dallas will play at least once more, in Minnesota on Sunday. Yet the way the Cowboys dominated the Eagles, and the way they’ve won their last four games, suggest they are the team to beat in the NFC.

“If we beat Minnesota, something special can happen here,” team owner Jerry Jones said. “I don’t know that we will, but there’s no reason why we can’t.”

Dallas hasn’t trailed during its four-game surge and hasn’t been tied other than 0-0. The Cowboys are doing it with the basic formula for playoff success: a solid quarterback and a stingy defense.