This was America's Team living the American dream at the Detroit Lions' expense, and it sure looks like nobody in the NFC -- not even a white-hot Aaron Rodgers -- is capable of stopping Dallas in the postseason. And with too many people obsessing over the state of Tony Romo's crumbling body and whether owner Jerry Jones needs to get him ready for who knows what, it was a fine time to remember that none of this would be possible without Dak Prescott's poise.

What you need to know in the NFL• Playoff picture: Giants secure No. 5 seed

"The analogy is pretty striking if you think about it," former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis told ESPN.com in October.

What you need to know in the NFL• Playoff picture: Giants secure No. 5 seed

Not only does this show what a rare talent Bryant is at winning contested catches and that Prescott is willing to make use of him in those situations, it also brings to light the rookie's pinpoint accuracy to drop a pass in the perfect position. If Prescott and Bryant are hitting their stride and building a chemistry anywhere close to what the receiver had with Tony Romo, this team will be a chore to knock out of the postseason dance.

December 27, 2016

As a guest on Fox Sports 1’s “Speak for Yourself,” Bradshaw was asked if Tomlin is an elite NFL head coach and Bradshaw responded, “I don’t think he’s a great coach at all. He’s a nice coach. To me, I’ve said this, I think he’s a great cheerleader guy.”

It was an odd sequence and an odd game, which was evenly played in the first half when a shorthanded Cowboys defense was having trouble slowing down the Lions. But all that came crashing down with a miserable second half for Detroit as the Cowboys cranked up the volume.

"Because I don't like the circumstance it would come under, which would be injury," Jones said before stepping onto the elevator to his suite after the game.

Editor's PicksBudding star Dak Prescott gives Cowboys edge in NFCAfter Monday night's rout of Detroit, it appears no team in the NFC is capable of stopping Dallas in the postseason. And none of this would be possible without rookie QB Dak Prescott's poise.

The only time Romo had not seen the field in any sort of role was during his rookie season in 2003, when he was the No. 3 quarterback behind Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson.

And it wasn't just any catch. Bryant made a one-handed juggling 25-yard touchdown catch to tie Monday night's game 21-21 just before halftime. Bryant made the amazing catch while being tackled by Lions cornerback Johnson Bademosi.

"He has one OK game [against the Giants] in New Jersey and everybody's calling for his head. And to see the way he responded the next week [against the Buccaneers], not just the way he played but how he controlled himself, he didn't let it get to him. He's got Romo sitting right there near him in the locker room, and he knows Jerry will do what he needs to do to win. But you see the way the kid deals with [reporters], so poised and smart and not just giving robo-answers. He answers questions in a really calm, mature way. They've got a winner."

• Scoreboard

On Sunday, the Steelers beat their AFC North rivals, Baltimore, in thrilling fashion, to win the division. It is the seventh time in Tomlin’s 10 seasons as coach that he has led Pittsburgh to the postseason (he’s 102-57, or .651 in the regular season); he has two AFC Championships and one Super Bowl win, and has never had a sub-.500 season. If there is a knock on Tomlin, it’s that the Steelers have not won a postseason game since 2010, going 0-for-3 since then.

We knew the most popular newcomer is the jovial face of rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. It's clear his selection in the NFL draft has been the finishing touch on a team that was brewing a beast of a rushing attack for years now with multiple first-round selections spent on the offensive line. Elliott added another 80 rushing yards, a pair of touchdowns and several more breath-taking plays to his illustrious resume Monday night.

The Lions looked sharp early offensively, as Stafford had some strong moments, as did Zach Zenner. The latter was stunning because the Lions had rushed for a total of five touchdowns coming into the game, but Zenner crammed in two scores in his best career game before the Cowboys took over the game.

That's still the Cowboys' most valuable weapon, you know: their quarterback's stunning maturity.