Dallas Cowboys Mail Playoff Tickets to Season Seat Holders

In the immortal words of former NFL head coach Jim Mora, "playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs."

Evidently the Dallas Cowboys are talking playoffs, and they're haven't even broke training camp.

In a rather haughty move, sheets of wild-card/divisional round and NFC Championship game tickets were mailed to season seat holders this week. "Included in this package are your 2014 playoff tickets and parking (if applicable) for two potential home games at AT&T Stadium," read the accompanying letter. "The barcodes on the tickets will be activated when a home playoff game is clinched and the tickets have been paid in full."

The Cowboys are the first-ever NFL team to send out playoff tickets ahead of the regular season.

Dallas -- who hasn't reached the postseason in four years -- last hosted a playoff game in 2009, and haven't won one since December 1996.

Long-nicknamed "America's Team," they have blown three straight Week 17 matchups that could have backed them into a wild-card berth.

Customers weren't charged, but it's unclear how long they have to make a payment.

Last year, the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Indianapolis Colts all had trouble selling first-round playoff tickets. Luckily for the NFL, fans and corporate sponsors stepped up days before kickoff and snagged thousands of remaining seats.

Dallas wants to avoid the embarrassment. By shipping playoff tickets early they absolve fans of the hassle while saving on future delivery costs.

"It's a convenience for our season-ticket holders to have everything in one package," Brett Daniels, Dallas' director of corporate communications, told ESPN's Darren Rovell. It's an evolution to be fan-friendly. They have their tickets online and if we clinch a playoff berth they go to the computer and click they want the tickets."

The Boys' are a long shot to make the playoffs; they've recorded three consecutive 8-8 campaigns and shoulder a lackluster defense heading into 2014-15. If anything, Cowboys fans should pin their hopes on a high 2015 draft pick rather than an inauspicious postseason run.