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You can certainly argue whether the Cowboys are "America's Team," but it's tough to dispute their popularity. And after going 13-3 in the regular season and finishing atop the NFC -- thanks in part to rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott -- the team is getting credit from saving the NFL from ratings disaster.

Five of the six most popular games during the 2016 season featured the Cowboys, according to Sports Media Watch. After nine weeks of flailing ratings (viewership across the league was down 14 percent), the Cowboys' resurgence coincided with a substantial uptick in interest. Over the second half of the season, the Cowboys averaged 23.7 million viewers which, as Bloomberg.com notes (via Fox), was more than last year's World Series (23.4 million) and the NBA Finals (20.2 million).

"There's not another brand in American sports that delivers that kind of impact," said Michael Mulvihill, Fox Sports' executive vice president of research. The Cowboys "have always been the most popular team. Now we have a resurgence, and that's great."

In general, it makes sense -- people will tune into watch winners -- but the Cowboys' national popularity has a discernible effect on ratings. Consider these SportsMediaWatch.com headlines from recent weeks:

"NFL Week 16 Overnights: MNF Saves its Best For Last, Thanks to Cowboys"

"NFL Week 15 Finals: Cowboys Keep the Good Times Rolling For NBC"

"NFL Week 14 Finals: NBC Scores Top Primetime Week 14 Audience Since 1989"
(Note: the Giants beat the Cowboys; viewership was up 26 percent from the 2015 Week 14 NBC matchup between the Texans and Patriots.)

"NFL Week 13 Overnights: Cowboys Lift TNF to Near-High"

"NFL Week 12 Finals: FOX Feasts With Largest NFL Audience in 21 Years"
(Redskins-Cowboys met on Thanksgiving, up eight percent from last year's Panthers-Cowboys game.)

"NFL Week 10 Overnights: Cowboys/Steelers Hits Season-High Despite Dip"

You get the point, but we'll reiterate it once more just in case: Winning matters, especially for the Cowboys. Here are some other headlines, from late in the 2015 season, when a Tony Romo-less Dallas team finished with four wins.

"NFL Week 13 Finals: Cowboys Attract Their Smallest MNF Audience 2007"

"NFL Week 15 Finals: Jets/Cowboys Nears NFL Season-Low"

Viewership cratered prior to the Nov. 8 presidential elections, and it's not entirely clear why -- Was the country focused on the next president? Was the quality of football lacking? Were fans finally turned off by the sorry state of officiating? Or did Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem cause people to tune out?

Whatever the reason, the NFL has resumed its place atop the ratings-bonanza mountain, and the Cowboys have a lot to do with that. Put another way: The league probably wouldn't mind it if the Cowboys made it to the Super Bowl. And God help us all if they end up facing the Steelers.