You see it all the time in sports.

Teams and players will find ways to motivate themselves for big games.

It may be absolutely ludicrous statements such as Kirby Smart in his post-championship win saying "everyone doubted us" after being ranked No.3 in the preseason.

Or, it might be completely valid – like the motivation Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has as his team gets ready for the season finale and subsequent postseason. 

Recently A to Z Sports' own Mauricio Rodriguez ranked every potential playoff opponent if the Cowboys were to stay as the No. 2 seed. 

The Green Bay Packers are the most likely team they'd play if everything began today.

If you know anything about Mike McCarthy, that should be added motivation for him. For the simple reason that they fired him back in 2018, after being the head coach for more than a decade. 

Other teams the Cowboys could face include the Seahawks, Rams, Saints, and the Vikings. 

The Rams are on a hot streak winning six out of their last seven, and are the team that Cowboys fans should be most nervous to face.

The Packers' record isn't much worse, winning five out of their last seven, but with their two losses coming against the Giants and Buccaneers they appear to be the much more beatable team. Jordan Love has never started a playoff game, either, which is obviously nothing even close to the experience that a Super Bowl champ like Matthew Stafford has.

Still, there's one more week of football left to be played, so things could certainly look different, next week. But if they don't, then get ready for what could be not just one rematch in the Rams and Jared Goff, but two after adding in McCarthy and the Packers.