If the Giants lose their recent losing track on Sunday and beat the Cowboys, all eyes will be on the Washington-Eagles game later Sunday night in Philadelphia. If the Eagles win, the Giants will finish in first place in the NFC East and make the playoffs. The Eagles (4-10-1) are the only team in the division entering Week 17 that has already been eliminated from the postseason.
The Eagles have been beaten – Derek Barnett and Fletcher Cox have been defended and DeSean Jackson, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert are offended. It’s always a mystery how teams with nothing tangible to play for perform in these situations.
“I think part of professionalism is just keeping your focus on that game,” said Eagles defender Jim Schwartz. “Too much is at stake. It may not be at stake for us as a team with a playoff berth and things like that, but we have a lot of individual things that players can still achieve, we have guys trying to make their way into the league.
“We have a division opponent who will come to our field to celebrate. We need a no-hat rule this week. We cannot allow opponents to put division wins on the Linc. There is a lot of pride in that, and all of our focus must be to achieve that this week. ”
It’s always a risky business to rely on another team to do the job for you. In the 1988 final, the Giants were 10-5 on their way to their final game, but lost to the Jets to fall back to 10-6. The Giants had a back door to the playoffs and needed the 49ers to defeat the Rams later that night. The 49ers had already taken first place in NFC West, rested several starters and lost 38-16. That prompted Giants quarterback Phil Simms to say, “I’m just sitting here staring and watching the 49ers lay down like dogs.”
The return of Kyler Fackrell puts one of the Giants’ best pass rushers back on the field. Fackrell has three sacks and a Week 5 loss to the Cowboys an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. Fackrell missed the past four games with a calf injury.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott sustained a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle on Oct. 11, when Giants safety Logan Ryan dragged him down and tackled him during a scramble. Ryan said he contacted Prescott after the injury and sent Prescott two books to read.
“I haven’t had much contact since then – obviously we’re both pretty busy people at this time of year – but I wish him the best of luck, and I’m sure he’s had a great recovery from what I’ve heard and what I’ve heard. have seen, ” said Ryan.
OLB Kyler Fackrell and CB Madre Harper were activated from the injured reserve and punt Ryan Santoso was added to the roster from the exhibition squad, although they will likely be inactive. FB Eli Penny (illness) was placed on IR and QB Joe Webb was released.
Cowboys assistant head coach Rob Davis, assistant special teams coach Matt Daniels and offensive assistant Scott Tolzien did not travel with the team to New Jersey today while adhering to NFL protocols regarding COVID-19. Their responsibilities on the matchday will be handled by other members of the Dallas coaching staff during tomorrow’s game against the New York Giants.
Will Hernandez didn’t miss a single click in his first two seasons with the Giants and started the first seven games this season, again not missing a moment on the left guard. Hernandez tested positive for COVID-19, missed two games and has been backed up since his return, starting with rookie Shane Lemieux. Hernandez was on the field for just 10 snaps in last week’s loss to the Ravens.
“I think from my impression that he has done well,” Nick Gates said in the center.