If the Giants lost their recent loss on Sunday and beat the Cowboys, all eyes will be on the Washington-Eagles game on 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 that has entered week 17 already eliminated from the postseason.
The Eagles are hit: Derek Barnett and Fletcher Cox are on defense and DeSean Jackson, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert are on offense. It’s always a mystery how teams with nothing tangible to play in these situations.
“I think part of the professionalism is that you focus only on this game,” said Jim Schwartz, Eagles defensive coordinator. “There is too much at stake. It may not be in play for us as a team with a playoff position 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 rival who will come and try to celebrate in our field. This week we need to have a rule against hats. We can’t let opponents put division hats on the Linc. There’s a lot of pride in that, and our whole focus should be on getting it this week. “
Relying on another team to get the job done is always a risky business. In the 1988 final, the Giants went 10-5 toward their last game, but lost to the Jets to fall 10-6. The Giants had a back door entry to the playoffs and needed the 49ers to win the Rams later that night. The 49ers had already secured first place in the NFC West, rested several starters and lost, 38-16. That caused Giants quarterback Phil Simms to say, “I’m sitting here watching and watching the 49ers pose like dogs.”
The return of Kyler Fackrell puts one of the Giants’ first passer on the field again. Fackrell has three sacks and the Week 5 loss to the Cowboys returned a 46-yard interception for a touchdown. Fackrell missed the last four games with a calf injury.
QB Dak Prescott cowboys suffered a compound fracture at the end of the season and a dislocated right ankle on Oct. 11, when Giants safety Logan Ryan dragged him down in a bout. Ryan said he contacted Prescott after the injury and sent Prescott two books to read.
“I haven’t been in touch much since then – obviously we’re both pretty busy humans at this time of year – but I wish you the best of luck and I’m sure you have a great recovery from what I’ve had felt and what I saw, ”Ryan said.
OLB Kyler Fackrell and CB Mother Harper were activated off the injured reserve and pointer Ryan Santoso was added to the training squad roster, though he will likely remain inactive. FB Eli Penny (illness) was put on IR and QB Joe Webb was released.
Cowboys assistant head coach Rob Davis, special teams assistant coach Matt Daniels and offensive assistant Scott Tolzien did not travel with the team to New Jersey today as they adhered to NFL-related protocols. COVID-19. His match day responsibilities will be assumed by other members of the Dallas coaching staff in tomorrow’s game against the New York Giants.
Will Hernandez did not miss a single moment in his first two seasons with the Giants and began the first seven games this season, again without missing a moment in the left guard. Hernandez tested positive for COVID-19, lost two games and, since his return, a backup has been modified, with debutant Shane Lemieux. Hernandez was on the field for just 10 snapshots in last week’s loss to the Ravens.
“I think, in my opinion, he’s handled it well,” center Nick Gates said. “He did everything the coaches asked him to do. He will continue to do all he can. “