With just one regular season game remaining, the Dallas Cowboys don’t have much to play for in Week 18. Already guaranteed a home game in the Wild Card round, the NFC East champs would need a lot of help to move up the conference standings next weekend.
The Cowboys (11-5) still have a game to play against the Philadelphia Eagles (9-7). The NFL announced yesterday that the NFC East contest has been moved to Saturday Jan. 8, at 8:15 p.m ET.
However, there’s some question as to whether or not Dallas will play its starters in the Week 18 tilt.
According to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, the NFC East champs don’t have any plans to sit players as of Monday.
“Not at this point,” Jones said when asked if the Cowboys plan to sit starters this Saturday, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I feel like we’ll be full-bore ready to go. … We need the momentum and work on our execution.”
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan when asked if they plan to sit starters Saturday night at Philadelphia: “Not at this point. I feel like we’ll be full-bore ready to go. … We need the momentum and work on our execution.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 3, 2022
Jones’ comments share the similar sentiments to the ones that his father, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, made after Dallas’ loss on Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals.
“I want to see them play,” Jones said of his starters, per team reporter David Helman. “That’s a playoff team, likely, that we’re playing in Philadelphia – quite possibly. We need to play a playoff game. This is what gets you ready to go.”
The Cowboys currently hold possession of the No. 4 seed in the NFC. They can’t drop below that mark because they’ve already won their division.
Dallas does still have a chance to move up, but would need some help from the teams around them in the conference standings. To jump to the No. 3 spot, the Cowboys would need the Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams to lose next Sunday. If both NFC West clubs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost in Week 18, Dallas could move up to No. 2.
Time will tell what the Cowboys ultimately decide to do with their starters next Saturday against the Eagles.
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