LISTEN: Trevon Diggs Added to Cowboys' Sick List, Status for Saturday?
There are a number of ways teams can tackle the final week of the NFL season, and avoiding injury risk with star players is a popular one. Especially with a team like the Dallas Cowboys, who have their sights set on the postseason.
There are pros and cons to giving a maximum effort in their Week 18 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Thursday, however, Dallas added several key players to the list that did not practice, including Tyron Smith and Anthony Brown (COVID). Trevon Diggs and Donovan Wilson did not practice because of an "illness" and are questionable for Saturday. Same with Jayron Kearse (hamstring) and Tony Pollard (foot).
With so many front-line players banged up and/or sick, might the Cowboys - contrary to plans earlier this week - pull back the reins for rest in Week 18?
On the positives, giving maximum effort against the Eagles will keep the team in a rhythm heading into Wild Card Weekend. Not playing the starters could risk that.
And while the Cowboys have guaranteed themselves a home game by winning the NFC East, they could possibly move up to as high as the No. 2 seed with a win and losses from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams.
On the flip side, playing the starters could be disastrous. The last thing the Cowboys need is another injury. Losing wide receiver Michael Gallup last week was costly to the receiving corps and slicing into that depth further could push the Cowboys into more of a disadvantage heading into the postseason.
In this episode of the "Locked On Cowboys" Podcast, host Marcus Mosher talks with Louie DiBiase of Locked On Eagles to preview the Week 18 matchup between Dallas and Philadelphia.
They discuss if either side will rest starters in Week 18 and how far each team could go go in the playoffs.
Marcus and Landon deal with all that more on this episode of "Locked On Cowboys." Join us here!
