Eagles don’t seem to roll for Washington

If the Giants surrender their final losses 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 first in the NFC East and make the playoffs. The Eagles (4-10-1) are the only team in the division to enter Week 17 already eliminated from the playoffs.

The Eagles are high – Derek Barnett and Fletcher Cox are on defense, and DeSean Jackson, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert are on offense. It’s still a mystery how teams that have nothing tangible to play to perform in these situations.

“I think part of the professionalism is that you just focus on this game,” said Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “The stake is too high. It might not be on the line for us as a team with a playoff berth and things like that, but we have a lot of individual things players can still accomplish. We have guys trying to earn their place in the league.

“We have a division opponent who will come and try to celebrate on our field. We must have a hatless ruler this week. We cannot let the adversaries put the division victory hats on the Linc. There is a lot of pride in that, and our goal must be to accomplish that this week. ”

Relying on another team to do the work for you is always a risky business. In the 1988 final, the Giants were 10-5 going into their last game, but lost to the Jets to drop to 10-6. The Giants had a backdoor to the playoffs and needed the 49ers to beat the Rams later that night. The 49ers had already clinched first place in the NFC West, rested several starters and lost, 38-16. This prompted Giants quarterback Phil Simms to say, “ I’m just sitting here watching and watching the 49ers lay like dogs. ”

The return of Kyler Fackrell puts one of the Giants’ best passers back on the pitch. Fackrell has three sacks, and in the Week 5 loss to the Cowboys, a 46-yard interception for a touchdown. Fackrell has missed the last four games with a calf injury.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a late-season compound fracture and right ankle dislocation on Oct. 11 when Giants safety Logan Ryan caught him while making a tackle in a scrum. Ryan said he contacted Prescott after the injury and sent Prescott two books to read.

“I haven’t been in touch much since – obviously we’re both very busy human beings this time of year – but I wish him luck, and I’m sure he’s recovering very well. from what I heard and what I saw, ” Ryan said.

OLB Kyler Fackrell and CB Madre Harper have been activated out of the injured reserve and punter Ryan Santoso has been added to the practice roster, although he is likely inactive. FB Eli Penny (sick) was placed 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 while adhering to NFL protocols linked to COVID-19. Their game-day responsibilities will be taken on by other Dallas coaching staff in tomorrow’s game against the New York Giants.

Will Hernandez hasn’t missed a single shot in his first two seasons with the Giants and started the first seven games of the season, again without missing a shot at left guard. Hernandez tested positive for COVID-19, missed two games and, since returning, has been replaced by rookie Shane Lemieux. Hernandez was on the pitch for just 10 shots during last week’s loss to the Ravens.

“I think from my impression he handled it well,” center Nick Gates said. “He did everything the coaches told him to do. He will continue to do whatever he can. ”