Getty Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
The Dallas Cowboys officially are playoff-bound. With the San Francisco 49ers‘ Week 16 loss to Tennessee, the Cowboys (10-4) have clinched its first postseason berth since 2018.
Dallas — currently the No. 2 conference seed behind Tampa Bay — can secure the NFC East by defeating Washington on Sunday Night Football.
“We’re fighting for a division title Sunday night,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on December 22, via the official team website. “What else can you ask for?”
In addition to a win, the Cowboys also would wrap up the division with a Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) loss to the New York Giants. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, meaning Dallas will know where it stands, and what it’s playing for, well before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff from AT&T Stadium.
“We’ve got to get better, and we can get better,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during a December 24 radio interview on 105.3 The Fan. “We have found ourselves with additional players. Normally, this time of year, you’re dealing with attrition relative to the availability of players. Our top player availability is the best I’ve ever seen at this time of year. … We’re a team that can get better over these next three or four weeks, and we will. We will not let our foot off the pedal.”
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Jerry Espouses Lofty Expectations
Taking to the airwaves, Jones pushed back against two common tropes: that he’s satisfied with anything less than a Super Bowl title, and content not bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Big D so long as his multi-billion-dollar investment remains lucrative.
“There’s no satisfaction here until we get us a Super Bowl win,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “A lot of people think it’s all about (money) that I get up in the morning, go to bed at night. Well, I gave every dollar for all practical purposes I had to get to be a Dallas Cowboy. It wasn’t a given back then that it was going to be successful. But I did it because I wanted to be right in the spot like we’re in right now.
“This is where it all happens, for me, is a chance to win the championship.”
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Dallas Sends Defensive Starter to COVID List
On Friday, December 24, two days before its potential division-clinching affair versus the Football Team, the Cowboys placed cornerback Jourdan Lewis and wide receiver Simi Fehoko on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Both players, having tested positive for the coronavirus, are likely now out for Week 16.
Stay tf home
Lewis is the Cowboys’ primary slot defender and has played at a high level this season, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 65 CB among 117 qualifiers. With the fifth-year veteran sidelined, the secondary will lean on Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown while asking second-round rookie corner Kelvin Joseph — he of 14 defensive snaps — to assume a larger role.
Dallas also will be without safety Malik Hooker, who previously entered COVID-19 protocols. Hooker is coming off a breakout performance in last week’s victory over the Giants, finishing second on the team with six total tackles (including five solo stops) and one pass deflection.
“I think we saw yesterday how accurate he can be as a tackler,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said of Hooker on December 21, via the official team website. “He was one of the few guys who was getting [Giants running back] Saquon [Barkley] down on the first hit.”