The Dallas Cowboys have nothing to play for this week against the New York Giants. They have secured a playoff berth by winning the NFC East and are guaranteed the 4th seed regardless of the outcome of this game or any other game. With the playoffs coming up the following week there is only one significant question that Cowboys fans are concerned with: Should the Dallas Cowboys rest their starters in week 17?
Recent history would suggest that it would be better to play their starters than rest them. In 2014 the Dallas Cowboys starters played the final regular season game because they had an opportunity to earn a 1st round bye. They did not earn the bye due to losing out on a three way tiebreaker but they did win the wildcard game against the Lions the following week. In 2016 the Cowboys rested their starters after clinching the #1 seed and earning the bye week. They would go on to lose to the Packers the next game in the divisional playoff round. History however is skewed because the circumstances were different and the opponent (Aaron Rodgers) had a significant impact on the result.
History aside, the argument for and against can be summed up as follows, rest VS rust. Clearly the Dallas Cowboys are banged up. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Demarcus Lawrence, Tryone Crawford and Anthony Brown are valuable starters with significant injuries. These players need a week off to heal if the Cowboys hope to make a playoff run and none of them should see the field on Sunday. If any of them do play, it should only be in a very limited snap count. I am fairly confident that the Cowboys coaches will not risk any further injury to these players.
Ezekiel Elliott is not listed on the injury report but Cowboy fans are well aware of how much of a beating he has taken over the course of the season. He has touched the ball more than any other player in the NFL this season and week 17 against the Giants would be a great opportunity to rest him before the playoffs begin. In my opinion, he should not see the field on Sunday either.
Dak Prescott is not on the injury report either and he too has taken a beating this season like Ezekiel Elliot. Despite that, there is a strong contingent of fans that feels that he needs an extra week in order to clean up some of his issues. I do not agree with those fans. Dak Prescott will not become a more accurate quarterback or a better decision maker by playing in a meaningless game to close out the regular season. I think experience in relevant games and better coaching can help him in those areas. The risk associated with playing him this week does not outweigh the benefit. Whether or not you are a critic or fan of Dak Prescott you cannot deny that he gives you a better chance to win than Cooper Rush does. Prescott has also shown a tendency to play big in big games so the Cowboys would be wise to ensure he is healthy going into the playoffs.
It would be wise for the Cowboys to rest the above mentioned players but they can’t rest everybody. There are two players in particular that are coming off of injuries that could use the playing time. Sean Lee and Tavon Austin have missed significant time and are more apt to show signs of rust than a player who misses just one game. I hope to see those players heavily involved against the Giants in preparation for the playoffs.
In conclusion, should the Dallas Cowboys rest their starters? The short answer is yes but as with many decisions for a football team, the answer applies differently to different individuals.
*Photo by Kieth Allision ;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode