The Cowboys have one more game left to play before the playoffs begin, and the result - along with two other concurrent games - will decide who they face. While Dallas needs help from the Giants and Cardinals to move up from the five seed, those games won’t matter if they lose to the Commanders on the road.
So, Mike McCarthy has committed to playing to win this game, rather than resting certain starters. The Commanders, already eliminated from the postseason, are taking a different track. Rookie quarterback Sam Howell will be starting this game in an effort to get a look at their youngest passer before heading into an offseason that already promises to ask some tough questions.