Eagles-Cowboys matchup has lost some of its shine
First, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys lost to Jacksonville. Then, Philadelphia quarterbacking counterpart Jalen Hurts was all but ruled out with a sprained throwing shoulder.
The pizazz is just about gone for a Christmas Eve clash between NFC East rivals that could have been a last-ditch bid by Dallas to take the NFC’s top seed from the NFL-leading Eagles (13-1).
Instead, Dallas would be a long shot to catch Philadelphia even with a victory Saturday. The Cowboys backed into a playoff spot last weekend hours after their 40-34 overtime loss to the Jaguars.
“For me, the loss definitely dampers it,” quarterback Dak Prescott said of making the playoffs. “Now it’s about building that momentum to feel confident about where we are at the end of the 17 games.”
One loss by defending NFC East champion Dallas (10-4) or a Philadelphia victory in the final three games clinches the division title for the Eagles, who won the first meeting in October.
Philadelphia has a twogame lead over Minnesota for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. None of the above matters to Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.
“You have to do what you have to do to win this game, and that’s always our sole focus,” he said. “You’ll never get that out of me where I’m saying, ‘Hey, let’s think about in three weeks here.’”
Hurts injured his right shoulder in last week’s 2520 victory over Chicago, but stayed in the game.
The MVP candidate was ruled out Thursday, clearing the way for Gardner Minshew’s first start since a meaningless regular-season finale against the Cowboys last season.
Both teams were all but set with their playoff seedings going in that meeting last January, and the same is essentially true this time.
Collins signed by Giants to active roster
Safety Landon Collins has had two stints with the New York Giants.
The first was in 2015 when the Giants jumped up in the second round of the draft and made a trade with the Tennessee Titans for the first pick in the round and grabbed Collins.
The Alabama product came in with a chip on his shoulder and had four outstanding seasons with New York.
The Giants let Collins test free agency in 2019 and he signed a six-year, $84 million contract with Washington.
The Giants and Collins reunited in October when he was signed to the practice squad. After spending the past two months working and occasionally playing. New York (8-5-1) signed him to the active roster Thursday, two days ahead of a game in Minnesota against the Vikings (11-3).
Collins was promoted from the practice squad for three games this season, the maximum allowed by the league. The Giants had to sign him to the active roster if they wanted him to play again.
Collins did not know what to expect. He got the good news this week, following the release of inside linebacker Tae Crowder.
“It’s definitely humbling,” Collins said. “But I’ve always been that way and always been a worker, so it never changed. I never came here with expectations, anything like that. I came here to go to work and be back into the building.”
Pickett not concerned
Kenny Pickett isn’t worried that he’s become concussion prone after sustaining a second one in a matter of months, though the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback is taking steps to hopefully avoid more of them down the road.
The 20th overall pick in last spring’s draft will wear a larger helmet on Saturday night when the Steelers (68) host Las Vegas (6-8), The new helmet offers a little more protection for the back of Pickett’s head. Both of the concussions Pickett has sustained this season — against Tampa Bay on Oct. 16 and against Baltimore on Dec. 11 — came on plays in which the back of his helmet smacked against the Acrisure Stadium turf.
“Slamming my head on the ground is what has been the issue,” Pickett said Thursday. “(The new helmet) has (more protection) in the back, which I think will help.”