'Must-Win!' vs. "Must-Lose!' Cowboys at Washington - Who Should Really 'Rest Starters'?

'Must-Win!' vs. "Must-Lose!' Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders - Who Should Really 'Rest Starters'?

Richard Sherman is urging the Dallas Cowboys to use Sunday as a day of rest. ... a notion that suggests he doesn't understand the meaning of "must-win.''

The Cowboys' upcoming regular season finale against the Washington Commanders (3:25 p.m. CT, Fox) is far from the most impactful game on the Week 18 slate but it means the world to the Pokes: a win over woebegone Washington would outright clinch not only the NFC East division title but also home-field advantage in both the Wild Card game and the potential Divisional match as well.

That is butted right up against the very definition of "must-win,'' the phrase Dallas All-Pro guard Zack Martin used to describe the situation.

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But former NFL defender Sherman - somehow either trolling or not getting all of this - feels that Dallas should give some of its primary men the afternoon off, citing the relatively hopeless nature of the Commanders 

"If you don't think you can beat the Washington Commanders with some of your backups playing, then I don't think you're prepared for the playoffs anyway," Sherman, now a Fox Sports analyst, declared on an edition of "Undisputed" this week. "These are things you have to think about if you're thinking about making a major run in these playoffs, and if you don't think about these things, that's when you run into these stumbles."

“If the Cowboys can’t beat the Commanders with some of their backups playing, Dallas isn’t prepared for the playoffs.”@RSherman_25 says Cowboys should rest some of their starters: pic.twitter.com/G4gnzvxgbI

— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) January 2, 2024

Sherman, a five-time All-Pro, is particularly concerned about lingering issues for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and offensive linemen Tyler Smith and Tyron Smith. 

"Tyron Smith missed the Miami game (on Dec. 24) with a back injury, and so do you want to risk him missing these playoff games where you don't get a second chance, where you don't get another go at it, you don't get another bite at the apple?" Sherman asked. "It's in your team's best interests to rest your left tackle for the potential four-game stretch to put you to the Super Bowl and give you the best chance (rather) than have him play a semi-meaningless game against the Commanders that you should, and could, win."

Tyler Smith, on the other hand, tore the plantar fascia in his foot during Saturday's win over Detroit. He is not doing much in practice this week and is status for Sunday is up in the air.

Though Dallas has no chance at the top seed and the first-round bye that comes with it (those honors firmly placed in San Francisco), recent history suggests that it should do everything in its power to secure as many dates at AT&T Stadium as possible: the Cowboys own a perfect 8-0 record at home this season and have struggled against elite competition away from Arlington. 

Tanking? Cowboys at Commanders 'Vibe' for Week 18 Finale

Maybe, here, the Commanders will (purposely?) be so bad that Dallas cannot help but win. Washington (4-12) is in a bad situation on the field and many would make the case that it's better for the Commanders to lose one more to as to secure a prime spot at next spring's NFL Draft. As the board stands, Washington is due to select second but is engaged in a three-way tie for the spot with New England and Arizona.

So in a way, this is "must-win'' for Dallas, no matter what the TV guys think - and "must-lose'' for Washington.