Taylor Heinicke was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and should return from a one-game absence in time to start for the Washington Football Team at Dallas on Sunday night.
The Cowboys (10-4) would clinch the NFC East division title with a win Sunday, and a ninth loss would all but seal the no-postseason fate in Washington.
It’s a make-or-break type of game for Washington coming off of a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with journeyman Garrett Gilbert at the controls.
Heinicke, 28, has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games (12 starts) this season.
With Heinicke back at practice Thursday, Washington is still nowhere near full strength. Then again, neither is Dallas.
The Cowboys practiced Wednesday without multiple starters, none more important than left tackle Tyron Smith.
Dallas (10-4) has a three-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) in the division race. The Cowboys are one of five NFC teams with at least 10 wins, so playoff seeding is very much part of the equation over the final three weeks of the regular season.
“I mean we all pay attention to it, but I just think it’s a waste of time just to go back and forth on it,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said of analyzing different scenarios. “We’re at 10 wins, and we clearly understand what 11 wins gives us. We understand what the records are in front of us. We’ll watch it like everybody else.”
At 6-8, Washington’s playoff picture is not as clear as the Cowboys’ entering Week 16.
–Field Level Media