Jerry Jones: Cowboys Don't Plan To Rest Starters Against Lions, Others
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
For Lions fans hoping to face a compromised Cowboys squad in Week 16, Jerry Jones has a different message.
The Cowboys owner told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that he expects his team to play its starters through the duration of the season whether or not Dallas has anything to gain in the standings.
The Cowboys clinched a playoff spot over the weekend and can clinch the NFC East on Sunday with a win over the Giants. On top of that, Dallas stands to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs if the Seahawks lose on Sunday and the Lions lose or tie.
Either way, Jones doesn't anticipate the Cowboys' starters getting a break down the stretch.
"No, I see us more as business as usual," Jones told The Fan, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "What it does allow you to do is when you've got guys on the fence with injury, not push them. That would just be smart, but I don't know that you gain anything at all … you just use good sense, just use common judgment.
"The other part of that is the obvious – you don't want to take the edge off. A football game is a part of the personality of the team and you want that team to stay very physical as you enter these playoffs."
As the Star-Telegram points out, "The Cowboys had a meaningless regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins in 2014, and the healthy starters played the entire game."
Jason Garrett was Dallas' head coach then, as he is now.
Foe what it's worth, Jones seemed to leave open the possibility that Tony Romo could get some late-season snaps ahead of Dak Prescott.
Still, the idea that the Lions could encounter a pushover in Week 16 is pretty much extinguished. To secure a victory in their lone Monday Night Football appearance of the season, they'll have to do it the hard way.
