FRISCO, TX — As the Dallas Cowboys (11-4) prepare for their Week 17 matchup against the Tennessee Titans (7-8) on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 7:15 p.m. in Nashville, Coach Mike McCarthy held his weekly press conference out at the Star in Frisco.
Dallas is coming off an emotional victory against the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles. Despite not having their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, the Eagles' backup, Gardner Minshew, played admirably. He almost buried the Cowboys' hopes of a division title before some last-second heroics by Dallas' defense turned the game in the Cowboys' favor.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy has several good things to say about his secondary, especially Jayron Kearse. "I thought Jayron played huge. He was one of the game ball winners," he said. "He has been an outstanding leader for us and plays through a number of things. He steps up every week," McCarthy said.
The Cowboys make a rare trip to Nashville as they have only played there against the Titans three times, the last being in 2014. The Titans are coming off a tough loss against their division rivals and arguably one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Houston Texans. That loss gave the Jacksonville Jaguars first place in the division.
The Week 17 matchup against the Cowboys is the Titans' is essentially nonconsequential. Whatever happens, this week does not affect the Titans' post-season prospects. Their playoff futures hang in the balance in Week 18 when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC South Championship. The Titans might even rest all their key starters this week after an injury-riddled season. Although the Cowboys are favored in this game, they should watch out for the potential trap this contest could pose.
Coach McCarthy commented on how the Cowboys would respond if the Titans rested some key players.
"We are prepared to play to our standard. We have the opportunity to go to the playoffs, and we want to be playing our best football going in," he said.
He joked with the media and said, "I'm going to count on you to let me know what they are doing with their lineups. Once you get me that information, we will be good."
One of the new weapons the Cowboys recently acquired bore some fruit last week against the Eagles. Veteran receiver T.Y. Hilton joined the Cowboys before the Week 16 matchup and immediately impacted the game.
Coach McCarthy said, "We obviously feel much better about what he (T.Y.) can do. We are not worried about ramping him up anymore. He is out of the ramp-up phase and be a lot more involved."
Playing the Titans is never a simple task, as they boast one of, if not the best running back in the league, Derrick Henry. He is a nightmare to prepare for and can turn any game on its head at any moment. The Cowboys' best bet at defeating the Titans on Thursday is to find a way to limit his touches and bottle him up. They need to force quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, to beat them with his arm. If the Cowboys do this, they should build much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs.
Dallas Cowboys at Practice
(Credit: Callena Williams/dallascowboys.com)
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