It’s been a wild ride on NFC East this season, and things have gotten a little bit more complicated for both the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, who prepared to face each other in Week 17. It’s a game that both must have in the column of the victories they have a chance to steal the Washington Football Team division title, but the COVID-19 problems have suddenly forced the two teams to adapt quickly – in ways that can determine who has the upper hand in the fight.
Dave DeGuglielmo, the Giants offensive line coach who replaced Marc Colombo in mid-November, tested positive for the new coronavirus, the team announced on Friday. There were two potential close contacts with DeGuglielmo, but while the Giants’ facilities will remain open, they will be without their O line coach when the Cowboys enter MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Not long after the news came, the Cowboys themselves announced that they would be operating virtually on Friday, according to coach Mike McCarthy, and it was discovered that the reason for the change is not New Year’s Day, but due to a player who tested positive for COVID-19 – a source confirmed to CBS Sports.
“We are using contact tracking and all the protocols that we have used,” McCarthy told the media.
The team transferred safety Darian Thompson and defensive tackle Justin Hamilton to the reserve / COVID list on Friday, the former having already lost the competition due to a concussion suffered in the week 16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles during the latter’s absence will affect the team’s already questionable ability to stop the race.
Cowboys are expected to reopen their facilities for full practice on Saturday, but this cannot be formalized until the league office gives the green light. Unlike other teams that have experienced outbreaks at various points this season, the Cowboys have been one of the best examples of how to follow the league’s COVID-19 protocol, with the latter being a positive test result only the third of the regular season – the others being quarterback Andy Dalton and defensive striker Walter Palmore. Ezekiel Elliott tested positive over the summer, which served as a wake-up call for the team and the league in general, and Dallas has since been rigorous in his dedication to fighting the pandemic.
As for the battle coming up in week 17, there is no tomorrow for the loser. The winner would win the NFC East, but only if Washington loses to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. The Giants must quickly identify who will take the reins as O-line coach in the absence of DeGuglielmo and will face a sudden defense from the Cowboys, while McCarthy works through the COVID-19 protocol and has to replace two players – one expected and one not – both the key players in defensive rotation.
And so on, that the dramatic season for NFC East becomes even more with the doorbell.