Five guys who have barely seen the practice field, or in some cases have not seen the practice field, could determine Sunday night's outcome:
In Dallas, Roy Williams has not practiced after developing plantar fasciitis. He's been held out all week and the team hopes rest will have him ready to play:
[Williams] did not practice this week after developing a case of plantar fasciitis that caused him to miss practice last Friday. Williams did play in the Pittsburgh game, but Phillips said he wasn't as effective in the second half.
That last line concerns me. Williams had no separation in the second half last week. He was clearly hobbled. Plantar fasciitis can be a hobbling injury. It's very painful, if nothing else. It put Terence Newman on the shelf for weeks last year.
Welcome back, Miles Austin.
-- Ken Hamlin has not practiced all week with an ankle injury. It seems he's out as a precaution, but Dallas needs him anchoring the secondary.
-- Keith Davis has practiced this week, despite having a third-degree sprain of a medial collateral ligament. That's a severe sprain. He has practiced and is expected to play, but at what level?
In New York, WR Domenik Hixon returned to practice yesterday, but coach Tom Coughlin offered only a modest endorsement of his health:
Hixon is "OK," Coughlin said, "but how he gets up tomorrow morning, we don't know." The coach did not expand on Jacobs' situation beyond saying that "he hasn't practiced all week."
He looks as certain as the Cowboys' safeties. He's likely to play, but at what level? He's the Giants deep threat with Plaxico Burress out. He was their best deep threat when Burress was around, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. If he's not himself, New York's vertical game will be questionable.
--Another injury which has escaped discussion is Fred Robbins' bad shoulder. He's missed most of the week with an undetermined shoulder injury and is listed as questionable, meaning he's 50/50.
He'll likely play. Most players listed as questionable do. But at what level? Robbins has six sacks, tied with Mathias Kiwanuka for second on the team. He is to the Giants what Jay Ratliff is to Dallas, the inside force who pushes QBs to the ends.
The Giants front four has 75% of New York's 36 sacks. And that rush line's production has slowed recently. A less-than-healthy Robbins could be a small factor in Dallas' favor.
Right now, it appears Sunday's winner may be the healthiest team. And right now, it's not clear which team can make that claim.