PHILADELPHIA – There's not much drama about deciding Sunday's inactives when that decision is made on Friday.
Team inactives were released 90 minutes before kickoff, as usual, on Sunday morning. But given that the Cowboys declared seven players out on their final injury report of the week, there wasn't much guesswork.
Morris Claiborne, Justin Durant, Tyron Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence, Cedric Thornton, Terrell McClain and Tyrone Crawford will all be inactive while the Cowboys conclude their regular season against Philadelphia.
All seven decisions pertain to injuries of varying degrees. Claiborne is officially missing his ninth-straight game after a groin injury that sidelined him during the Cowboys' first meeting with the Eagles. The fifth-year corner is making progress in his rehab, and the front office is optimistic he'll be available for the playoffs.
Smith is coping with a knee he suffered in last week's win against Detroit, though he is expected to be available following the Cowboys' playoff bye week.
Lawrence, Thornton and McClain are all dealing with injuries they suffered Dec. 18 in the 26-20 win against Tampa Bay. Lawrence has been battling a back injury for a solid portion of the season, while Thornton and McClain are both listed with ankle injuries. Justin Durant suffered an elbow injury in that game and is also recovering.
Just like last week, the Dallas defensive line will have its work cut out with so many injuries. David Irving, Jack Crawford, Maliek Collins, Randy Gregory and Benson Mayowa will have to do the heavy lifting without much in the way of depth. If needed, Kyle Wilber also has experience playing along the defensive line.
The Cowboys are also looking a bit thin on the offensive line, with Smith sitting out and Ron Leary battling a back injury. The front office called up guard Ryan Seymour from the practice squad on Saturday, and he is active.
Emmett Cleary will start at left tackle in place of Smith, while it's expected that Seymour should get some snaps at some point.
The Eagles' inactives are cornerback Dwayne Gratz, offensive lineman Josh Andrews, offensive tackle Dillon Gordon, offensive lineman Allen Barbre, defensive tackle Taylor Hart, wide receiver Jordan Matthews and linebacker Mychal Kendricks.
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