With their playoff hopes gone, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants enter Week 18 playing for pride and a strong finish. Both eliminated NFC East teams are dealing with major injury concerns, with eleven players still sidelined. The key question now is whether Jake Ferguson or Abdul Carter will be available this Sunday.

Jake Ferguson suffered a calf injury when the Cowboys clashed with the Washington Commanders on Christmas Day. The tight end left the field in the third quarter and was later added to the Cowboys’ injury list. Although he fully participated in practice this week, his game status for Week 18 is still uncertain.

Giants rookie linebreaker Abdul Carter has been a leading figure of the Giants’ defense, showing agility and physicality in both run and pass defense. He was recently dealing with illness, but was never on the injury list.

While Carter skipped practice on Wednesday and Thursday, he had limited practice time on Friday and is cleared to feature this Sunday.

Cowboys running back Javonte Williams would be a notable absentee this Sunday due to a shoulder injury. After featuring versus the Commanders, he missed this week’s practice, and the team has officially listed him out of the match.

The Giants’ defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches is set to miss his fifth consecutive game due to an ankle injury, creating a void in the Giants’ defense.

Additionally, Malik Davis, Shavon Revel Jr, TJ Bass, and DeMarvion Overshown are the injured Cowboys players who will not travel to New York.

From the Giants’ squad, Roy Robertson-Harris, Wan’Dale Robinson, Evan Neal, Theo Johnson, Jevon Holland, and Cor’Dale Flott have been officially ruled out.

How could the Week 18 injuries affect the Cowboys vs. the Giants game?

Injuries not only hurt players but also disrupt a team’s game plans and execution. If Jake Ferguson misses the next game, Luke Schoonmaker would step in as the backup tight end.

The difference in their snap points is worth a look. Ferguson has 14.0 points in every 100 snaps, whereas Schoonmaker records only 3.2 points in every 100 snaps. Playing without Ferguson could be a severe blow for the Cowboys.

Moreover, Brian Schottenheimer has to rely on the rookie running backs, Jaylon Blue and Phil Mafah, after the regular starters, Malik Davis and Javonte Williams, have been sidelined. In that case, they may prioritize passing games in Week 18.

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The Giants are also facing similar issues due to injuries.

They may lean heavily on running games without Wan’Dale Robinson, who has over 1000 receiving yards this season.

The injuries of Jevon Holland and Cor’Dale Flott make the Giants’ defense a soft target for the Cowboys.