The Dallas Cowboys trounced the Washington Commanders, another NFC East pretender, 45-10 on Thanksgiving Day. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy mentioned following the game that the victory improved his team’s record to 8-3 and accomplished a number of priorities.

“Overall, it was a healthy victory for us,” McCarthy said. “It looks like we’ve come out of the game pretty healthy, which is probably the most important part of this .. outside of the victory.”

It should come as no surprise that McCarthy is worried about maintaining a healthy roster because expensive injuries have the power to make or ruin a season for a team. In fact, a careful look at how the coach has managed this recent stretch of crucial games—which ends next Thursday when the Seahawks visit—shows that he is willing to adjust and adjust to those priorities.

McCarthy in a tryst to prevent Injuries

There have been plenty of days off, light practices, and permission for veterinarians (like Tyron Smith) to take the day off in the past several weeks. Dallas has been fortunate to have had few injuries, and when things have gone wrong, depth has stepped up to the plate.

Notably, in Week 3 of this season, cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered an ACL tear. But DaRon Bland filled in for him, and after recording his fifth pick-six of the season against the Commanders, he now owns the record for the most in an NFL season. McCarthy said

“To me, it’s all part of the way you train,”  “It’s part of your training environment. Risk assessment is at the forefront of every time you put together a practice plan.”

Leighton Vander Esch’s neck injury will also keep him out of action for the whole season, but owner Jerry Jones praised his linebackers’ performance in the Washington game as “outstanding.”

As a result, the head coach has modified the practice schedule to assist Dallas prepare for real competition in 2023.