Jerry Jones says the Cowboys will use 2007 playoff exit as a guide

Now that the Dallas Cowboys have clinched the NFC East title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the next question is how they handle the final two games of the regular season.

Jason Garrett has already said they will play Monday’s game against the Detroit Lions like every other game. They will play to win.

But no final decisions have been made on the season final against the Philadelphia Eagles Jan. 1.

The Cowboys will most certainly play it safe with some of the walking wounded.

Do the Cowboys rest their healthy starters and chance having playoff rust when they do return to action for the divisional round?

Owner Jerry Jones said the team will lean on the lessons they learned in 2007 when they finished 13-3 and had home-field advantage under then coach Wade Phillips. The team rested their starters in the season final. Quarterback Tony Romo went to the Cabo San Lucas during the bye week. And the Cowboys lost their first playoff game against the New York Giants.

“It's an age old question and certainly deserves to be a question,” Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan. “How much do you want to be playing well? How much edge do you want to have? I know that in our season here with Wade Phillips. We had a great season and then we turned around and got into the playoffs and rested pretty good the last ballgame. And we ended up losing the first playoff game that we had with home-field bye all the way through. That's going to bear heavily our experience there with Wade in '07 will weigh heavily on any thoughts I have about who plays."

Jones acknowledged that the team will rest defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence the final two weeks in an effort to manage his on going back issues in hopes of being refreshed for the playoffs.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Jerry Jones says the Cowboys will use 2007 playoff exit as a guide."