It's been a rotten holiday week for Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. The capper comes Sunday, when he misses the team's last regular-season game.
McClain was listed as out on the week's final roster report. He didn't make the trip to Washington, where the Cowboys will face their longtime rivals. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
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The Cowboys are 11-4 and in the playoffs, and they haven't lost on the road this season. The Redskins are 4-11, a disaster and unlikely to put up much resistance in Week 17. Still, Dallas can secure home-field advantage and a first-round bye with a victory, but need help.
Officially, McClain is out with illness, according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Given his week, it's not hard to figure out why.
McClain's home in Alabama burned down on Monday. The residence on Lake Tuscaloosa was reportedly worth $1.5 million.
Look for rookie Anthony Hitchens to play middle linebacker against the Redskins. Still, they will miss McClain, whose return from a self-imposed retirement season after missing 2013 has been a success. He is the Cowboys' leading tackler.
Other Cowboys starters will be in the lineup. However, it's not clear how much coach Jason Garrett will use running back DeMarco Murray, who is nursing a broken hand. Murray was sent home from practice because of illness during the week. Quarterback Tony Romo might make an early exit if his wonky back acts up.
“You play guys,” Garrett told reporters. “You get 16 opportunities and you go play and go try and play your best football. We play the early game up there so all the scenarios everybody is talking about no one will know what those are, so we got to go play our best football.”
The Cowboys are favored to win by about a touchdown.