The Dallas Cowboys will know their playoff fate one way or another by the time they’ve finished Sunday afternoon’s game against Washington at AT&T Stadium.

A Philadelphia win at the New York Giants eliminates the Cowboys from postseason contention, but a loss opens the door for Dallas to sneak in if it beats Washington. Both games kick off at 3:25 p.m. CT, so they may finish right around the same time.

No matter the result, there is value in Sunday’s game beyond the final score because it is still an important afternoon for players who have something to prove, whether it’s to the Cowboys or the other 31 NFL teams. Most players get just 16 opportunities each season to show their skills and prove their value, so with that small of a sample size, every game is important and will be evaluated by the other 31 clubs.

With that in mind, let’s examine a few of those players who have something to prove against Washington.

Joe Looney, left guard

While Joe Looney proved to be a capable center in place of Travis Frederick last season, he hasn’t been afforded many opportunities to prove his effectiveness at guard -- especially left guard.

The last time Looney saw time at a position other than center was in 2017, playing 92 snaps at right guard with middling success.

Not only should Looney get the start at left guard this week due to season-ending injuries for Connor Williams and Xavier Su’a-Filo, but he will see a tough matchup as well. Washington’s defense leaves a lot to be desired as a whole, but the interior trio of Matt Ioannidis, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen presents difficult matchups for most starters, let alone a backup center who hasn’t played guard in two years.

Jonathan Allen was a problem last night. Here, he's able to split Joe Looney and Xavier Su'a-Filo for the sack. pic.twitter.com/Vi9ab8lPQg — John Owning (@JohnOwning) November 23, 2018

Even when Looney was at center, he had a tough time dealing with Washington’s D-line, giving up six total pressures in two matchups in 2018 (a lot for a center). He gave up 1.3 pressures per game to non-Washington teams in 2018 -- against Washington, Looney gave up three pressures per game.

More than anybody else, those three are going to challenge Looney’s hand usage and anchor. None of them are particularly athletic, but they possess incredible power coupled with elevated hand usage in hand-to-hand combat.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Looney fares climbing to the second level to pick up linebackers in the run game. The angles to get to the linebackers are very different from guard than center, so it will be paramount that Looney adjusts accordingly.

Sure, Looney will be buoyed by former All-Pros in Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick, which certainly makes his job a little easier, but he will still have plenty of opportunities to prove his ability at guard.

Fantastic reach block from Joe Looney here on the NT. So efficient with his footwork to expand outside of the NT and cut him off without ceding ground. Zack Martin has to get a hand on the 3T to slow him down. Asking La'el Collins to reach an untouched 3T is a foolish endeavor. pic.twitter.com/gT6VDPeJBT — John Owning (@JohnOwning) January 8, 2019

While Looney has proved capable at center, most NFL teams value versatility in their backup linemen because gameday roster sizes necessitate that backup linemen know how to play multiple positions. So, unless Looney signs on to start at center for someone, Sunday against Washington will be huge in proving his versatility to play multiple positions up front.

If Looney shows well against a front he’s previously struggled against while at his secondary position, that will provide a huge boost to his free-agent profile in the offseason. Looney is currently in the last year of his contract with the Cowboys.

A great performance will go a long way toward proving to other teams that Looney can be the utility backup at both guard spots and center. There is money to be made for him this week.

Kai Forbath, kicker

When Kai Forbath drills a field goal, one would think the Cowboys’ fan base would be filled with relief and glee, but it appears as though fans just get angrier. Not angry at Forbath, but angry at the front office for waiting so long to part ways with Brett Maher despite his below-average performance this season.

Regardless of the fan base’s feelings, Forbath has been outstanding for Dallas outside of his first kickoff, going 6 for 6 in field goals and 5 for 5 on extra-point attempts since joining the team ahead of the Los Angeles Rams game.

And it’s not like Forbath’s small portfolio is boosted by a bunch of easy attempts. Whereas Maher was 5 for 13 from 40-plus yards this season, Forbath has nailed all five of his tries from those distances since joining the team.

His two-game sample has been nearly flawless, but it tells us little about Forbath’s consistency at this point in his career. He was a free agent for a reason, so the biggest hurdle he has to overcome is proving he can be consistent for extended periods of time.

Although he has proven worthy of vying for the kicking job next season, all it takes is one missed kick for doubt to creep back into the front office’s collective consciousness. Sunday, more than likely, is his last opportunity to prove he’s worth keeping around through the offseason and into training camp, where next year’s kicking competition will probably start ramping up.

Because the Cowboys are merely average after crossing the 50-yard line, scoring touchdowns at the 17th-highest rate in the league (56.86%) in the red zone, Forbath should get a couple of more opportunities to prove his value.

Maliek Collins, defensive tackle

Maliek Collins has already proven to be an effective pass rusher this season, ranking 12th among interior defensive linemen in total pressures (43), according to Pro Football Focus. This is significant because he is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason.

Look at the difference between Christian Covington taking on a double team and Maliek Collins taking on a double team. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/dSQDNjEb9D — John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 8, 2019

But as good as Collins has been rushing the passer, he’s been the opposite as a run defender, experiencing a ton of trouble being consistent with his gap discipline while also frequently getting displaced by double-teams (above clip).

This TD is one Maliek Collins, imo. Aligned in back-side B-gap but gets reached and hooked, leaving that B-gap vacant. Can't let the RT cross your face in this situation.



Puts Xavier Woods 1v1 against Jones with a ton of space, not a winning proposition for the D. pic.twitter.com/kzgk9jx0TG — John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 7, 2019

Collins often gets into trouble because he’s looking to penetrate vertically without reading his keys in front of him, so when offensive linemen step horizontally on a zone run, he often loses gap integrity.

In Dallas’ one-gapping defense, it’s incredibly important that each defender occupies or penetrates his gap because if he doesn’t, it leaves a massive void in the defense (above clip), something that has been all too regular of an occurrence this season.

This week, Collins has an opportunity to prove he’s more than just a pass-rush specialist. Washington has been one of the most run-heavy teams on first down since Week 12, running the ball on at least 56% of their first downs -- with a high of 70% against Carolina in Week 13 -- according to Sharp Football Stats.

A good performance against the run this week won’t eliminate Collins’ struggles from earlier this season, but it will give him some ammo in that department in future contract negotiations.

Pass is king in the NFL, but defending the run is still important, especially for defensive tackles. If Collins wants to maximize his value in free agency, a great performance against the run Sunday would certainly aid him.