By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Pro FooCowbtball Writer
FRISCO, Texas Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is away from the team to undergo surgery for appendicitis but expects to be on the sideline Sunday night for a highly anticipated rematch with Philadelphia.
The team said McCarthy was hospitalized after experiencing abdominal pain Wednesday morning. He was expected to have surgery in the afternoon and be released later in the day.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a former head coach in Atlanta, addressed reporters during McCarthy’s regularly scheduled news conference Wednesday. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was expected to handle those duties Thursday.
McCarthy, who turned 60 last month, is in his fourth season as coach of the Cowboys but first as the play-caller. Quinn didn’t want to address a contingency plan for play-calling since he was expecting McCarthy to be available for the game.
The Cowboys (9-3) trail the defending NFC champion Eagles (10-2) by a game in the NFC East. Dallas takes a 14-game home winning streak into the rematch and needs a victory to maintain realistic hopes of taking the division crown from Philadelphia. The Eagles won the first meeting 28-23 in Philadelphia.
