NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

• Per the Athletic’s Jon Machota, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe the injury that knocked OT La’el Collins out of Sunday’s game is serious: “I think he is fine. It’s an MCL. I didn’t talk to any of the trainers or doctors, but he didn’t think it was going to be an ongoing problem for him. … We heard nothing like a torn MCL or anything like that.”
• Collins’ MRI came back clean on Monday. (Calvin Watkins)
• Jones wasn’t sure if Dallas would get back starting LT Tyron Smith this week after he missed Sunday’s loss to the Packers with a high ankle sprain: “I’m optimistic that he’ll be back. I don’t know that it will be that early.” (Machota)
• Jones says the team still has confidence in K Brett Maher despite missing two field goals Sunday: “We just got to make sure we buckle in and make sure he makes those kicks…We have confidence in him. He’s done it in the past and he’s going to do it for us again in the future.” (Machota)
• Despite a second-straight loss to drop Dallas to 3-2, Jones says HC Jason Garrett is “absolutely not” on the hot seat: “He’s done a great job with this team.” (Machota)
• Cowboys fourth-round RB Tony Pollard left Sunday’s game with knee and ankle injuries. (Watkins)

Eagles

• Per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Eagles HC Doug Pederson says WR DeSean Jackson is still rehabbing his abdominal strain and “we’ll see” if he can play Week 6. 
• Pederson added Jackson’s injury was just a sprain and the veteran doesn’t have a sports hernia injury. (McLane)
• Eagles RB Darren Sproles is week-to-week with a quad strain. (Zack Rosenblatt)
• Pederson mentioned Eagles CB Sidney Jones (hamstring) should be able to play this week. (McLane)
• Pederson confirmed Eagles RB Jordan Howard would be the lead back going forward with second-round rookie Miles Sanders continuing to have a role. (Zach Berman)

Giants

• Giants HC Pat Shurmur said Monday that RB Saquon Barkley is “closer than he was last week” and added that there’s a possibility he could play on Thursday. (Ralph Vacchiano)
• Giants TE Evan Engram showed up on the injury report Monday, but Shurmur said his knee injury is just “game soreness.” (Ralph Vacchiano)
• According to the Athletic’s Dan Duggan, Giants WR Sterling Shepard displayed symptoms of a concussion Monday morning following yesterday’s game and has been placed in the concussion protocol. 
• This is Shepard’s second concussion this year and could keep him out for an extended period of time. 
• Meanwhile, Giants LB Tae Davis cleared the concussion protocol and should play Thursday night. (Duggan)

Redskins

Despite the struggles on the field this year and overall during his tenure, former Redskins HC Jay Gruden appears to be overall well-liked by many of his players. Redskins RB Chris Thompson got emotional when asked after the game about Gruden’s job status and OT Morgan Moses told reports it “sucks” that the players couldn’t save him. 

“It’s a business,” Moses said via Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post. “At the end of the day, we’re 0-5, but I’ve been with Jay all my career. I’m the only one left from my draft class on the team and I have a high respect for him as a coach and as a man outside the building. You never want to see change like that, but obviously the organization wants to go in a different direction. That’s something that I have no control over, but it just sucks because he is a good coach, we have some good players on the team and it just sucks that we couldn’t get it done for him.”

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says the Redskins plan to evaluate OC Kevin O’Connell the rest of the season as he calls plays to see if he would be a candidate to be their next head coach. 
• Rapoport says Washington wants to make sure it doesn’t let another bright, young offensive mind get away, as the Redskins have employed Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur at various times before each became a head coach.
• Per Rapoport, Gruden was not surprised that he was fired on Monday and a source close to the former coach said he wasn’t particularly torn up about it either: “He’s fine.”
• Redskins GM Bruce Allen said during a press conference Monday that Gruden’s slow start to the season necessitated a change: “To make a decision like this was difficult, but it was necessary. We had much different expectations for the beginning of the season.” (Rapoport)
• Allen explained the decision wasn’t made until after Washington’s blowout loss to New England Sunday: “Last night after the game we came to a decision that we had to relieve Jay of his duties. Dan and I met with Jay this morning.” (Albert Breer)
• Per Allen, interim HC Bill Callahan will have the final say on who starts at quarterback, though the team still has confidence in first-round rookie Dwayne Haskins: “It’ll be up to Coach Callahan who plays at any position. We’re thrilled to have Dwayne here. We think his future is bright.” (Rapoport)
• Callahan told reporters he wasn’t planning to make any changes to the defensive coaching staff. (John Keim)
• O’Connell will call the plays going forward, Callahan confirmed. (Mike Garafolo)
• Callahan said the Redskins are checking the medicals for QB Case Keenum to decide between him and Colt McCoy as a starter. Haskins is not in contention to start at the moment. (Mike Garafolo)
• He added the team needed to develop a package of plays for Haskins that he felt were “his” and get his confidence up before inserting him into the starting lineup. 
• According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, if the Redskins change their mind on moving OT Trent Williams, the team that makes the most sense is the Browns dealing a first-round pick for Williams.