NFC Notes: Carson Wentz, Ron Rivera, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Commanders HC Ron Rivera said he has no regrets about adding QB Carson Wentz as the team’s starting quarterback, despite citing the position as the reason Washington is currently in last place in the NFC East.

The truth is that this is a quarterback-driven league,” Rivera said, via ESPN. “And if you look at the teams that have been able to sustain success, they’ve been able to build it around a specific quarterback.”

“I’ve got no regrets about our quarterback,” Rivera continued. “I think our quarterback has done some good things. There’s been a couple games that he’s struggled, but the way he performed [Sunday] it just shows you what he’s capable of. We chose him because we believe in him. We chose him because we looked at what we felt were things that pointed toward him.”

Rivera believes that the team can build around Wentz and added that he has flashed his potential as the team’s long term starter.

We’ve got a guy that we think we have a chance to build around,” Rivera said. “We have a guy that is really growing in what we’re doing. I thought yesterday was a good indicator of his potential for us in this, and we’ll continue to work with it.

Injuries have hit Washington early on to start the season, especially along the offensive line.

We have some pretty good pieces in place,” Rivera said. “I’d like to have them all on the field at the same time. We don’t, we can’t, so this is the lot we have, so we have to go out and play.

  • Rivera on CB William Jackson: “We pulled him. For the most part, he did have a back (injury). We pulled him. We’ll leave it at that.” (Nicki Jhabvala)
  • He added on Tuesday: “I think the biggest thing as far as William is concerned is just making he’s healthy and the communication aspect.” (Jhabvala)
  • Rivera said Wentz took all his reps in practice and will play this week despite being listed as limited with a shoulder injury. He also said he’s cleared the air with Wentz about his comments on Monday: “Carson and I had a nice conversation, so I think we’re ready to roll.” (Jhabvala)
  • Wentz commented on the situation as well: “Coach addressed it, handled it, and nothing I’m overly concerned about…I feel very confident.” (JP Finlay)
  • Commanders first-round WR Jahan Dotson on his left hamstring injury: “I couldn’t really put a timetable on it right now. Kind of just working it day by day, making sure that when I come back, I’m 100 percent and there are no lingering injuries after the fact.” (Jhabvala)

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is over the moon with the team’s victory over the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday.

โ€œ(We) beat a tough team,โ€ Jones said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. โ€œA team that actually was prepared for us and thought they had us fenced in. To our credit, our players responded on defense, but canโ€™t say enough about that offense, either. They knew how to make those plays, our running backs ran inspired, our line blocked well. We played a good game against a great home crowd โ€” however, Iโ€™m not so sure about half of it wasnโ€™t Cowboys fans out there.โ€

Cowboys LB Micah Parsons told reporters that it’s obvious the team is the real deal and is looking forward to facing the undefeated Eagles.

โ€œWeโ€™re for real,โ€ Parsons said. โ€œWeโ€™re going to keep proving this every week. One thing Iโ€™ve learned about us is that weโ€™re tougher and weโ€™re better than we thought we were. That says a lot. We thought we were going to be really good, but itโ€™s one thing to talk about it and another thing to do it. And weโ€™ve been doing it.โ€

โ€œTheyโ€™re the only undefeated team in the league,โ€ Parsons said of Philadelphia. โ€œWe got to come to play. We got to keep doing what weโ€™re doing. They have a really explosive offense, but we got a really explosive defense. We got to show it next week. Itโ€™ll be a true test.โ€

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott also gave the media an update on his health. 

โ€œIโ€™m day by day,โ€ Prescott said. โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of growth right now. Weโ€™re uphill, things are happening fast. Taking it day by day, when I can do more than the next day, weโ€™ll just keep pushing like that. At this point, itโ€™s all about just gaining strength and comfortability. And thatโ€™s happening more and more each day.โ€

  • Jones also made it clear that Prescott will return as the Cowboys starting quarterback whenever he is healthy. (Machota)
  • Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on Parsonsโ€™ groin injury against the Rams: โ€œWeโ€™ll certainly monitor that. Feel good about the prognosis with him. I know he checked in this morning and felt good. Feel good about him being available.โ€ (Machota)
  • Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy has high praise for veteran LB Anthony Barr: โ€œItโ€™s great to be on the same sideline as Anthony. Football comes easy to him. No one fills a gap as quickly as Anthony. Heโ€™s just a very consistent personality. Smooth operator. He brings a really steady leadership to our group.โ€ (Michael Gehlken)

Giants

The Giants got a scare late in their upset win over the Packers in London as RB Saquon Barkley exited early in the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. Fortunately for the Giants, Barkley returned and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. 

โ€œThereโ€™s no doubt what he brings to our offense any time he is on the field is special and unique,โ€ Giants QB Daniel Jones said via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. โ€œTo have him back at that point in the game was a little bit of a lift for us. That was big time.โ€

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