NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper said “it was tough” to miss two games on the COVID-19 list given he felt physically capable of playing. 

“It was tough. [Michael] Jordan played with the flu. That’s how I looked at it,” Cooper said, via ProFootballTalk. “It was a restriction of not being able to play with what I had. It was tough, knowing that I could physically gone out there and played, but the restrictions didn’t allow me to do so.”

Cooper said that the coaching staff wanted to “ease me back into things” in Thursday’s game and mentioned that he was only scheduled to have “20-25 plays.”  

“I knew I had between 20-25 plays, they told me before the game,” Cooper said. “They just wanted to ease me back into things, knowing I didn’t really practice, and knowing how COVID could affect the lungs and heart. They didn’t really know my conditioning. I didn’t really know my conditioning. I think that was the plan.”

• Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy is confident that the recent bye week will help RB Ezekiel Elliott (knee) going forward but they will “continue to monitor” his injury: “He’s had something that he’s dealing with. I think this 10-day break will really help him. It’s needed. …We’ll just continue to monitor that and make sound decisions.” (Michael Gehlken)

Eagles

Colts QB Carson Wentz hasn’t talked much about his divorce from the Eagles. The immediate aftermath was too painful and messy, plus it was easier for everyone to look ahead to the future. But he tacitly acknowledged to the Athletic’s Zak Keefer that he wanted a fresh start after being benched in 2020. 

“That’s a great question,” he said. “I’m certainly appreciative of my time there. Five incredible years, with some good, some bad, some ugly, some injuries, some trying times, us winning a Super Bowl ring while I was on the sideline. Made some incredible friends. But I think the way things ended, (a split) was best for both sides.”

Wentz went from being the quarterback of the future after a tremendous 2017 season to quickly becoming one of the most polarizing players on the team in Philadelphia. It wore him down, though Wentz pointed out that’s just the nature of the fanbase and playing in that market. 

“To be blunt, that’s Philly,” Wentz said. “That’s just who they are. They’re passionate. It made it a lot of fun for a lot of years playing there. They’re always passionate. They’re blunt. I think I was the same guy, giving it everything I could on the field and everything I could off the field to make a difference. I can only control who I am. I can’t let that type of stuff change me.”

• Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said QB Jalen Hurts‘ (ankle) status for Week 13 is “still an unknown” and will allow him to “let the body heal” over the next 48 hours. (Mike Garafolo)
• Nate Herbig is expected to start at right guard for the Eagles in Week 13. (Eliot Shorr-Parks)

Giants

• Giants HC Joe Judge voiced confidence in QB Mike Glennon ahead of Week 13: “We expect Mike [Glennon] to go in and run the offense.” (Dan Salomone)
• Judge said there’s been “no final decision” on whether QB Daniel Jones‘ beck injury is considered season-ending: “There’s no final decision on that. … There’s a gray area on when he could be cleared.” (Ralph Vacchiano)