NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

• Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy called the team’s victory over the Patriots as one of the more complete wins that he’s been a part of since he’s taken over as Dallas’s head coach. “This is an excellent win for us. … These are games you can really build off of.” (Jon Machota)
• McCarthy praised QB Dak Prescott‘s resiliency and competitive spirit. “He never wavered. His process was the same throughout. He’s on top of his game right now.” (Machota)
• McCarthy called second-year CB Trevon Diggs a playmaker, and said that ever since he’s arrived in Dallas he’s been making plays in the secondary: “I’m all for it. It’s awesome, especially when you put it in the end zone…The facts are what they are. He’s playing at an extremely high level. He’s done it since he arrived here in Dallas.” (Michael Gehlken)
• Prescott “came down funny” on his leg during the final play of the team’s win over the Patriots, but said that he’ll be fine moving forward and will keep fighting: “Something we’ll figure out…I’ll be fine. I promise you that. Life keeps throwing punches. I’ll keep throwing them back.” (Gehlken)
• Prescott said he could’ve played through his calf injury if the game continued: “It was a little pain. Didn’t like what I felt. I could’ve kept playing if I had to. I’ll be fine.” (Machota)
• Cowboys LT Tyron Smith suffered neck and ankle injuries during the team’s win over the Patriots, but believes he’ll be fine moving forward. “I just needed to get re-taped and back on the field and help my teammates.” On his neck: “I feel great right now, especially after the win. I do feel good.” (Gehlken)

Eagles

• Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer says Eagles TE Zach Ertz knew before Thursday night’s game against the Buccaneers that he was being traded to the Cardinals and was given the option on whether or not to play. 
• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry says the Bills and Eagles nearly agreed on a trade to send Ertz to Buffalo in July, but Eagles GM Howie Roseman pulled back after the possibility of trading TE Dallas Goedert to the Texans as a part of a package for Deshaun Watson came up. 
• Corry adds Ertz was willing to take a pay cut and convert some of his $8.5 million base salary into incentives to make a deal happen earlier this year. He won’t have to do that in Arizona, though. 
• He notes now that he’s the full-time tight end in Philadelphia, Goedert’s contract leverage is enhanced as he should have a strong role the rest of the season. Corry adds the franchise tag for Goedert in 2022 would likely be $10.936 million. 
• Roseman defended not trading Ertz earlier this offseason when they may or may not have had a better offer on the table: “I think really when we look at it, we would have had a bigger regret if we didn’t bring Zach back and bring him here and have him around this team and see what it looked like.” (Zach Berman)
• Roseman also said that this doesn’t mean the Eagles are going to be sellers at the trade deadline: “I don’t view us as being sellers. I view us as still having an opportunity in the next 11 games to show what kind of team we are. And I think this was more about the opportunity to really put the pieces of the puzzle together for this team at that position … moving forward. It’s not to give up on the season in any way, shape or form. I’m certainly not thinking about anything going south.”
• Berman mentions the Eagles did extensive scouting work on CB Tay Gowan, who was part of the package they got from Arizona for Ertz, and he was one of the options they were considering in the sixth round before he was selected one pick before their eventual pick, LB JaCoby Stevens. 

Giants

• NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt writes that the Giants should consider trading players like TE Evan Engram and S Jabrill Peppers who are in the final year of their contracts and probably not in New York’s long-term plans. 
• However, that hasn’t been the Giants’ style under owner John Mara and GM Dave Gettleman. Given the team is desperate for wins and positive momentum, Rosenblatt doubts they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline. 
• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports Giants DT Danny Shelton has a pec strain. The belief is it’s a minor injury and Shelton is considered day-to-day. 
• Giants QB Daniel Jones said he had the wind knocked out of him last week against the Cowboys and was diagnosed with a concussion despite having no symptoms and passing the concussion protocol. (Pat Leonard)
• Giants HC Joe Judge said his team isn’t going to quit, and that the players in the locker room will keep fighting despite the 1-5 start: “There’s a lot of ball left to be played. We’re in Week 6, so to turn around and start tapping out now – I don’t know what kind of mentality other people have. I don’t quit things. These players don’t quit things.” (Jordan Raanan)

Washington

• Washington HC Ron Rivera mentioned he isn’t thinking about benching QB Taylor Heinicke for QB Kyle Allen: “I’ve been very confident in what we’ve done with Taylor … Not every week is going to be as productive as we want it to be.” (Nicki Jhabvala)
• Rivera on RB Antonio Gibson‘s shin injury: “We’ll see how he is. We did take him out of the game because he was struggling with it. … We’ll see how he is tomorrow morning.” (Jhabvala)
• Rivera added on Monday the team is waiting for MRI results on his shin. Gibson has been limited in practice with the injury. (JP Finlay)
• Rivera said S Kamren Curl has become a huge part of the defense: “He is a good football player and we have to find a way to keep him on the field as much as possible.” (Jhabvala)
• Rivera believes S Landon Collins needs to play closer to the line of scrimmage: “I think that’s his strength. I think when he’s down in the box, closer to the action, he plays some of his better football. … I think with him, a lot of is is how he fits to what we’re doing.” (Jhabvala)
• The Washington Football Team worked out LB Anthony Hines on Saturday. (Jhabvala)
• Washington is bringing in K Sam Sloman and K Lirim Hajrullahu for workouts. (Jhabvala)