NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Washington

Cowboys

• Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t want to discuss any possible changes to the team’s coaching staff immediately after Sunday’s loss: “I don’t even want to discuss anything like that at this particular time… That’s not on the table. The game speaks for itself.” (Michael Gehlken)
• Jones said the team needed to have better success with its roster makeup: “When you get this combination of players together, you need to have success.” (Jon Machota)
• Jones was visibly disappointed after the Cowboys’ loss: “I can’t remember the last time I was this disappointed.” (Machota)
• Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott said he played with a partially torn PCL, Elliott will not require surgery. (Calvin Watkins)
• Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence said he wants to return to the team in 2022. (Watkins)
• Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy praised QB Dak Prescott and said the team is lucky to have him: “I’m proud of Dak, and I’m super happy he’s our quarterback.” (Ed Werder)
• Cowboys first-round LB Micah Parsons hopes DC Dan Quinn is back with the team next year: “I hope Q is back. That’s my dog…Q, I hope you stay, if you see this.” (Machota)
• Cowboys WR Amari Cooper also hopes he returns to the team in 2022. “I don’t make those decisions I honestly don’t know but hopefully.” (Watkins)
• Cowboys OC Kellen Moore called the draw play at the end of the game and McCarthy OK’d it on the headset. (Michael Silver)
• McCarthy doesn’t have any concerns about his future in Dallas: “I don’t have any concerns. I’m proud to be standing here today. I’m proud of this football team.” (Machota)
• The Cowboys declared $3,961,260 in unused cap space to roll over for 2021, though this figure will be audited for incentives by the NFL before becoming official. (Field Yates)

Eagles

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni gave a glowing endorsement of QB Jalen Hurts, while trying to remind everyone of Hurts’ body of work this season, not just one poor game. 

“He didn’t play his best game, as we all know. But you don’t take the body of work that he had, 15 weeks, and put everything on this game,” Sirianni said, via ESPN. “I know we’re all judged on the last game that we played, I fully get that, but I felt like Jalen grew throughout the year. And he got better as a passer, he got better reading the defense, getting the ball to the right place. He developed so much in his ability to extend plays, not only making plays with his feet but also making plays downfield on the scramble. I feel really good with what we have in place right here at the quarterback position. I thought he had a great year and he came a long way and that’s what I expect of Jalen just because of the character he has, the toughness he has, the love for football he has. I can’t say enough things about Jalen the person and the player.”

Hurts was seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot, when asked if he will require surgery, Hurts responded: “I hope not.”

Hurts said the game doesn’t define him, and he has his eyes set on rebounding with the team in 2022.

“This game does not define us, does not define who we are. We know all of the different things we have overcome, we know the environment that we’ve built as a football team and an organization…I know as a football team, we’ll be back,” he said. “And this is a feeling that will kind of simmer in our hearts and simmer for us all. And with the youth on this football, team, we’re definitely coming back hungry.”

Giants

• According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, the Giants have had internal discussions about former Dolphins HC Brian Flores and Bills OC Brian Daboll and are high on both as potential head coaching candidates despite not having hired a GM yet. 
• Vacchiano adds Flores and Daboll are on a number of the candidate shortlists from New York’s GM candidates, so it seems probable the Giants will look to interview them. 
• Vacchiano notes the Giants are tracking to finish their first round of interviews today and then commence with second interviews with finalists, which would be in person. If things go smoothly, they could potentially have a new GM on Friday. 
• There’s been a lot of reporting about Flores having interest in the Giants’ job. But Vacchiano points out his primary interest is finding a team ready to win and an owner who will commit to him, so he’ll have some tough questions for owner John Mara as well. 
• Other coaching candidates who could be in play once the GM is finalized, per Vacchiano, include Patriots OC Josh McDaniels who has connections to several candidates and Ravens DC Don Martindale if New York hires Baltimore exec Joe Hortiz as GM.
• Aaron Wilson reports Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen is a leading candidate for the Giants’ GM job.
• The Giants declared $13,986 in unused cap space to roll over for 2021, though this figure will be audited for incentives by the NFL before becoming official. (Field Yates)

Washington

Washington RB Antonio Gibson fumbled six times this season and ended up losing four of them, marring what otherwise was a pretty solid season. Gibson said as a converted wide receiver, fixing that part of his game will be his top priority for next season. 

“I’ve never put the ball on the ground as much as I did this year,” Gibson said via the Athletic’s Ben Standig. “I just know it needs to be fixed, so that’s something I’m going to keep in the back of my head throughout this offseason. I just feel like it’s a rep thing, keeping the ball up. Playing receiver, you’re cutting, you don’t really care how the ball is because you’re not going through as much traffic as you do at running back. That’s something I needed to break. … Next year I’m looking to be perfect on that.”