NFC Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Washington

Cowboys

Cowboys QB Andy Dalton said COVID-19 “hit me hard” for the first day of his illness and gradually improved from then on. 

“The COVID, it hit me hard the first day I had it, then I gradually started feeling better,” said Dalton, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. 

Regarding the Cowboys’ Week 11 game against the Vikings, Dalton pointed out that he is familiar with Minnesota HC Mike Zimmer from their time together with the Bengals from 2011-2013. 

“I have some familiarity with him,” Dalton said. “But things change and adapt over time. These last seven years, there’s been some changes in different things. I definitely know him from my early time in Cincinnati.”

As for the Cowboys’ defensive struggles against the run, DE Demarcus Lawrence said their defense is playing “totally different” from their Week 4 loss against the Browns where Dallas allowed 307 rushing yards. 

“I feel like we’re a different team,” Lawrence said. “We’re playing totally different, energy is totally different and this will not be a repeat of the Browns game. I feel like our feet are underneath us, we’re starting to play with more of a football IQ and understand more of what our coaches want from us and we’re going out there and playing hard.”

• Cowboys placed C Tyler Biadasz on injured reserve. (NFLTR)
• Cowboys activated OT Brandon Knight from injured reserve.
• Cowboys promoted C Adam Redmond and CB Rashard Robinson to their active roster. 

Eagles

• Eagles’ senior defensive assistant Jeremiah Washburn did not travel with the team for Week 11 and is still going through COVID-19 protocols. Washburn also missed Week 10. (Mike Kaye)
• Eagles promoted RB Elijah Holyfield, DT T.Y. McGill, DE Joe Ostman, and TE Caleb Wilson. (NFLTR)

Washington

Washington HC Ron Rivera had plenty of praise to offer RB J.D. McKissic, who he says is much more than just a third-down back.

Rivera also notes that the team has seen what a talented football player McKissic is since the evaluation process prior to bringing him in.

“It’s interesting because as we go through the evaluation process of looking at guys, those are the kind of guys that you look for,” Rivera said, via Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic. “Not that are necessarily overlooked, but in J.D.’s situation and circumstances, he was a part of backs. When you took his number of touches, you said: ‘Gosh, if he got X amount of touches more, he’d be even more productive.’ That’s what excites you about a guy like that. You have a guy like J.D. McKissic back there and you see the same thing as well, is that guys like him who can get out into space and make people miss, they become a problem for defenses. It’s interesting because, I think sometimes people look at a guy’s build and just say: ‘Oh, he’s really a scatback. He’s a third-down guy.’ And then all of a sudden you find out that he’s got a skill set that not only fits third down but also on second down and you go: ‘Wow, this kid’s a legit football player all the way around.’ Remember, a guy that right now is our third-down back, J.D. McKissic, is no slouch at all. He’s a terrific football player, and we’ve seen that day-in and day-out and game-in and game-out. I think the biggest thing with J.D. is you see his versatility. You see it as a receiver, you see it as a runner. He’s a quality back. I think the thing that he’s showing is he can be a first-, second-and third-down guy. Do you want him touching the ball 30 times a game? Probably not, if you don’t want him to take that type of pounding. But you want the ball in his hands as much as possible. I do think he is a quality football player.”

• Washington HC Ron Rivera said that the “ship hasn’t sailed” on possible signing free-agent S Eric Reid after he recently declined their practice squad offer in October. 
• JP Finlay mentions that he understands why Reid declined a practice squad contract, he believes Reid would’ve been called up to the active roster by now if he would’ve agreed to a deal last month. 
• Washington promoted DB Cole Luke, LB Jordan Kunaszyk and T David Steinmetz to their active roster.