NFC Notes: Dak Prescott, Isaiah Simmons, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Washington’s defense surrendered 37 points in their Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, partially due to some miscommunications. Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. doesn’t excuse the lack of communication and outlined how they are fixing it. 

“I don’t expect to have the communication mistakes that we had. We hadn’t made them. I don’t expect them. The standard is the standard, game one or game 17,” Whitt Jr. said, via the team’s YouTube.

“Demanding it in the walk-throughs. I stood way back in the walk-through we just had. I told them I am way back here and I got to hear it. So you have to scream it; it has to be loud. I don’t want to have one player say, I didn’t get it. So communication is sent, received, and acknowledged.”

Whitt described what scenarios they are looking to improve in and felt the coaching staff could have done a better job with substitutions. 

“The inability to get off the field on third downs. Losing leverage in certain situations. Times we did get to the quarterback, we didn’t get them down, and we had some communication issues.”

“Towards the end of the game, I just didn’t feel the speed that we talked about and that’s our responsibility to make sure we do a great job of rotating. We said we were going to roll with a deep crew, and we have to do that.”

Cowboys

Despite a strong Week 1 performance, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott wants to see them keep their foot on the gas and put teams away when given the chance.

“We weren’t able to put that team away when we had the chance,” Prescott said, via Patrik Walker of the team’s website. “Defense did a great job of it but, for us, it’s about moving forward. We’re one of the best third-down teams we’ve been, so it’s about getting back on track with that [and] converting those and, when you do, you get more chances at the plate, you get more plays and that’s when just the big plays come naturally in our offense.”

Giants

Giants CB/LB Isaiah Simmons called Week 1 “shocking” and “confusing” after not playing in any defensive snaps for the first time in his football career. 

“Hopefully they know what they’re doing more than I think I know what I’m doing. So I’m just trusting the process and hopefully thinking things are best for the team. But personally, I love to be out there, sh*t, every snap. I feel like there’s a lot of different ways I can help the guys,” Simmons said, via Jordan Raanan. “So like I said, nobody ever wants to not be in there, so not being in the game plan was frustrating as hell, but I’m just controlling what I can control right now.”