NFC Notes: Jalen Hurts, Mike McCarthy, Brian Daboll, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants

Cowboys

Dallas lost in crushing fashion in Week 14, after blocking a punt that ended up going to the Bengals which set up the go-ahead touchdown. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones described how tough it was to lose a game in that manner with the season on the line. 

“Of course, that locker room is really devastated by the turn of events on the blocked kick,” Jones said, via Patrik Walker of the team’s official website. “Obviously, we had a block kick called, made to play and then had one in so many odds turn against us.”

• Cowboys’ executive Stephen Jones praised HC Mike McCarthy for dealing with the team’s injury-plagued season and thinks the team is still playing hard, via Judy Battista.  
• As for McCarthy’s future, Jones responded they are taking things one game at a time.

Eagles

When asked if he thinks Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is playing too cautiously, OC Kellen Moore thinks Hurts is doing well to protect the football while still taking chances on downfield passes. 

“I think Jalen has done an excellent job, first and foremost, of protecting the football. Having one turnover since the bye week, he’s done such an incredible job of that. You still see aggressive throws. You still see him throwing downfield,” Moore, via Zach Berman. 

As for Week 14’s narrow win over the Panthers, Moore acknowledged how they didn’t find explosive plays. 

“This game from a production standpoint in the passing game we didn’t hit the explosives and all those things. Sometimes unfortunately those types of games happen, and this is the challenge in the NFL. You have slugfest games like this, and you find a way to win, and that’s ultimately the number one objective.”

Moore believes they can find a way to be better on first and second downs but still thinks they’ve played well in several situations. 

“I think first and second down probably can find ways to improve there, but I think situationally credit to our guys of hanging in there, two-minute drive, four-minute, first downs and passing situations, red zone, two touchdowns. There’s plenty of smaller, little details I thought we performed at a high level.”

• Albert Breer reports the NFL approved a sale of an eight percent stake of Eagles’ ownership to two private family investors. 

Giants

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler note Giants owner John Mara doesn’t seem to want to make a change and fire either or both GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, but it becomes a question of whether he feels like he has to if the losses keep piling up. 
• The two men haven’t had the chance to pick their own quarterback and have been doing extensive research on this class, but Graziano and Fowler add if the product on the field doesn’t improve, there’s a chance they won’t be entrusted with the task of developing a franchise passer. 
• Daboll said G Jon Runyan is “week-to-week, maybe more” with his ankle injury and announced QB Drew Lock will remain the starting quarterback if healthy. Lock unfortunately is not healthy at the moment. (Dan Duggan)
• The Giants worked out five defensive backs this week, including CB Ekow Boye-Doe, CB Johnny Dixon, DB Eric Garror, CB Steven Gilmore, and CB Azizi Hearn, per Aaron Wilson. 
• New York also worked out DL Ross Blacklock (signed), LB Ralen Goforth, and DL Albert Huggins, via Wilson. 
• Of these groups, New York signed Blacklock and Boye-Doe to their practice squad.