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

Cowboys

• According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, former Patriots HC Bill Belichick and the think tank of friends and former associates helping him this past season thought the Cowboys could be a potential landing spot but there was no clarity on whether owner Jerry Jones would move on from HC Mike McCarthy, or hire Belichick if he did.
• Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talked about potentially tanking for a better draft pick: “We want everybody making the plays and having the opportunity to have success. Success is very important. … We’ll go out there and win every down.” (Jon Machota)
• Dianna Russini of The Athletic spoke about McCarthy’s future with the team to an NFL executive: “It will be important for McCarthy to finish strong, for Jones to stand pat.”
• Josina Anderson says there has been “no earnest discussions or planning on the future” for McCarthy.
• Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb commented on LB DeMarvion Overshown‘s brutal knee injury: “You always want to come out the game with the guys you went in with. As for us, yeah that sucks, bro. [Overshown] was having a great season and obviously…I’m sick for him. I hate it for him. He was just reaching who he can become.” (Ed Werder)
• Cowboys S Donovan Wilson was fined $16,883 for unnecessary roughness (hip-drop tackle) in Week 14.

Eagles

There were some concerns about the Eagles passing game this week after WR A.J. Brown named it an area that could improve. Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts feels they can win in a variety of ways but acknowledges the benefits of limiting doubts in the passing game after a strong showing in Week 15.

“As I’ve said, when you’re able to win in multiple ways, obviously talented, and the opportunities are there, but it comes down to having good discernment of when to do something and when not to,” Hurts said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I’ve always said and believed that you want to make sure that all of your tools are sharp when you need them, so when it’s time to use them, you can go. I don’t think there’s a doubt in that. I think, frankly, there’s an effort there.”

“The approach was a little different this week. The grass will be green where you water it.We decided to water it and saw the fruits of our labor in that. Obviously, we’ve been watering the running game a good bit. It’s natural to put emphasis on one thing and take emphasis off of another and see what you guys have seen. We want to continue to be well-rounded, push to be well-rounded, and water all areas of our yard.”

Giants

• According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, former Patriots HC Bill Belichick and the think tank of friends and former associates helping him this past season thought the Giants could be an option. But Belichick knew he’d be entering a rebuild with little margin for error from New York media, plus he thought the team should retain current HC Brian Daboll, who was one of his former assistants. 
• Giants CB Tre Hawkins was fined $5,291 for unnecessary roughness (low block) in Week 14.