NFC Notes: Jayden Daniels, A.J. Brown, Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

When appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Commanders’ veteran LB Bobby Wagner said first-round QB Jayden Daniels was already impressing teammates during OTAs last offseason. 

“Honestly, in OTAs,” Wagner said. “He was coming in so early, like so early, to put in work and learn the playbook. And then, it was probably our first practice in training camp where we lined up against each other, and he started talking trash. And I was like, ‘Ok, he feels confident in the playbook. We watched him putting in the work, so he earned the right to be confident. Once we saw him in the preseason, saw how he moved and decisions he was making, he does with it with humility, which I respect a lot. So, we knew pretty early on.”

• Washington TE Zach Ertz was fined $16,771 for unnecessary roughness (blindside block) in Week 13.

Cowboys

The Cowboys blocked a punt against the Bengals in Week 14, which Cincinnati recovered to set up its game-winning drive. ST coordinator John Fassel said DB Amani Oruwariye was unaware that LB Nick Vigil blocked the punt.

“[Oruwariye] said that he heard the crowd, which was significant, so he turned back to see what happened and the ball was bouncing at him, he didn’t know that it got blocked,” Fassel said, via Tommy Yarish of the team’s site. “He didn’t know if it was a fumble, he didn’t know that the ball was where it was. And so he just reacted like I would, see ball get ball.”

Fassel stood behind Oruwariye, saying he didn’t consider the moment a failed play. 

“I don’t think this was a failed play, it was an unfortunate bounce off a blocked punt…” Fassel said. “I think this how the special teams volatility kind of goes over the course of the season, and it’s an uncomfortable phase of the game for a lot of people because you never know what can happen.”

Fassel reiterated that he doesn’t think Oruwariye cost them the game. 

“Asked him how he was doing, word for word, and he said ‘I’m doing good,'” Fassel said. “And I said ‘Good, because you should be doing good, you have no reason to think that you cost us the game, or that you made a mistake, or that you let the team down.'”

Eagles

There’s been some drama around the Eagles’ locker room since A.J. Brown‘s comments about “passing” is where they need to improve, which led to DE Brandon Graham criticizing Brown’s complaints. Brown said he spoke to Graham and Jalen Hurts, saying everything is well. 

“BG was being BG,” Brown said, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports. “He’s emotional. In that case, he just misspoke. Me and Jalen are good.”

Hurts reiterated that his relationship with Brown is fine after clearing the air. 

“We’re good. We’re good,” Hurts said. “We spoke. I think in the end, BG knows he spoke out of place.”