NFC Notes: Jim Irsay, Dan Snyder, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

For all the sniping that goes on behind the scenes, NFL owners take great pains to publicly present a united front. So when Colts owner Jim Irsay told a gaggle of reporters that they should seriously consider voting to remove Commanders owner Dan Snyder, it sent shockwaves through the league. Irsay explained what pushed him to take that public stand. 

“Knowing Wellington [Mara] and Dan Rooney and Lamar [Hunt] and the owners through the years, I know what we’re about as owners,” he said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Even in the last day, I had a chance to talk to [former 49ers owner] Eddie DeBartolo [Jr.] and [former commissioner] Paul Tagliabue and just kinda reminisce about the context of decades that have passed and things that have happened. All those things give you certain direction and vision.

“I don’t like the fact that sometimes the way owners are viewed, people think we can do whatever we want, with all the sorts of issues that are out there. Because that’s not true,” Irsay continued. “This is not what we stand for, this sort of thing. I mean, it’s absolutely not. So the league’s very important to me. I’ve been taught by founders of the league and, like I said, Lamar [of the Chiefs] and Wellington [Giants] and Dan Rooney [Steelers] that you do what’s best for the Colts but what’s best for the league, too. You have to protect the shield to protect the league, and I don’t like to see the shield damaged. And right now, the shield is taking some damage from all this.”

For reference, this is some of what Irsay said during a 15-minute press gaggle. 

“I just believe in the workplace today — the standard that the shield stands for in the NFL — that you have to stand for that and protect that. I just think once owners talk amongst each other, they’ll arrive at the right decision…” he said via the Athletic’s Zak Keefer. “My belief is… unfortunately, I believe, that’s the road we have to go down. We just need to finish the investigation. But it’s greatly concerning to me the things that have occurred there over the last 20 years.” 

Cowboys

It’s looking increasingly likely that the Cowboys will get QB Dak Prescott back for Week 7 against the Lions, and it will be interesting to see how the offense changes. They had a lot of success not asking backup QB Cooper Rush to do too much, leaning on their ground game and defense to win games. Prescott can do a lot more but the question will be if the Cowboys should ask him to. 

“We’ll just have to take it week by week,” Cowboys OC Kellen Moore said via the Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Certainly, I think we were fortunate to be in a situation with (Rush) where the volume and the adjustments that go into a game plan, we were able to continue to carry those. We’re fortunate to have two veteran guys in that room that can handle those things. Certainly, we’ll be able to continue that whenever the time comes for Dak. We certainly know the talent that Dak is and the ability he has and we’ll be able to take advantage of some of those things.”

Giants

• NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton reports LT Andrew Thomas is dealing with an injured elbow as opposed to an ankle issue. 
• Giants HC Brian Daboll said WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring) isn’t a candidate to be placed on injured reserve and is improving with his recovery. (Connor Hughes)