NFC Notes: John Lynch, 49ers, Cardinals, Colt McCoy, Rams

49ers

Regarding the possibility of joining the broadcast booth for Thursday Night Football this season, 49ers GM John Lynch said that he felt a duty to remain with San Francisco at the end of last season. 

“I remember vividly being up there and saying, ‘I can’t leave these guys here,'” Lynch said, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “I’m telling them here’s what it’s gonna take … Right then is when I knew.”

Lynch feels the “demand” of winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers. 

“I feel like it’s a demand,” Lynch said. “It kills me. Like, I can’t even tell you.”

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said he’s encouraged Lynch to make the best choice for him and his family. 

“All I tried to tell him was when you have opportunities like this, like that’s too much to not make the right decision for you and your family,” Shanahan said. “Don’t just do something because you feel loyal to the Niners or loyal to me. It never was about the money really for John … it’s because he really loves being a part of a team. We love him here. I think he loves being here and hope he’s here for a long time.”

Cardinals

Cardinals QB Colt McCoy said that he is always preparing for his opportunity to play following Kyler Murray‘s knee injury.

“I’ve played for a long time and you’ve always got to be ready. You never want to see the guy in front of you go down. You just don’t,” McCoy said, via Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities in my career, I’ve gotten injured, so I’m thankful to be on this team and on this squad. I love the guys that we have. We’ve battled injuries all year long and the guys that are going to go in there, they’re going to fight until the very end. I don’t think there’s any more you can ask for and I’d be proud to go lead them.”

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury thinks that McCoy will benefit from a full week of practice after entering Monday night’s game in a pinch. 

“(Monday) had some tough breaks. I think with a week of preparation when he gets the reps, he’s really confident. He’s played at a high level and not easy to come in there and play the game and try to execute like that but I thought he gave us a chance,” Kingsbury said. “We just weren’t able to make some plays there in some critical situations.”

McCoy doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove as a player 

“I don’t think I have anything to prove. I think I’ve just got to go out there and play good football. Distribute the ball, keep us in third-and-manageable situations, and score touchdowns in the red zone,” McCoy said.

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay doesn’t want injuries or roster turnover to be an excuse for their struggles this season. 

“I think more than anything, you make the convenient excuses of these injuries or whatever,” McVay said, via RamsWire. “It’s wasting your emotional energy on things that you have no control over. Knowing and feeling are very different things and I’ve learned that this year more than ever. But I do think that being around people that have a similar approach and being able to be authentic, be real, but then being able to keep it moving and not dwell on that stuff I think has been at least a healthy balance for me. But it’s all about being surrounded by the people.”

McVay was pleased to see how the team responded to their Week 13 loss to the Seahawks by defeating the Raiders in the following game. 

“The easiest way to be reset is to see the way that these guys come back in the building consistently, even after some of the setbacks,” McVay said. “I can’t tell you how impressed I was where you see the energy that was expended on the Sunday game against Seattle and to see these guys come back in here on Tuesday and Wednesday and work the way that they did, be locked in in meetings, be intentional about the walkthroughs or even the practice that we had on Wednesday, and then see them go perform the way that they did. That to me, when you’re reminded of that, that’s easy to get up for those guys.”