NFC Notes: Leighton Vander Esch, Emmanuel Forbes, Commanders, Cowboys, Giants

Commanders

Commanders HC Ron Rivera commented on the strong game that rookie CB Emmanuel Forbes had in Week 9.

“Forbes had a good day yesterday,” Rivera said during a press conference, via Pro Football Talk. “He played with a little bit more confidence, he’s doing a lot of things that we asked for. Like I said though, he’s got a ways to go. There’s some detailed things that he has to pay attention to, he must pay attention to if he’s going to be a really good player in this league.”

Cowboys

• Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck injury): “That’s still a question mark as to when or will he come back this year. I think that’s a work in progress. But it certainly won’t be this week, or for that matter, probably (not) in the next couple of weeks.” (Jon Machota)

Giants

Giants S Xavier McKinney told reporters that the leaders on the team don’t feel as if they are being heard this season.

“Honestly, it sucks. But, I don’t know, man. I don’t really have many words. I think that from a leadership standpoint, I don’t think they’ve done a great job of letting the leaders lead, and listening to the leaders and the captains,” McKinney said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN. “But obviously it sucks losing. It’s just been tough. I don’t want to speak on it too much, but that has been my frustration. It’s tough losing your quarterback. We tried to fight through it but we couldn’t. It was little things. It was one of those things where you have some of your leaders, captains from a defensive standpoint, trying to switch things up. And just not really being heard. I don’t know. There are other things too that we could’ve done. Like I said, the execution stuff could’ve been better. But when you got guys out there that are playing and seeing different things and are being vocal and communicating that with the coaches and whoever and are not being heard, it’s hard to go out there and be able to make plays and do things of that nature.”

Many in the locker room, including DL Dexter Lawrence, questioned the trade of defensive captain DL Leonard Williams to the Seahawks.

“I didn’t see why. I still don’t understand why,” Lawrence II said. “It is what it is.”

McKinney insisted that he and his teammates remain united despite leaders like QB Daniel Jones, TE Darren Waller, and K Graham Gano all injured. 

“At the end of the day, the guys that are actually between those lines, we’re still the ones that have to go out there and compete and play hard,” McKinney said. “We have to stick together. There is not going to be any breakage to the guys in this locker room. We’re not going to fold. We’re going to keep playing and be vocal about the things that we see and hopefully we can make changes.

• Jeremy Fowler reports that Giants RT Evan Neal suffered a sprained left ankle against the Raiders.