Commanders
Commanders HC Ron Rivera commented on the importance of the team re-signing WR Terry McLaurin, who they believe can improve the standing of their organization both on and off the field.
“He’s an organizational signing,” Rivera said, via John Keim of ESPN. “It impacts not just the football side but the business side. It tells people we want to retain young men of this stature; we want young men of this magnitude out there representing our organization.”
Rivera also spoke about the changes within the organization over the past two years and getting rid of those in key positions who have been accused of sexual harassment.
“As I ask, please don’t judge us from, ‘This happened at this point in time,'” Rivera said. “We’re going forward. We’re changing things. We’re trying to do the best we can. I know some people don’t think it matters, but it does matter. It shows you can change, you can adapt, you can make things better. You can correct your mistakes, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re correcting our mistakes; we’re getting a lot of support.”
“We’re doing the best we can putting the best players in position so we can build something we can all be proud of,” Rivera added. “I get a little upset about it because I get it, it’s a news item. What we do on the field is important; that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re not trying to say what happened isn’t important because it is. It’s something we need to make sure societally going forward we don’t let those things happen again so we’re doing everything we can to make sure we are better.”
McLaurin himself noted that the team’s leaders, including himself, are looking forward to the future.
“We trust coach Rivera’s vision and how he leads us,” McLaurin said. “He does a great job handling it and taking all the pressure on from outside voices. … We represent the organization the best way we can on and off the field. We take that seriously. It comes with work and, honestly, transparency and working hard as a collective group and building unity. Coach Rivera allows us to focus on the field. We understand what’s going on outside; we want to focus on where we’re heading.”
Cowboys
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs had the most interceptions of any player since Cowboys CB Everson Walls also had 11 in 1981. But Diggs also was credited by some sites like Pro Football Focus with over 1,000 yards given up in coverage, giving him a reputation as a boom or bust player. His teammate, Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, says the good far outweighs the bad and the perception of Diggs ought to match that.
“That’s what makes the player he is: his confidence, his willingness to go after the ball,” Parsons said via Jori Epstein of USA TODAY Sports. “I’ve seen a lot of corners not give up yards, but their teams aren’t winning games. This league is about how many times you can get the ball back, and you get the ball back with turnovers. I’d take that any day of the week.”
Giants
Some optimism for the Giants’ offense in 2022 is starting to build, as New York hired HC Brian Daboll and OC Mike Kafka to overhaul that side of the ball. They’re coming from two of the most explosive offenses in football the past few seasons in Buffalo and Kansas City respectively, and third-string QB Davis Webb says the Giants’ offense will be a blend of both.
“It’s a good combination of both. Obviously, the meat is probably in Buffalo, but there are some serious potatoes there in Kansas City,” Webb said in a podcast from the team website. “They’ve had some great offenses, obviously led by Pat [Mahomes], Andy Reid, Mike, there’s been a lot of good offensive minds over there. It’s kind of fun to learn new concepts, new ways of doing it, and Kafka has done a really good job installing it.”
- The Athletic’s Dan Duggan currently expects Kafka to be the offensive play-caller, citing Giants GM Joe Schoen‘s comments that he’d prefer Daboll focus on managing the game as a first-time head coach and not overloading himself with calling plays as well.
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