Cowboys
Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown returned from injured reserve ahead of Week 11’s Monday Night win over the Raiders. He reflected on playing with a heavy heart following the death of his teammate and close friend Marshawn Kneeland.
“Being around my brothers helped a lot. It kept me smiling the whole game and I was doing what I do — keeping the energy up and running around,” Overshown said, via Patrik Walker of the team’s site. “We’ve been telling ourselves for the past week and a half that we’re playing for him. If it takes seeing that jersey on the sideline to remember what we’re doing, our brother is on the sideline with us, whether that’s figuratively or spiritually. He’s there, so having his jersey out there is the least we can do. We know Marshawn is out there on the field with us.”
As for his return from a torn ACL, Overshown said he remained confident in his abilities and understands he needs to make plays.
“Look, it’s really been every day. I give myself situations and challenges to overcome,” Overshown said. “Throughout this whole process, I knew I was going to be a football player again. I knew I was going to be the linebacker I was before. It was just, ‘How do I attack every day to get back to that point?’ It’s a confidence thing, knowing that you’re one of those dudes that’s supposed to make that play and then go make that play.”
Overshown feels their Monday Night win was the first time their defense played as a collective unit this season.
“That was the first time the defense played together,” Overshown said. “It’s only up from here. I already know what our offense is gonna do, but the defense is only up from here.”
Eagles
The Eagles failed to convert another bold fourth-down decision that didn’t come back to bite them in their Week 11 win over the Lions. Philadelphia HC Nick Sirianni explained his trust in the process of making those decisions
“I’ve talked to you guys about this,” Sirianni said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “Again, there’s a lot of different factors that go into it. It always starts with the players and the play that you’re calling first. Do you have faith in the players that you have? The analytics can say what it wants, but if you don’t have faith in the players to go execute it, that doesn’t give you a lot of confidence. So then, what play do you have, the players that you have and then you do it. Analytics is a piece of the puzzle. All these different things are a piece of the puzzle. Your past successes, the league studies that you do, all these things play into that. I love our process.”
“Just because you have a great process doesn’t automatically mean that you’re going to convert every fourth down. I completely understand that. But we’ve got a great process with our coaches, great process figuring out how we go about attacking there, and when we go for it, I have to make those tough calls and be able to have that conviction. When you don’t convert on fourth down, it is always going to be on you as the head coach. You ultimately made that decision, and you’re not going to get a lot of praise when you get it on fourth down like, ‘Coach, great job on that decision.’ That just doesn’t go that way and that’s okay.”
- Eagles beat reporter Derrick Gunn says there are “lots of people (in the Eagles organization) that are frustrated with the QB situation,” and compared it to what they went through with Carson Wentz when they wanted to move off his big contract. (Eliot Shorr-Parks)
- When asked about a report regarding internal criticism of Jalen Hurts, Sirianni responded that anonymous rumors don’t hold any value: “When there’s not a name on it, I don’t put a lot of credence into that. Obviously, it’s not good for me to read anything. I…I don’t necessarily believe everything that’s being written. I just don’t. I’ve been around long enough to know that, so I don’t give it a lot of credence when there’s not a name. Again, just don’t fall into the trap of believing everything you see or read.” (Zach Berman)
Giants
Giants DE Abdul Carter was benched for the opening drive of Week 11’s loss to the Packers after reports emerged that he fell asleep during a walk-through at practice. Carter denies the rumor that he was sleeping and points out that he was getting treatment at the time of the walk-through after interim HC Mike Kafka changed their usual practice time.
“My mistake was an honest mistake,” Carter said, via Adam Schefter. “I own the fact that it was an honest mistake. I was getting treatment and I told Coach Kafka that, too. But to say I was sleeping at that time just wasn’t true. And it also wasn’t a trend. This was the only time it happened.”
Carter wants to own up to his mistake, but reiterated that there is no truth to the rumor that he fell asleep at practice.
“I don’t want anonymous sources to say these types of things about me that are untrue,” Carter said. “I did make a mistake, and I own up to what I did.”
- Kafka was asked if they would make any coaching staff changes this week: “I would say status quo.” (Art Stapleton)
- Kafka said OL Evan Neal was hurt during a workout, which led to his going on injured reserve. (Dan Duggan)
- Giants K Graham Gano announced on his Instagram that he underwent surgery for a herniated disc in his neck.
- Kafka confirmed that they designated RB Eric Gray to return from injured reserve, via Dan Duggan.
- Giants QB Jaxson Dart remains in the league’s concussion protocol, but Kafka said that the rookie quarterback participated in non-contact practice on Wednesday and is trending toward playing in Week 12, per Jordan Raanan.
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