Division Links: Daniel Jones injury paves the way for Colt McCoy; Jalen Hurts getting 1st team reps in Philly; BtB bemoans bad coaching

Blogging the Boys

What we should know about the Cowboys coaching staff and why they’re the reason this team is failing

The Cowboys have endured a lot of problems this season, but the new coaching staff is one of them.

One of my favorite sports quotes comes from Peyton Manning who once said,

“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear something like that from Manning as he was so detailed in his approach. He had a feel for how the play was going to go down before the ball was snapped.

When you look at this Cowboys team, there is so much disorder that it’s easy to see why certain areas struggle on a regular basis. On defense, this chaos exists in spades. To be fair on the coaches, this does not include instances where the opponent slips through the hands of a would-be tackler or times when a ball-carrier simply outruns a defensive back to the corner of the end zone. Those are talent issues. You want those problems fixed, find better talent.

What is more concerning are the mental lapses this team exhibits time and time again. The defense has been abused in the running game repeatedly because linebackers don’t know what gaps they’re supposed to be filling. And heaven forbid the opposing offense sends a guy in motion, as now they’ve completely perplexed the defense. The Cowboys might as well have Jaylon Smith follow him in motion and just run completely off the field over to the sideline because we already know he’s been taken out of the play.

The degree of which this team is being outsmarted was heavily emphasized in the Washington game. To Washington’s credit, they were crafty in their play designs, but we all expected that. It’s really disheartening to just watch the Cowboys lose the play before the ball is snapped, but it happened over and over again on Thursday. It’s as if the team continuously falls for the “gotcher nose” trick, which is a sure sign that something is not right upstairs. We want to believe this is part of the growing pains of the changes within the coaching, but we have to leave ourselves open to the possibility that the coaching itself is not good.

There have been numerous examples where it doesn’t seem like McCarthy has a good feel for the flow of the game.... The fourth down plays against Washington on Thursday are microcosms for what’s been transpiring all year. All show and no substance.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Report: Jalen Hurts expected to receive increased playing time at quarterback

Changes to the Eagles’ quarterback dynamic.

Jalen Hurts is “expected to receive increased playing time at quarterback” during the Eagles’ Week 12 game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport. RapSheet specifically notes that, unlike in previous Hurts packages, there will be plays where Wentz isn’t on the field. More details:

It’s unlikely that Hurts, the second-round Heisman finalist from Oklahoma and Alabama, will get to take an entire series. More likely, it will be two or three plays at a time. But, based on the game plan and the week of practice, he should see his most significant snaps yet. [...] One source cautioned that outside factors can cause things to change on gameday. But this has been the plan all week. Hurts likely has a package of plays to choose from, though head coach Doug Pederson would not commit to it this week.

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Big Blue View

Daniel Jones injury: Jones injures right hamstring

Colt McCoy on at quarterback
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones went down with an apparent right hamstring injury with 10:02 left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He was replaced at quarterback by Colt McCoy. This marked McCoy’s first snaps of the season.

“Just felt it on that play and didn’t feel like I could get a lot on it really or do what I needed to do to be effective and move the ball and throw it accurately,” Jones said. “Just look to rehab it, do whatever I can to heal it up as fast as I can.”

Jones will go for tests on Monday. ESPN is reporting that the Giants believe the hamstring injury is “pretty bad.”

“I’m certainly not discouraged. I think it’s tough to tell exactly what it is right now, so we’ll get back and examine it,” Jones said. “I’m excited to win and get the win and be a part of that, so certainly not discouraged at all and understand I’ve got to do what I can to get healthy, recover it, recover from it and get back on the field. But certainly want to be out there and it’s tough not being out there, but feels great to get a win.”

Jones praised the work of McCoy, who went 6 of 10 down the stretch in helping the Giants secure a third straight victory.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Report: Jeffrey Lurie is frustrated with the Eagles and he did not attend the Browns game

Philadelphia’s owner appears to be losing patience.

First of all, I’d like to say that Lurie not wanting to travel to Cleveland during a pandemic to watch his awful Eagles team is very relatable. I wouldn’t want to do that, either! The on-field product is miserable right now. The long-term direction of the franchise isn’t looking any better. There doesn’t appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.

And so it’s entirely understandable why Lurie is frustrated. That he is, though, is certainly not good news for the likes of Doug Pederson and/or Howie Roseman. One would think Lurie’s disappointment is going to result in major changes this offseason. It might reach the point where he decides to clean house. A fresh start might be the only way to fix this mess.