Cowboys

Former Browns HC Mike Pettine spoke at length about joining the Cowboys to assist DC Christian Parker as the team continued to struggle against the Packers on Sunday Night Football. 

“When somebody you care about reaches out, I just felt I just needed to answer the call,” Mike Pettine said, via The Athletic. “I knew. It was just, you know, it’s been some tough circumstances. When somebody you care about, a friend that’s in need and asks for some help, you answer the call. Just clearly support, just advise him. I think we’ll build a lot of the stuff together, we’ll gameplan along with the staff. I just feel like my experience there, having gone against a lot of these opponents over time and kind of built books on most of these offensive coordinators, just feel I’ll be able to help that way. Game day, I’ll just be up top as another set of eyes for him to bounce things off of, offer suggestions. I think the role will just kind of grow as it goes, but like I said, I’m just trying to get up and running.”

“I think I can help a lot,” Pettine added. “It’s funny, I have a big four-inch thick book of what not to do, and a very thin one of what to do. So I think that’s key, is to be able to learn from others’ mistakes. As much as you think you’re prepared for it, you’re really not until you get into it. And I think that’s where I’ll be able to help him. One thing I learned a long time ago is football’s a game of a million little things. There’s no one magic play to run, it’s a lot of the detail stuff. Just been taking a lot of notes. It’s not like it’s something that, ‘Hey, we’re going to do these 30 things different today,’ but it’s things that need to get addressed. I think I got a pretty good feel now for the roster. Part of the plan needs to be, ‘Hey, let’s highlight what we do well,’ and make sure we gear that towards taking away just typical game plan staff, take away what the opponent does well. It’s a lot of little things.”

“CP knows me well enough that when I say something, some other people might be a bit shocked by it, and he just knows who I am,” Pettine concluded. “He’ll understand where I’m coming from. I’ll make some suggestions, and when we get behind closed doors, if I need to have some tough conversations, we’ll do it as I’ve always done with him or with other coaches. I don’t see that part of it being an issue. I have a lot of respect for him and everything that he’s done. That’s why it was easy to not just answer CP’s call, but his.”

Eagles

Eagles QB Tanner McKee was asked if he was mentally prepared for his first start now that QB Jalen Hurts will miss the remainder of the season. It remains to be seen whether McKee will hold onto the job with QB Cole Payton behind him and other options the team could consider. 

“As a backup quarterback, that’s the mindset you have to have,” McKee said, via NFL.com. “At any moment, you have to be ready to play on a Sunday. It could be the first play, it could be the last play. It’s kind of a luxury for me to have the ‘1’ [starter] reps in practice and just running the meetings or whatever it is. It’s kind of a luxury for me as a backup to have a week to prepare like that.”

“Every opportunity you get to play is a huge opportunity, especially being a sixth-round pick,” McKee added. “Every opportunity is a huge opportunity. I’m obviously very excited and ready to make the most of it. Somebody said pressure is a privilege, and I really think that’s true. I think it’s great. And just in this position, you’ve got to love to compete. And the reason I’ve been training, the reason I put in the extra time, the reason [behind] all those extra reps are for an opportunity like this. And so I’m ready and excited to make the best of this.”

Giants

Giants HC John Harbaugh was asked whether he would consider replacing veteran starter Jameis Winston with J.J. McCarthy, who nearly sparked a comeback win that ultimately fell short on Sunday after he ended what appeared to be a blowout for Winston.

“I can’t answer that now,” Harbaugh said, via NFL.com. “It’s not even up for discussion or conversation right now. We’ve got to go back and go to work. I have no problem with Jameis whatsoever. I love the way he competes, I love the way he fights — all those kind of things. His play was up and down today, for sure, but those things will all be decided not 10 minutes after a game.”

“I thought he came in there and did a heck of a job given the circumstances,” Harbaugh added. “Kind of desperation time. It’s different than normal football. But he made some plays and gave us a chance at the end to win the game.”

“I myself, personally, just left a lot of plays out there that I could have executed better on,” Winston said.

“Not pleased when you lose,” McCarthy noted. “But I was just really proud of the guys around me just responding and always keeping that belief that we can go win this thing. That’s going to be huge going down the stretch.”