NFC East

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was named as the replacement for Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp in the 2022 Pro Bowl on Monday.

Lamb was initially listed as an alternate to the game, but his eventual selection become apparent when Kupp and Deebo Samuel were both in the NFC Championship Game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans was already named a replacement for Davante Adams in the yearly All-Star exhibition. 

Lamb recorded 79 receptions for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns in 16 regular-season appearances. The second-year star overtook Amari Cooper as Dak Prescott's top option in a powerful Cowboys offense that led the NFL in total yards.

Unfortunately for Lamb, his first taste of the postseason was a bust. He finished with just one catch for 21 yards as the Cowboys were upset at home by the San Francisco 49ers.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs, guard Zack Martin, offensive tackle Tyron Smith, linebacker Micah Parsons and punter Bryan Anger were previously named among the Cowboys' Pro Bowlers. Their six total Pro Bowlers trail only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, who have eight and seven selections, respectively. 

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers also have six players selected to the game. 

The New York Giants reportedly plan to keep defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to work under new head coach Brian Daboll, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Daboll confirmed the news at his press conference Monday.

"The players respect him," the new coach said of Graham.

The only holdup could be if Graham earns a head coaching job, with the 43-year-old "still in the mix" for the Minnesota Vikings opening, per Rapoport.

If he is not hired by Minnesota, Graham would remain in New York after spending the past two seasons as the team's defensive coordinator and assistant head coach under Joe Judge.

Graham also spent 2016 and '17 with the Giants as the defensive line coach, coinciding with the organization's last playoff berth in 2016. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reported ownership "loves" the coach, which likely contributes to him remaining on staff.

Prior to his first stint in New York, Graham spent seven years with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick, serving as a defensive line and linebackers coach after starting as an assistant. From 2013-15, he was on the same staff as Daboll, who was the Patriots' tight ends coach.

Daboll went on to become the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017—the Crimson Tide won the national championship that season—before running the Buffalo Bills offense the past four years. The squad was in the top three in points scored in each of the last two seasons.

Graham hasn't had as much success as a defensive coordinator, including one failed season with the Miami Dolphins when his team finished dead last in points allowed in 2019. Things went much better in 2020 with the Giants when the team ranked ninth in points allowed and 12th in yards allowed.

The unit regressed this past season (23rd in points allowed), but still ranked 15th against the pass and tied for 14th in takeaways. 

Keeping Graham should maintain some continuity for a squad that has had a lot of staff turnover in recent years. Daboll will be the fifth different permanent head coach for the Giants in eight seasons, featuring just one playoff appearance in this stretch.   

The campaign to get Deion Sanders to the Dallas Cowboys is gaining more momentum, with former All-Pro running back Eddie George telling TMZ Sports that it would be a good move:

I don't think that's far-fetched. Prime has done an amazing job so far at Jackson State. In fact, he's been coaching for quite some time, not just in college but high school, little league, so he's been doing it for some years now and he's a culture-changer. He knows what he wants; he's been very successful in all levels. He's a winner. So I think it's a good fit.

George ended his playing career with the Cowboys in 2004 and has gotten into coaching himself, coming off his first season at Tennessee State.

Sanders has found even more success on the sidelines in his two years at Jackson State, leading the squad to an 11-2 record in 2021 while winning the Eddie Robinson Award as the best head coach in FCS. He notably secured a commitment from the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class in cornerback Travis Hunter.

The 54-year-old also has an obvious connection to the Cowboys after spending five years of his Hall of Fame career with the team, helping Dallas win its most recent Super Bowl title during the 1995 season.

Sanders would certainly provide a jolt to an organization that hasn't reached the conference championship since he was playing.

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal suggested the same on The Big Podcast With Shaq last week (h/t TMZ).

"You want to get Dallas back rocking, bring Deion to the fold," Shaq said. "Deion will hold those players accountable. Deion Sanders for the next Cowboys coach."

The Cowboys already have a coach at the moment in Mike McCarthy, but the calls for Sanders might be enough for owner Jerry Jones to consider a change.

Newly hired New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll released a statement to the team's fanbase soon after Big Blue brought the 46-year-old aboard on Friday:

New regime pic.twitter.com/9qQQ6toaVV

— New York Giants (@Giants) January 29, 2022

The ex-Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator replaces Joe Judge, who went 10-23 in two seasons before the Giants parted ways with the former New England Patriots special teams coordinator following New York's 4-13 campaign in 2021.

New York has been marked by coaching instability, with the team firing a head coach every other year since the 2017 season. Ben McAdoo lasted 28 games (13-15) before Pat Shurmur was axed after his two seasons (9-23).

Judge's Giants showed promise at the tail end of the 2020 campaign, but the 2021 team collapsed down the stretch when it lost its last six games.

A season-ending neck injury to quarterback Daniel Jones played a part in the Giants' futility, but they still lost each of those games by 11 or more points.

They ultimately finished second-to-last in scoring each of the last two seasons, and the team's performance on that front will be a point of emphasis for Daboll, who will be the Giants' fourth head coach in six seasons.

New York can only hope he brings stability and success a la Bill Parcells or Tom Coughlin, who won two Super Bowls each.

This won't be an easy task for Daboll. The Giants have missed the playoffs nine of the last 10 years. They have lost 10 or more games in each of their last five seasons, going 22-57 since 2017.

After the season, general manager Dave Gettleman retired, and the Giants soon parted ways with Judge afterward.

Now New York has hired ex-Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen to lead football operations, and he has chosen Daboll to work hand-in-hand with him in hopes of leading this team to brighter days.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has accepted the New York Giants' offer to become their next head coach, the team announced on Friday. 

Earlier in the evening, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Giants were "working to hire" Daboll as their new head coach and that "the two sides will attempt to do a deal" that would reunite the OC with Joe Schoen, the ex-Bills assistant general manager who took the Giants' GM job earlier this month.

One source told me the other day that Daboll intended to hire recently fired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale as his Giants DC if he got this job. Pat Graham is under contract, but he is being pursued for DC & HC jobs elsewhere, too. https://t.co/oF9lSA1Z1M

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) January 28, 2022

Daboll was considered a finalist for the open Miami Dolphins' head coaching job, but SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported Friday that the Fins no longer expected the Bills' OC to be available when they begin their second round of interviews.

Daboll beat out a candidate group for the Giants job that included ex-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and Bills defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Leslie Frazier. He replaces Joe Judge, who Big Blue parted ways with after two seasons (10-23).

This move has been a long time coming after Daboll helped transform Buffalo's offense.

The Bills didn't go above and beyond on that side of the ball in 2019. They finished 24th in yards (330.2) and 23rd in points (19.6), and Football Outsiders ranked them 22nd in offensive efficiency.

Still, Daboll was generating buzz as a possible candidate to fill any of the coaching vacancies across the NFL.

Not surprised by this at all. I’ve been told Daboll is exceptionally prepared and clear about his vision when he has interviewed for previous roles. https://t.co/J4Jk3xvVfy

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 11, 2020

In my mind, Daboll is the head coach candidate not enough people are talking about. Been around Belichick and Saban to watch program-building. Has smartly shaped this offense around the skill sets of his players. Has helped Josh Allen SO much. And his guys love playing for him.

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) January 4, 2020

The 46-year-old stayed in Buffalo, though, which proved to be a shrewd move.

Josh Allen enjoyed a massive leap in his third season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. He threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns as his completion percentage soared from 58.8 to 69.2. Stefon Diggs also led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) while hauling in eight touchdown grabs.

"I hate to give him so much credit because I don't want anyone to steal him from me," Diggs told reporters of Daboll in December 2020.

As a team, the Bills tied for second in yards (396.4) and had sole possession of second in points (31.3).

They fell back to earth a bit in 2021, piling up 381.9 yards per game and finishing 10th in offensive efficiency at Football Outsiders. That slight step backward coincided with what appeared to be a rift growing between Daboll and head coach Sean McDermott.

Still, fans of the franchise haven't seen an attack this lethal since the early 1990s when Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed led the way. A 47-17 victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Round proved cathartic as the offense rolled up 482 yards and seven touchdowns.

The #Bills just put up an offensive performance that is nearly unprecedented in NFL history.

Their drives went TD, TD, TD, TD, half, TD, TD, TD, end.

No punts, no turnovers, no FGs. A game like this hasn’t happened since the 1940s, if ever. Not enough data on those games. pic.twitter.com/jJV5nXT6tg

— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) January 16, 2022

The Bills followed that up with 36 points (five touchdowns) and 422 yards in a 42-36 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.

Prior to arriving in Buffalo, he worked on Bill Belichick's staff and was Nick Saban's co-offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017. A connection to either of those coaches is often enough to generate a level of skepticism because of how frequently former Belichick or Saban staffers have fallen short of expectations on their own.

There's no guarantee Daboll will deliver for the Giants. His work with the Bills earned him this shot, though. His overall body of work didn't go unnoticed.

Derek Anderson played under Daboll with the Bills and Cleveland Browns and explained to The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn how much he has improved with the benefit of experience:

I really enjoyed watching him grow as a play caller. You know, he's a friend, obviously, I'll text him after games or call and chat for a little bit. I'll ask him how he thought he did or whatever, but I think he's just grown. You know, it sometimes takes time. He and I were together early on. I think it was the first time he'd ever been a coordinator and it was kind of his way or the highway in the beginning. And now, you can tell him and Josh are on the same page. They're talking through concepts, talking through things going into the week, making sure that they're both on the same page. And I think that's huge.

For a long time, hiring the guy in charge of the Bills offense wouldn't have generated much excitement within a fanbase. But Daboll's arrival should go over well among those who follow the Giants.

While many Giants fans have given up on Daniel Jones, the team may be willing to extend the 2019 first-round pick one more chance. Jones' contract has one more guaranteed year remaining, and working under Daboll could get his development back on track.

In the event New York is willing to cut bait on Jones and use one of its top-10 picks on a quarterback, the onus will be on Daboll to put him in a position to thrive right out of the gate.

After pulling himself out of consideration for a head-coaching job earlier this week, Dan Quinn has signed a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News that Quinn received a multiyear extension to remain the team's defensive coordinator.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday that Quinn informed teams he was going to stay with the Cowboys for the 2022 season. 

According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Chicago Bears were among six teams that expressed interest in Quinn as their head coach. 

Quinn had a successful first season as Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2021. They led the NFL in Football Outsiders' weighted defensive DVOA and ranked seventh in points allowed (21.1 per game). 

Despite having a lot of outside interest for head-coaching jobs, Jones sounds very confident Quinn will be in Dallas for a long time beyond 2022.

"I believe that very much. I know this, he's staying and being our coordinator for years to come. I know that he was the busiest coordinator out here being interviewed for jobs," Jones told 105.3 The Fan's K&C Masterpiece. "And yes, I would say that specifically. It's a real compliment to Mike, it's a compliment to us, it's a compliment to the organization."

Prior to being hired by Dallas, Quinn spent the previous six seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He led the team to back-to-back playoff berths in 2016 and 2017, including an appearance in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots.

The Falcons fired Quinn after an 0-5 start in 2020. He went 43-42 overall during his tenure in Atlanta.

Quinn also spent two seasons as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks during the Legion of Boom era in 2013-14. The Seahawks led the NFL in scoring defense both seasons and won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013. 

The Cowboys won the NFC East with a 12-5 record this season, but they were eliminated from the playoffs in the NFC Wild Card Game by the San Francisco 49ers.    

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he's made no contact with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who stepped down from that role on Tuesday.

Jones told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News the Payton situation wasn't a factor in the team's evaluation of its own coaching staff following the 2021 season.

"I understand the speculation. Sean is an outstanding coach. But I haven't talked to him and am not in any way part of his departure there in New Orleans," Jones said Friday. "He didn't have any place in anything I'm doing regarding our staff."

The Cowboys' longtime owner also told Moore the status of head coach Mike McCarthy was "never in question" and the hope was to keep the staff intact, though defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore attracted outside interest.

"My goal was to keep the continuity of this group together. We met many times face-to-face with Dan, myself and Mike, to coordinate and talk to him," Jones said. "We were very much in a competitive environment because we felt Dan did have the opportunity to be a head coach."

Quinn informed interested teams Thursday he was sticking with the Cowboys, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Moore has a second interview scheduled with the Miami Dolphins about their head coaching vacancy, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Dallas won the NFC East with a 12-5 record during the regular season, but it was eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in the opening round of the playoffs.

While the quick exit raised questions about McCarthy's status, Jones is trying to push aside rumors the coach's status was in jeopardy before the focus shifts to the 2022 campaign.

McCarthy has compiled an 18-15 record in two years with the Cowboys after going 125-77-2 across 13 years leading the Green Bay Packers' staff, highlighted by a Super Bowl XLV title.

Meanwhile, Payton posted a 152-89 mark during his 15-year tenure with the Saints and won a championship in Super Bowl XLIV.

The 58-year-old California native said stepping down from the Saints didn't represent a retirement from coaching, but also noted he wasn't planning an immediate return to the sideline in 2022.

"I don't know what's next—and it kind of feels good," Payton told reporters. "But, man, I felt like it was time. ... But not with any regret. There's some excitement, like, 'All right, what's next?'"

Jones' comments should quiet the speculation in the short term, but the rumors of Payton potentially taking over in Dallas will likely return if the Cowboys fall short of expectations next season.

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly hoping to interview former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores about their head coaching vacancy following the departure of Sean Payton.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday it's unclear whether the Saints will get that chance with Flores among the final candidates to fill the New York Giants' opening:

Saints plan to interview former Dolphins’ HC Brian Flores, who is a finalist for the NY Giants HC job, per source.

First things first, though; a decision from the NY Giants on their head coach is expected this weekend, and Flores is one of their finalists.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2022

Payton stepped aside Tuesday after 15 years leading the New Orleans staff. The 58-year-old California native said it's not a formal retirement but rather a chance to explore other avenues while keeping the door open to coach again in the future.

"I don't know what's next—and it kind of feels good," he told reporters. "But, man, I felt like it was time. ... But not with any regret. There's some excitement, like, 'All right, what's next?'"

He leaves a significant void after compiling a 152-89 regular-season record with the Saints. His teams also went 9-8 in the playoffs, highlighted by winning the Super Bowl XLIV title.

Meanwhile, Flores was the most surprising head coach firing of the current cycle.

Even though he posted a 24-25 record and didn't reach the playoffs across three years, he was coming off back-to-back winning seasons and generally seemed to have the Dolphins moving in a positive direction.

So it's no surprise he's become a popular candidate elsewhere. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported Thursday the Giants' search has come down to Flores and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, with Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier as a sleeper.

It sounds like if New York opts for one of the Buffalo assistants, the Saints are prepared to swoop in to make Flores a key part of their search.

The 40-year-old New York City native won four Super Bowl titles across 15 years in the New England Patriots organization (2004-2018), first in the scouting department then as an assistant coach.

More recently, he finished third in the Associated Press' Coach of the Year voting in 2020 after guiding the Dolphins to a 10-6 record.

Flores is a strong bet to land another head coaching job before next season gets underway.

Dallas Cowboys brass has assured head coach Mike McCarthy that his job is safe in the aftermath of New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton's retirement, per Jori Epstein of USA Today:

The assurance came as early as in conversations after the Cowboys' 23-17 wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers and as recently as this week after Saints coach Sean Payton announced he was stepping down, a person with knowledge of the conversations told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose the information.

McCarthy led Dallas to a 12-5 record and the NFC East title in his second season with the Cowboys before the division champs fell 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers in a game they trailed 23-7 prior to a late comeback attempt.

The 58-year-old previously led the Green Bay Packers from 2006-2018, winning Super Bowl XLV in Feb. 2011.

The ugly loss to end the season created speculation that McCarthy could be fired, and team owner/general manager Jerry Jones didn't outright give his coach a vote of confidence after the loss.

"I don't even want to discuss anything like that at this particular time," Jones said, per NFL.com, after ESPN's Ed Werder asked if a coaching change could be on the table. "That's not on the table. The game speaks for itself."

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones later cleared the air on 105.3 The Fan, saying that he "absolutely" thought McCarthy would be back for a third year.

However, as Epstein noted, Jones once again did not fully endorse McCarthy when asked about the coach's status on 105.3 The Fan last Friday:

I'm not going to get into any conversations that I've had with anybody relative to anything to do with the staff. So I've got a lot to think about regarding these coaches. I've got a lot to think about regarding these scouts. I've got a lot to think about regarding various aspects of this organization.

Payton served as the Cowboys' assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003-05 before moving on to serve as the Saints' head coach.

After his retirement, a connection to the Cowboys became a natural link.

"You don't have to connect many dots to see Payton coaching the Cowboys, which is something Jones has thought long and hard about numerous times since losing Payton to New Orleans in 2006," ESPN's Todd Archer wrote.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also reported that Payton nearly became Dallas' coach in 2019.

That never happened, and it appears Payton isn't interested in coaching Dallas (or anywhere) in 2022 at least.

Payton: “I don’t like the word retirement.” Says he still has a vision for doing things in football.

“That could be coaching again in the future, but that’s not where my heart is at all right now”

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) January 25, 2022

For now, McCarthy is still leading the Cowboys as they look to improve upon their 2021 season.

They got some good news Thursday when Archer reported that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who oversaw a unit that improved from 28th to seventh in points per game in his first season with the team, would be returning to Dallas.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is staying put.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Quinn withdrew his name from consideration for head-coaching vacancies Thursday and will return to Dallas in 2022. Six teams requested interviews with the former Atlanta Falcons coach, who was responsible for the Cowboys' 180-degree defensive turnaround this season.

Dallas finished the regular season with an NFL-high 34 defensive takeaways. Eleven of those came on Trevon Diggs interceptions, with the second-year cornerback emerging as a first-team All-Pro. The Cowboys also hit a home run with Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite Micah Parsons, who moved all over the field in Quinn's defense. 

While Quinn's work in revamping the Dallas defense made him a hot name in coaching circles, it's fair to wonder whether he'll have the same cachet a year from now. Forced turnovers tend to be a high-variable statistic year-over-year, and a regression to the mean with takeaways could hurt a defense that ranked in the middle of the pack in yards against.

The Falcons went 43-42 in Quinn's six seasons as Falcons coach, and few teams were beating down his door a year ago for head-coaching jobs. It's possible Dallas will make a deep run to the playoffs in 2022 and Quinn stays in the must-hire category, but teams may look at his resume with more scrutiny if the defense regresses.