NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is making a strong impression on teams in search of a new head coach. 

Per Mike Klis of 9News, Gannon had a "great" interview with the Denver Broncos when the sides met Wednesday. 

This comes after ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Friday that Gannon is considered the front-runner for the Houston Texans' job after making a "very strong impression" in his interview. 

The Broncos announced Wednesday they completed an interview with Gannon, who met with general manager George Paton and other members of the front office. 

Denver got a slight head start on its head coaching search by virtue of playing its final game of the regular season Saturday, Jan. 8. The team announced Vic Fangio's firing after three seasons the following day

In two weeks since Fangio's departure, the Broncos have met with 10 coaching candidates. Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy spoke with them Friday. 

Paton knows Gannon very well from their four seasons together with the Minnesota Vikings. Paton was their assistant general manager when Gannon worked on Mike Zimmer's staff as assistant defensive backs coach from 2014 to 2017. 

Last season was Gannon's first year as a defensive coordinator. He spent the previous three seasons as defensive backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts. 

The Eagles defense ranked in the top 11 in passing yards allowed (220.9) and rushing yards allowed (107.9) this season under Gannon. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 but lost 31-15 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round. 

Denver finished the 2021 season with a 7-10 record. The franchise has missed the playoffs in each of the past six seasons and hasn't had a winning record since 2016.    

The New York Giants are expected to interview defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their vacant head coaching job, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.  

ESPN's Jordan Raanan added that he was "told to watch" Graham as a potential candidate for the Giants since "ownership thinks highly of him."

Graham served as the Giants' DC and assistant head coach under Joe Judge from 2020-21.

Judge was fired at the conclusion of the 2021 season after going just 10-23 in two seasons. None of the Giants' past three head coaches have managed to make it beyond two years with the organization.

While the Giants struggled as a whole under Judge, it was primarily the offense that was to blame for New York's poor performance.

With Judge at the helm, the Giants ranked 31st in total offense and 31st in scoring in each of the past two seasons.

Graham's defense wasn't great in 2021, ranking 21st in total defense and 23rd in scoring, but it was among the better defenses in the NFL in 2020, finishing 12th in total yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.

In addition to having some success as the Giants' DC, Graham has a long and impressive resume as an NFL assistant coach.

He broke into the league with the New England Patriots in 2009 and remained with them through 2015 in multiple roles, winning one Super Bowl during his tenure.

Graham then spent time with the Giants and Green Bay Packers before serving as the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator for one season in 2019 and then returning to the G-Men in 2020.

Although Graham has some factors working in his favor, he may face an uphill climb in terms of being chosen as the new head coach as an in-house candidate.

Following the retirement of general manager Dave Gettleman, the Giants went outside the organization to hire former Buffalo Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen as the new general manager this week.

Per the Giants' official website, Schoen has already interviewed a pair of Bills assistants in offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

The Giants are also reportedly expected to interview former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who was fired despite leading Miami to a winning record in each of the past two seasons.

Graham has some stiff competition, but if ownership is indeed behind him, Schoen figures to give him a fair shot to win the job at the very least.

Despite a disappointing playoff performance, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn't wavering in his support of Dak Prescott. 

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan on Friday (h/t Calvin Watkins of DallasCowboys.com), Jones said "I sure do" when asked if he thinks Prescott can win a Super Bowl. 

This season was certainly a success for Prescott and the Cowboys. He was fantastic in his comeback from the compound fracture and dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 5 last year. 

Dallas finally signed Prescott to a long-term extension last offseason after he played the 2020 season on the franchise tag. He got a four-year, $160 million contract in March. 

Prescott set a franchise single-season record with 37 touchdown passes in 2021. He also ranked fourth in the NFL in completion percentage (68.8) and seventh in passing yards (4,449). 

The Cowboys won the NFC East and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018. They finished first in the NFL in total DVOA and weighted DVOA, per Football Outsiders. 

Hope was incredibly high for the Cowboys going into the playoffs, but they were unable to meet those expectations with a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card game. 

The end of the game saw the Cowboys unable to spike the ball to stop the clock before time expired after Prescott gained 17 yards on a designed quarterback run. 

Prescott finished the game 23-of-43 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The 28-year-old is now 1-3 in his playoff career with a 60.96 completion percentage, 1,048 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in four games. 

  

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made no assurances Friday that Mike McCarthy will be the team's head coach in 2022.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), Jones refused to endorse McCarthy as the team's head coach and said he would make a change if he felt it would make a difference.

Jones said he has a lot to think about regarding McCarthy and the coaching staff and that he is frustrated and upset with how the Cowboys' season ended.

Despite going 12-5, winning the NFC East and earning the No. 3 seed in the NFC, the Cowboys were ousted in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs last weekend, falling 23-17 to the visiting San Francisco 49ers.

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Dallas hired McCarthy prior to the 2020 season. While the Cowboys went 6-10 that year, he essentially got a pass since quarterback Dak Prescott missed most of the season because of injury.

The Cowboys were largely healthy in 2021, especially on offense with an impressive array of talent including Prescott, running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, wide receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, and tight end Dalton Schultz.

McCarthy also had great talent to work with on defense, such as rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs, both of whom were Pro Bowlers and first-team All-Pros.

It can be argued that the Cowboys had one of the most talented teams in football this season. However, they failed to prove they belong in the upper echelon.

Their only wins over playoff teams during the regular season came over the Philadelphia Eagles twice and the New England Patriots, and they sleepwalked through most of their playoff loss to the Niners.

McCarthy is an accomplished coach who won a Super Bowl and reached the playoffs nine times during his 13-year run with the Green Bay Packers, but the Cowboys need immediate results given that they haven't made it as far as the NFC Championship Game since 1995.

If the Cowboys fire McCarthy, his late-game decision-making against the 49ers may be partly to blame.

The Cowboys had a chance to drive for the winning score in the waning seconds, but they called a quarterback draw for Prescott even though they had no timeouts remaining.

With just 14 seconds left in regulation when the play started, the Cowboys ran out of time before they could spike the ball.

Had Dallas been able to clock the ball, it could have taken a final shot at the end zone from San Francisco's 24-yard line, potentially won the game and changed the narrative surrounding McCarthy.

Another factor Jones has to consider is that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are receiving head coaching interest from other teams. If Jones wants to consider in-house options to replace McCarthy, he can't wait long to part ways with him.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is reportedly set to undergo surgery Friday on his injured left knee.

ESPN's Todd Archer reported Gregory's knee "bothered him for a good portion of the season," though it didn't force him to miss any games, and the surgery should allow him to return for the NFL's offseason OTAs.

The 29-year-old University of Nebraska product recorded 19 total tackles, six sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception across 12 appearances during the regular season. He added four tackles in last weekend's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Gregory, who received a strong 78.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Archer noted the Cowboys "would like to re-sign" the 2015 second-round pick.

The Florida native's career has been derailed by multiple suspensions for violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy, including bans covering the entire 2017 and 2019 seasons.

In 2018, Gregory told ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill he dealt with self-esteem issues, depression, anxiety and panic attacks that stemmed from being bullied as a child, which led him to become addicted to marijuana.

"They would do things that would affect me physically and mentally," he said. "I wasn't always 6'6''. I was always taught to defend myself, but I was never one to look for trouble. I never understood why kids would mess with me."

Gregory has been an effective edge-rusher when healthy across seven years in Dallas, tallying 16.5 sacks in 38 career games.

He missed five contests in 2021, four because of a calf injury and one while in the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

Barring any setbacks following the knee surgery, the veteran defensive end should be ready to roll when the 2022 season kicks off.

The New York Giants have requested to interview Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for their open head coaching position, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 51-year-old Quinn was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Morris Township, which is a little over 30 miles from where the Giants have played since 1976 (East Rutherford).

He just completed his first year as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Dallas' scoring defense rose from No. 28 in 2020 to No. 7 this year.

Defensive rookie superstar in Micah Parsons helped guide that turnaround, but Quinn's presence also helped the Cowboys improve from 6-10 last year to 12-5 and NFC East champions in 2021.

Quinn's previous stops include five-plus seasons coaching the Atlanta Falcons, who won the 2016 NFC title under his watch. He also made two Super Bowls (winning one) as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator before his time in Atlanta.

Quinn is highly sought after in this coaching cycle. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he's interviewing for the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings' head coaching jobs.

New York is in the market for a new general manager and head coach after former GM Dave Gettleman retired and former head coach Joe Judge got fired.

The Giants' GM search is well underway, with the team having already interviewed nine candidates virtually. Quinn is the first coach that has reportedly interviewed for the Giants' open position.

From that group, Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen and Kansas City Chiefs Executive Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles have had second in-person interviews in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters is expected to have an in-person interview on Thursday, per Pelissero.

There have not been any other reported finalists for in-person conversations as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Quinn news comes one week after Giants owner John Mara told reporters at a postseason press conference that the new GM would "lead the search for a head coach," although the 67-year-old added that the GM's pick would be subject to final approval by ownership."

"I just felt like given where we are right now, on the verge of bringing in a new general manager, we have to give that person the flexibility to bring in the head coach that he wants," Mara said.

The Giants' request to speak with Quinn would seem to run counter to that notion, but perhaps all of the finalists are on board with at least speaking with him. The Giants may also want to act quickly since he's already landed interviews with four other teams.

Regardless, the Giants can only hope their new organizational leaders will guide them into a brighter future after they missed the playoffs in nine of the past 10 years, capped by a 4-13 mark this season.

Even after a disappointing first-round playoff exit, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has high expectations for next season.

"We're not here to go backwards," he told reporters Wednesday.

The Cowboys went 12-5 with an NFC East title before suffering a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round. It's still not enough to shake the coach's confidence going forward.

"We're going to be better [in 2022]," McCarthy added.

While long-term success is never guaranteed in the NFL, the Cowboys are in better shape than last year at this time after locking up Dak Prescott on a long-term deal. Key players on both sides of the ball have already signed extensions, including Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and DeMarcus Lawrence.

Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb are all still on their rookie contracts and could continue to improve next season.

Several notable players are set to hit free agency, including Jayron Kearse, Leighton Vander Esch, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz, but there should still be limited turnover in the offseason.

It could allow the Cowboys to build off this season's success and become a legitimate contender in 2022.

One significant change, however, must come with a reduction of penalties, as McCarthy explained Wednesday:

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said reducing penalties is No. 1 focus. “Way too many.” Of Cowboys’ playoff-record 14 penalties Sunday, seven were pre-snap. “There’s no excuse for it.” Pre-snap and holding penalties must be curtailed. pic.twitter.com/fgHde2y3S8

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 19, 2022

The 14 penalties on Sunday doomed the Cowboys against the 49ers, but it has been a problem all year. The squad led the league with 141 accepted penalties this past season, per NFLPenalties.com, plus an additional 27 that were either declined or offsetting.

Reducing these mistakes could have helped Dallas take better advantage of the No. 2 scoring margin in the NFL (plus-172).

There will still be a lot of pressure on McCarthy and the entire roster to produce a better result in 2022.   

Don't expect the Philadelphia Eagles to use their war chest of first-round picks to acquire a new starting quarterback.

General manager Howie Roseman said Jalen Hurts has earned the starting job for the 2022 season during his season-ending press conference Wednesday.

"We talk about Jalen and the growth he had. Really, first-year starter, second-year player, leading this team to the playoffs. Tremendously impressed by his work ethic, his leadership. The last time we talked was during camp, and we said we wanted to see him take the bull by the horn, and he certainly did that," Roseman said.

Howie Roseman on @JalenHurts pic.twitter.com/fKUvYqth4E

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 19, 2022

Hurts threw for 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions and added 784 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground during the regular season, leading the Eagles to a surprising 9-8 record and a wild-card berth.

The Eagles were overmatched in a 31-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling behind on the game's opening drive and never seeming like a serious threat to the defending champs. Hurts struggled without the help of a running game, throwing for 258 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions.

“We just want to continue to do the things that got us here,” Hurts told reporters after the loss. “As an offense, we’ve revolutionized and evolved in terms of who we are and our identity. I’ve said different things to ignite the growth. Early on, we were searching for who we were.”

The Eagles have picks Nos. 15, 16 and 19 in the 2022 NFL draft, which makes them a prime candidate to potentially trade for a star-level quarterback if they were so inclined. Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers are among the names that could be available this offseason, but this Eagles roster isn't a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention. 

The more prudent move—and the one Roseman appears committed to for the time being—is using those picks to continue building a structure around Hurts and give him the 2022 season to prove he can make strides as a passer. A version of these Eagles with a loaded young defense and Hurts leading a ground-heavy offensive attack could be formidable next season.

If Hurts struggles, however, a solid infrastructure will already be in place for the next quarterback. 

If the New York Giants hire Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen to serve as their GM, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may not be far behind.

According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, "Daboll is indeed 'very high' on Schoen's list of prospective head coaches" and Daboll "would be expected to get an interview if he was still available" and "might even be the favorite to become the Giants' next coach under Schoen."

But according to that report, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores would also likely be candidates. 

On Tuesday, the Giants announced that they had interviewed Schoen a second time for the general manager position, making him the first candidate to meet with the team for a second time, though he's unlikely to be the only finalist for the job. 

#Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles is expected to have a second interview for the #Giants GM job, per sources.

So, that makes two finalists in New York: #Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen and Poles, who also was a finalist in Carolina a year ago.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2022

As for Daboll, the 46-year-old has an impressive resume. He started his NFL career in 2000 with the New England Patriots as a defensive assistant before serving as the team's wide receivers coach between the 2002 and '06 seasons. 

He then spent two years as the New York Jets quarterbacks coach (2007-08) before serving as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Kansas City Chiefs (2012). 

After four more years in New England as an assistant coach (2013) and tight ends coach (2014-16) and a year with the Alabama Crimson Tide as their offensive coordinator (2017), he took over the offensive coordinator role for the Buffalo Bills (2018-present). 

His time in Buffalo working with superstar quarterback Josh Allen has been impressive. The team has finished top-10 in yardage differential three times and top-10 in points differential three times, and it has been top-five in offensive yards and points in each of the last two years. In the process, the Bills have reached the postseason three years in a row, and Daboll has emerged as a serious head coaching candidate. 

He's already interviewed with the Dolphins and Chicago Bears. 

The Giants, meanwhile, have been a mess for quite some time. They last made the playoffs in 2016 and haven't won more than six games in a season since. There are major questions about whether Daniel Jones is the quarterback of the future and in general with a roster that produced just four wins this last season. 

Rebuilding the Giants will be no small task. Schoen and Daboll, at least for the time being, appear to be strong potential choices for the job. 

The NBA Referees' Association condemned the comments from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after his team's loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday:

The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials. As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.

— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) January 18, 2022

Prescott offered a response on social media Tuesday night:

I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday.

I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.

— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022

The initial incident came after the Cowboys suffered a 23-17 loss that featured several controversial play calls by the officials. After the game, fans were seen throwing bottles and other debris toward the field:

https://twitter.com/SlaterNFL/status/1482884132426428423

When asked about the situation, Prescott initially disparaged fans for throwing things at Cowboys players. After being told they might have been aiming at the officials, the quarterback responded, "credit to them, then."

Full @dak response to fans throwing bottles at refs. pic.twitter.com/9S5bMNA2P4

— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) January 17, 2022

The end of the game featured an official unable to spot the ball in time for the Cowboys to run another play. The clock expired and Dallas was eliminated from the NFL playoffs.

After the game, NFL officials ruled that the ball was spotted properly in the controversial game-ending play. 

The Cowboys were also called for 14 penalties in the loss, which likely only fueled the fire among fans and players.

Prescott's words are still regrettable as he seems to condone the violent behavior against the officials. Even in a different sport, the NBA officials recognize what could be a dangerous situation if repeated.