NFC East

Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen reportedly had his second interview with the New York Giants for their vacant general manager position Tuesday and is considered the favorite to land the job.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reported Schoen has emerged among the nine candidates who initially interviewed for the position remotely. Tuesday's meeting is set to take place in person. 

Schoen has been with the Bills since 2017 after reuniting with general manager Brandon Beane, whom he began his career with in Carolina. He's been Beane's second in command presiding over a franchise turnaround that has seen Buffalo make the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. 

The Giants are looking to replace general manager Dave Gettleman and coach Joe Judge. Ironically, Beane worked under Gettleman when he was the Panthers general manager from 2013 to 2017.

If Schoen winds up joining the Giants, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is a strong candidate to take the head coaching job. Daboll has been considered one of the top offensive assistants in football over the last two seasons, thanks in large part to his role in quarterback Josh Allen's development.

The Giants will enter 2022 in a make-or-break year for quarterback Daniel Jones, who has struggled in three seasons as a starter and finished the year on the IL with a neck injury. Daboll is the type of coach who could scheme to Jones' skill set, allowing the franchise to find out whether he's a viable long-term option. 

One of the biggest offseason questions for the Dallas Cowboys involves the future of Amari Cooper with the organization. 

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cooper was asked if he is going to be back with the Cowboys in 2022. 

"I don’t make those decisions," he said. "I honestly don’t know, but hopefully."

There has been speculation about Cooper's future with the Cowboys since before the start of the 2021 season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported in August that looming salary-cap issues could force Dallas to part ways with either Cooper or Michael Gallup. 

Per Spotrac, the Cowboys are currently projected to be $21.3 million over the 2022 cap. Cooper has the third-highest cap hit on the team next season ($22 million), but his dead cap number is only $6 million if they trade or release him. 

Gallup is one of several key Cowboys players who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. Randy Gregory, Jayron Kearse and Dalton Schultz could also hit the open market if not extended. 

Cooper just completed his seventh NFL season. The four-time Pro Bowler has had at least 1,000 yards five times in his career, including each of his first two full seasons with Dallas in 2019 and 2020. 

The Cowboys acquired Cooper from the Oakland Raiders in October 2018. He has 3,893 yards and 27 touchdowns in 56 games since the trade. 

Despite missing two games during the regular season, Cooper's eight touchdown receptions were tied for most on the Cowboys. He finished second on the team with 865 receiving yards. 

Cooper caught six passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in Dallas' 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card game on Sunday.    

After transforming the Dallas Cowboys offense into one of the NFL's best units, Kellen Moore is going to meet with several teams about their head coaching vacancies. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Moore will interview with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday. 

Rapaport noted Moore also has interviews scheduled with the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. 

Moore just finished his third season as Cowboys offensive coordinator. They have finished in the top six in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA in two of the past three seasons, including sixth in 2021. 

The only season Dallas didn't rank in the top six during that span was 2020 when Dak Prescott missed the final 11 games because of a compound fracture and dislocated right ankle.

Dallas led the NFL in scoring (31.2 points per game) and yards (407.0 yards per game) during the 2021 regular season. 

Things didn't end well for the Cowboys in 2021, as they fell 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday. Their offense only managed 307 yards, and Prescott was pressured over 20 times on 43 pass attempts, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

There was a lot of criticism directed at the offensive play-calling coming out of the game, specifically the final call, with Prescott running a draw with 14 seconds left on the clock. 

Per NFL reporter Michael Silver, Moore called the play and head coach Mike McCarthy gave the OK on the headset. 

Prescott gained 17 yards to get down to the 49ers' 24-yard line, but time expired as he spiked the ball, which prevented the Cowboys from having a final shot at the end zone. 

Despite the brutal ending, Moore's track record does indicate he could be a successful head coach. 

The Broncos are looking for a new coach after firing Vic Fangio on Jan. 9. They finished this season with a 7-10 record and haven't made the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 in 2015.    

Hall of Famer Peyton Manning trolled former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge during the Manningcast of Monday's NFC Wild Card Round matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals. 

After Rams head coach Sean McVay called for a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the goal line in the second quarter, Manning shaded Judge's decision to run a QB sneak on third-and-9 from his team’s own five-yard line in New York's regular-season finale against the Washington Football Team.

In addition to Manning, Green Bay Packers quarterback and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers also ripped Judge's decision to run a QB sneak while speaking with Pat McAfee. 

Judge's play call was especially odd because, at the time, Washington was only leading 3-0 in the second quarter. Since then, Judge has been fired by the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore took blame for Sunday's wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers after he was called for a critical hands-to-the-face penalty in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys stopped the 49ers on a 3rd-and-12 with four minutes and 31 seconds left in the game. That would have given Dallas plenty of time to drive and potentially win the game, but Gallimore was called for illegal use of hands when trying to rush the quarterback. While the 49ers did not score on the drive, the penalty gave them a first down and allowed them to drain nearly two more minutes off the clock in the 23-17 victory.

Despite the costly penalty, it's hard to find any reason Gallimore should take blame for the loss. His penalty was one of 14 called on the Cowboys, who were sloppy from start to finish on both sides of the ball. A Randy Gregory defensive holding penalty with 1:31 remaining was the worst foul of the game, as it happened well behind the play and allowed the 49ers to drain critical time off the clock.

Dallas had two opportunities with the ball after Gallimore's penalty and failed to score a touchdown on both. It's fair to point out the Cowboys would have had more time on the clock if it weren't for his gaffe, but the entire locker room shares blame for the flat performance.

Dak Prescott accumulated just 254 yards through the air on 43 attempts, while Ezekiel Elliott carried the ball 12 times for 31 yards and CeeDee Lamb was limited to one catch for 21 yards. The offensive line also failed to show up, allowing Prescott to be sacked five times. 

Any fans trying to pinpoint one play as the impetus for the loss should go back and watch a tape full of gaffes from the Cowboys. 

Jalen Hurts doesn't have many fans in Philadelphia right now after an ugly performance in Sunday's 31-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is backing his young quarterback.

"He didn't play his best game, as we all know. But you don't take the body of work that he had, 15 weeks, and ... put everything on this game," Sirianni told reporters Sunday. "I know we're all judged on the last game that we played, I fully get that, but I felt like Jalen grew throughout the year. And he got better as a passer, he got better reading the defense, getting the ball to the right place. He developed so much in his ability to extend plays, not only making plays with his feet but also making plays downfield on the scramble.

"I feel really good with what we have in place right here at the quarterback position. I thought he had a great year and he came a long way, and that's what I expect of Jalen just because of the character he has, the toughness he has, the love for football he has. I can't say enough things about Jalen the person and the player."

Hurts threw for 258 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions, seeming rattled for most of the game before finally hitting Kenneth Gainwell on a 16-yard touchdown pass in garbage time.

The Eagles were never competitive in the contest, with the Bucs scoring on their opening drive on their way to a convincing victory. Tom Brady threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, with Mike Evans hauling in nine passes for 117 yards and a score.

Hurts was done no favors by a stagnant running game. A returning Miles Sanders managed just 16 yards on seven carries, while Hurts led the team with 39 rushing yards. The Eagles closed the regular season with wins in six of their last eight games on the back of a strong ground game that limited the amount of responsibility Hurts had through the air.

"This game does not define us, does not define who we are," Hurts said. "We know all of the different things we have overcome, we know the environment that we've built as a football team and an organization. ... I know as a football team, we'll be back. And this is a feeling that will kind of simmer in our hearts and simmer for us all. And with the youth on this football team, we're definitely coming back hungry."

The Eagles were not expected to make the playoffs this season and will have three first-round picks to help bolster their roster in April. While it's still not entirely clear whether Hurts is a strong enough passer to develop into a franchise quarterback, the team can likely pass on the position and move into 2022 with Hurts and Gardner Minshew leading the way. 

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-17 in the NFC Wild Card Round on Saturday at AT&T Stadium, and veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said it always felt like his team was in control of the game despite allowing Dallas to outscore them 10-0 in the fourth quarter. 

"It was just an emotional game," Garoppolo told reporters. "The highs and lows of it, everything just never felt like it was getting away from us. I always felt like we were in control of the game." 

Prescott and the Cowboys made a push in the fourth quarter. With the game coming down to the final drive, Dallas' season culminated in one of the most puzzling play calls of recent playoff memory. 

With 14 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Prescott took a designed run 17 yards up the middle of the field and slid down at the 49ers' 24-yard line with hopes of stopping the clock on the next play.

But as the Cowboys offense rushed to the line, umpire Ramon George was far behind the action, bumping into Prescott and several other players as he rushed to spot the ball. By the time Prescott spiked it, the clock had already expired. 

The 49ers led the Cowboys 23-7 entering the fourth quarter thanks to the play of Elijah Mitchell, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and the versatile Deebo Samuel, who caught three passes for 38 yards, in addition to rushing for 72 yards and a score. 

San Francisco is back in the Divisional Round for the first time since the 2019 season and will travel to face Aaron Rodgers and the No. 1 seeded Green Bay Packers on Saturday. The Packers won their only meeting against the Niners this season 30-28. 

Saturday's NFC Wild Card Round matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys ended in controversy when a referee bumped into quarterback Dak Prescott as he was trying to spike the ball with just seconds remaining following a 17-yard run.

After the game, referee Alex Kemp discussed the controversial finish, telling ESPN's Todd Archer that the game official "spotted the ball properly."

ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted the game officials "did their jobs" on the final play. He added that "players are advised to hand the ball directly to the umpire or another official to expedite spotting of the ball."

Prescott handed the ball to center Tyler Biadasz, who placed the ball down in preparations to snap it as the rest of the offense got into position. Ramon George, the umpire, then had to force his way through the offensive line to get to the ball, and Prescott's spike was too late. 

Seifert noted that by rule, the ball can't be snapped until an official has touched it to confirm the spot on the field. 

Granted, the idea of running the ball up the middle with just 14 seconds left and no timeouts was questionable at best. 

In addition, Prescott and the offense didn't even execute the play correctly. If he had stopped running sooner, there would have been more time to spike the ball. It was a risky call, especially when the offense was moving the ball effectively through the air on the final drive. 

After the loss, McCarthy defended his decision to have Prescott run the ball, telling reporters, "That was the best option." He also said he was expecting more time to be put on the clock. 

With their season now over, the Cowboys will head back to the drawing board in preparation for 2022. They have just two playoff wins in the last decade and haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season.  

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is not happy with how Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers ended.

After a 17-yard run, quarterback Dak Prescott was unable to clock the ball before time expired as a referee took a second to properly position the ball. McCarthy told reporters afterwards that he was told time would be put back on the clock, noting that the referee bumped into Prescott when he was trying to position the ball.

"Have never seen that come down the way it came down, in terms of the collision between the umpire and the quarterback. … I was told they were reviewing it, and that they were going to put time back on the clock. … And the next thing I know, they’re running off the field," McCarthy said, according to Mike Leslie of WFAA.

If the referees granted more time on the clock, the Cowboys would've had one more play to try to score a touchdown. Instead, Dallas fell 23-17 and was eliminated from the playoffs. McCarthy believes it came down to that delay in getting the ball in place for Prescott to clock it.

"We shouldn’t have had any issue getting the ball spotted," McCarthy said.

The Cowboys trailed for the entire game in the loss. Dallas had the top-ranked offense in the NFL during the regular season, but mustered just 17 points against the 49ers.

A talking point for the Cowboys this offseason will be McCarthy's status as the team's head coach. Team owner Jerry Jones declined to comment on McCarthy's future after the game, but he expressed his disappointment with the result.

The Cowboys have gone 18-15 in two seasons under McCarthy.

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-17 on Saturday in the NFC Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium, and the owner of America's Team is quite upset about the loss. 

After the game, Jerry Jones told reporters he "can't remember" the last time he was this disappointed. The Cowboys, who finished the regular season atop the NFC East with a 12-5 record, were expected to at least get past the Wild Card Round. 

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who is receiving plenty of blame for Saturday's loss via social media, also said he was disappointed and noted the team "expected to win."

Dallas had high hopes this season with a healthy Dak Prescott, who recovered from a gruesome ankle injury, and a revamped defense. However, the Cowboys made errors and had miscues across the board on Saturday. From 14 penalties for a total of 89 yards to a number of questionable offensive play calls, it was a performance to forget for The Boys.

One of the most significant plays of the game came when the Cowboys had the opportunity for a game-winning touchdown on the final drive of the game, but Prescott ran the ball with just 14 seconds left and couldn't clock the ball before time expired.

The Cowboys have just two playoff wins in the last decade and haven't reached the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 campaign, which is the same season they won their last Super Bowl. 

With this latest defeat, it's back to the drawing board for Jones and Co., and it will be interesting to see what changes the team makes. Dallas could see plenty of turnaround, particularly on defense, as players like defensive lineman Randy Gregory, safety Jayron Kearse, and linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Keanu Neal are set to hit free agency. 

In addition, wide receivers Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson will become free agents, as will guard Connor Williams.