NFC East Morning Run | Sept. 23, 2020
DALLAS | Inside the Cowboys 'Watermelon' kick
Cowboys special teams coach John Fassell came up with a player that went a long way in helping the Cowboys pull off a miraculous 40-39 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday with an onside kick he calls "The Watermelon Kick."
"We didn't really have a specific name for it,'' Fassel said, who created the idea as an assistant with the Rams in 2018 but utilized it Sunday to help the Cowboys steal a 40-39 win over Atlanta.
"It is really the 'Watermelon Kick.' (The ball) is laying on the turf like watermelon and you spin it like a watermelon would spin."
The "Watermelon Kick" could ultimately find a spot somewhere between Roger Staubach's first Hail Mary and Leon Lett's Super Bowl XXVII fumble in the Cowboys' long history of absurd and memorable plays.
PHILADELPHIA | Jim Schwartz takes blame for Eagles' defensive woes
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz admitted that he did not have the proper game plan ready ahead of their game with the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.
"We had a very simple game plan. The Rams use a lot of tempo out of their huddle, a lot of different motions, and things like that," Schwartz said.
"The whole theme was to make it as simple as we could, and we’ve had success with that in the past. But in an effort to do that, I also created a lot of conflict with what the guys were doing — it gave them a lot of stuff to look at.”
Schwartz and the Eagles' defense could benefit from a more complex gameplan against certain opponents. With the Cincinnati Bengals and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow coming into town on Sunday, this might be the week to start.
WASHINGTON | Brandon Scherff placed on IR
Washington offensive lineman Brandon Scherff was officially placed on the team's injured reserve on Tuesday. Wide receiver Cam Simms was promoted from the practice squad to fill the roster spot.
Simms, an undrafted free agent out of Alabama in 2018, has predominantly been a special teams player for Washington, but could now get the opportunity to make meaningful contributions in a thin wide receiver group.
NEW YORK | Can Daniel Jones overcome the losses of Barkley and Shepard?
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones finally got a taste of what it was like to have all five of his primary offensive skill players—running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Evan Engram, and receivers Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton—available at the same time.
But after devastating injuries to Barkley and Shepard in the second quarter of last week's game, Jones will have to once again adjust to a carousel of offensive skill players.
Jones has proven capable of doing so and is at an advantage as a young quarterback to adjust considering he hasn't gotten too comfortable with any combination of offensive skill players yet in his career, opines Giants quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski.
