The NFC East race is going how most people, including me, would have predicted prior to the season. As of now, there are three playoff-worthy teams in the tough division. With the season’s first quarter done, how will the rest play out for the NFC East?
Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
One of two of the last undefeated teams left in the NFL along with the San Francisco 49ers. However, even with a perfect record, the Eagles haven’t been playing their best brand of ball through four weeks.
Three out of four games were one score gritty wins. When teams find ways to win close games, that means they’re a good team, simple. Many analysts may critique the Eagles for not blowing these inferior teams out of the water but give credit where credit is due.
Philly ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards with 392 per game. Hurts is playing well enough to win games but has not looked like his MVP self to this point. He has four turnovers so far. D’Andre Swift had 364 yards on the ground ranking second behind Christian McCaffrey.
On the defensive side, the Eagles are giving up the sixth most passing yards a game with 260.8. With a new OC and DC in the building this season, it will continue to take time to mold together as a team. There should be no worrying in Philadelphia.
Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
America’s Team got off to a HOT 2-0 start before falling to the Arizona Cardinals (1-3), a game that should not have been close. They bounced back last week with a 38-3 win over the New England Patriots. Still a top-three team in the NFC, it will be interesting to see how they match up with the 49ers this Sunday night in primetime.
Dan Quinn’s defense is only allowing 259.8 yards a game and only have given up 41 points so far, which leads the league. This defense is legit, simple as that. Even without Trevon Diggs (ACL tear), Daron Bland has been plugged in nicely with two interceptions last week.
The biggest question mark in Dallas is their red zone offense. They rank 30th in efficiency when trying to put six on the board. It is very concerning, but you hope with McCarthy taking the reigns, he’ll figure it out sooner rather than later.
And one more plus, that no NFL analysts have mentioned, Dak Prescott only has thrown one interception so far. It has been very quiet that he has been taking care of the football. The rest of the quarterbacks in the division have combined for 14. Interesting…
Washington Commanders (2-2)
After starting 2-0, the Commanders took two hard losses. A 37-3 loss to the Bills and a 34-31 loss to the Eagles got Washington back down to Earth. They’ve looked better than expected in my eyes and it seems like Sam Howell might be the guy in Washington.
Howell has thrown for 240.3 yards per game with five total touchdowns. However, he has been sacked 24 times, which leads the league, and has five interceptions. The glimpses of a franchise quarterback are there but how will he hold up through an entire NFL season?
Their defense is playing average at best. Chase Young is finally back on the edge and already has 2.5 sacks in three games played. Emmanuel Forbes and Kendall Fuller have been playing well on the outside.
It will be interesting on how Washington will progress throughout the season. I can see them sneaking into the playoffs with a wild-card spot.
New York Giants (1-3)
This Giants football team has been flat-out BAD. They have played about two-quarters of good football when they came back in the second half to beat the Cardinals in week two 31-28. In those three other games, they have been outscored 94-15.
They have the second-worst offense in the league when it comes to yards per game with only 252. They also give up 30.5 points per game, the third-worst in the NFL.
Anyway you try to put it, this football team is not what they were a year ago. HC Brian Daboll has shown his frustration with QB Daniel Jones on the sideline of last Monday’s game. Jones, after getting a huge contract extension, has thrown six interceptions, has four fumbles (lost one), and has been sacked 22 times.
One addition that was supposed to change this offense was TE Darren Waller but only has 15 receptions for 153 and no touchdowns.
Quick rant, a lot of the national media was high on the New York Giants all offseason. After winning a playoff game last season, they were supposed to compete at the top of the NFC this season. That simply has not been the case.
What real addition, or what truly was shown to make it seem like this was a contending NFL team? Other than Saquon Barkley, they have no real playmakers on the offense. Their receiving core is quite possibly the worst in the NFL along with the offensive line.
On defense, they have two starting rookie corners (Tre Hawkins III and Deonte Banks), and an overpaid defensive lineman (Leonard Williams), overall not a great squad.
I think Daboll is a good head coach but there is a lot of work to do with this team moving forward. Through four games, I think a top-10 draft pick is in their future.
Final Thoughts
I think the Eagles and Cowboys will compete for the NFC East title. There has not been a consecutive winner since 2001-2004 when Philadelphia won it four seasons in a row. The Eagles have yet to put it all together which should frighten teams. The Cowboys have probably the best defense in the NFL that can carry them through rough offensive games. Both teams will make a run in the playoffs. Washington will continue to improve and show signs of a good football team but will be a wild card team at best. The Giants will continue to struggle and will likely end the season under .500.
For more NFL and Dallas Cowboys content follow @MontaltoJared. For previous articles follow this link: https://www.backsportspage.com/author/jm_bsp1/
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
