Another week is in the books and we’ve reached the quarter-point of the NFL season. It was another ugly week for the NFC East, as the teams went 1-2, with the lone win coming courtesy of a last-second field goal. The division is the only one in the NFL without a three-win team. Let’s take a look at the landscape as we head into Week 5.
Redskins (2-1)
For the first time this season, we can’t list the Eagles at the top of the division. The Redskins take that honor by not even playing last week, taking advantage of the Eagles’ stumble in Tennessee.
The Redskins biggest asset right now is the fact that they don’t have a conference loss while the Eagles have one and the Giants and Cowboys each have two. Something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
The ‘Skins face a tough Week 5 matchup with the Saints on Monday night.
Eagles (2-2)
Not a whole lot to say here. The Eagles missed out on a golden opportunity to get a leg up in the division by suffering one of the most frustrating losses you’ll ever see.
The Birds will look to get back on track Sunday in an NFC Championship Game rematch with the Vikings. Encouragingly, the Eagles have been much better at home defensively.
Cowboys (2-2)
The Cowboys were able to stay in the mix with a last-second win against the Lions. Despite the slim margin, it was arguably the Cowboys’ best game of the young season. Dak Prescott passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over, Ezekiel Elliott continued to cruise, rushing for 152 yards while adding 88 and a touchdown through the air, and the defense managed three sacks.
Prescott again spent much of the day under pressure, taking three sacks and five QB hits, so it wasn’t all good for Dallas. But the fact that they moved the ball both on the ground and through the air and scored a season-high in points has to be encouraging for Cowboys fans. A win always helps too. So for now the ‘Boys keep pace with the Birds.
The Cowboys play the Texans on Sunday night.
Giants (1-3)
The G-Men were soundly beaten at home by the Saints, getting outscored 33-11 after the first quarter. The Giants offense did very little and lost two fumbles. The defense got gouged on the ground, giving up 170 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Giants pass rush was virtually non-existent. New York doesn’t look like a threat, and the numbers are quickly turning against them.
The Giants travel to Carolina to face the Panthers on Sunday.
Overview
A quarter of the way through the season and the NFC East remains a mystery. The Eagles haven’t looked like the team they were last year, the Cowboys have been inconsistent, the Redskins have been even more inconsistent, while the Giants have not been good.
And so we have a jumbled race as the teams in the division try to prove who they are, develop some rhythm and find some consistency. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s starting to feel like the division games are going to be even more important than they usually are as no one has been able to gain separation.
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