Anthony DiBona
Week three is in the rear view mirror for the Philadelphia Eagles and the rest of their division rivals in the NFC East. So where does each team currently stand in the division and what should you look for this upcoming week? I’ve got you covered in this week’s NFC East Report for the fourth week of the regular season!
Standings
Finally our beloved Birds got their first win of the season with a 24-17 win over the New York Jets. Now they’ll look to carry over that momentum into this week’s divisional match-up against the Washington Redskins. The ‘skins looked like a legit team in the first two weeks of the season but then stunk up the field against the New York Giants. Speaking of the Giants, they have impressed me with how well they’ve played despite missing quite a few key players on both sides of the ball. Then you have the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the division but that shouldn’t last long with Brandon Weeden running the show for their offense.
Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Last week the Cowboys looked like they were going to run away with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons. But superstar wide receiver Julio Jones had something to say about that, as did running back Devonta Freeman. Once again the Falcons came back and defeated an NFC East team in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. This week the Cowboys will take on the 0-3 New Orleans Saints down in “The Big Easy.”
Although it seems like the Cowboys should run away with the game, if Drew Brees plays, it could be a totally different story. But then again there’s this stat supporting the Cowboys heading into New Orleans this weekend:
Cowboys have won 10 straight regular season road games, not including the playoff game when Dez didn't catch it.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) October 1, 2015
New York Giants (1-2)
No team in the division has a tougher match-up this weekend than the Giants. They have to travel to Buffalo and take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL, Rex Ryan and his feisty Bills. It appeared as though the Giants would get some help at wide receiver this week with Victor Cruz making his return but that will be put on hold. Cruz suffered a setback during practice and will not play this week. While many expected the Bills to be a low-scoring, dominant defensive team, they’ve transformed into a different beast.
Not only is Buffalo’s defense playing at the level many anticipated, their offense is scoring a ton of points. Through three games, the Bills are averaging 33.3 points per game, third best in the NFL. It’ll be tough for the Giants to get their offense going against Buffalo’s defense and also try and stop emerging quarterback Tyrod Taylor on the other end. The only good thing the Giants have going for them is LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins will both miss the game for the Bills, but it’ll still be a tough game.
Washington Redskins (1-2)
Well, well, well…if it isn’t the Eagles’ divisional opponent this week, that Washington football team. After a downright embarrassing performance against the Giants last week, Washington will look to get it’s revenge on the Eagles this week. But it looks like they may not even have home-field advantage, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network:
One option that's been discussed for Eagles-Redskins on Sunday — Moving the game to Ford Field in Detroit. Lions in Seattle this weekend.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 1, 2015
Yesterday, many reporters were saying the NFL was considering changing the date of the game entirely, possibly moving it to Week 8, when both teams are set to have their bye weeks. Luckily, it looks like the game will definitely be played on Sunday but the site is undetermined. Either way, this isn’t a good sign for Washington, as they are already struggling. The last thing they need is to lose any home-field advantage they may have had.
Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
It’s only right to save the best team for last…or the team that’s technically in last place in the division, yuck! Either way, it looks like the Eagles are heading in the right direction after their somewhat shocking Week 3 performance against the New York Jets. Many, including myself, believed the Eagles had no chance against the Jets but they proved us all wrong. Now they’ll look to carry that momentum into FedEx Field, or wherever Sunday’s game will be played and beat up on a division rival.
Luckily for the Birds, it looks like some key starters will return in time for this week’s game. DeMarco Murray and Mychal Kendricks both practiced in full earlier today and look as though they should be ready to go for Sunday’s game against Washington. While Ryan Mathews and Jordan Hicks filled in admirably, it’s always nice to have your actual starters on the field. Either way, Sunday’s game could be a key turning point in the Eagles’ season for better or for worse.
That’s all for my NFC East report for Week 3, be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding your beloved Birds and everything else happening in Philadelphia!