Anthony DiBona
Week four 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 fifth week of the regular season!
Standings
Damn, the NFC East is an absolute joke right now. Not a single team in the division has a winning record, that’s just embarrassing. The dreadful AFC South is the only other division in the NFL without a single team with a winning record. That’s the company that this division keeps this season, but it actually works in the Philadelphia Eagles’ favor this season. For as awful as they’ve looked this season, they’re still just a game within every other team in the division. So let’s get right into where every team in the NFC East stands this week!
Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Brandon Weeden has started the last two games for the Cowboys and not so surprisingly, they lost both games. That being said, the team is getting a huge boost this week by getting back two of their best defensive players. Both Rolando McClain and Greg Hardy were suspended for the first four games of the season and they’ll immediately improve Dallas’ underrated defense moving forward.
But this week the Cowboys will need all the help they can get on the defensive side of the ball. They’re set to host the undefeated New England Patriots, who also had an extra week to prepare for Sunday’s game. That spells trouble for the Cowboys and it certainly looks like they’ll lose for the third time in a row this week when they take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
P.S. – Greg Hardy is really, really, really dumb.
Greg Hardy on facing Brady: "I love seeing Tom Brady. You seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game."
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) October 6, 2015
Next Game: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, October 11th, 4:25 PM EST
New York Giants (2-2)
Well that was a surprise, the Giants went into Ralph Wilson Stadium and gave the Bills the business. Actually, the Bills kinda beat themselves considering they were flagged 17 (SEVENTEEN!) times for 135 yards worth of penalties. That’s unheard of but the Giants still deserve plenty of credit for getting the job done against Buffalo. Eli Manning’s performance was especially impressive as he lit up one of the best defenses in the NFL, throwing three touchdowns.
This week the Giants will head home to MetLife Stadium to host a prime-time match-up Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. While the Niners have looked awful, especially Colin Kaepernick, the Giants could be in for a tough game. San Francisco’s defense is still legit and if the Giants sleep on the Niners, they could be upset in front of a national audience.
Next Game: vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, October 11th, 8:30 PM EST
Washington Redskins (2-2)
Do we really have to talk about their last game? Seriously…do we have to? Alright, fine. The Redskins outplayed the Eagles. Jay Gruden out-coached Chip Kelly. What else is there to say? Once again the Eagles came out flat and got punched in the mouth by the opposition. The Redskins deserve credit for persevering over injuries to their starting quarterback and star wide receiver to upset the Eagles.
That being said, their Cinderella run ends this week. Everyone thought the Redskins would be the joke of the division and they likely still will be. That plummet starts this week when they take on the Atlanta Falcons down in the dirty south. Washington struggled to stop deep passes to Riley Cooper and Miles Austin…what the hell are they going to do to stop Julio Jones? Absolutely nothing.
Next Game: @ Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, October 11th, 1:00 PM EST
Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
It’s officially panic time in the City of Brotherly Love. Although Chip Kelly is claiming the Eagles are just two kicks away from being 3-1, he’s wrong. Would they have likely won those games against the Falcons and Redskins if it wasn’t for missed kicks? Maybe. But does that make the Eagles a good team? Not at all. This team has much more to worry about than just a few missed field goals.
Everyone needs to look themselves in the mirror and reevaluate themselves, starting with Kelly. He seems to be dead-set on the problem being “execution” but I’m just not buying it. Execution won’t heal injuries. Execution won’t help the team lacking a killer instinct. Execution won’t help poor play-calling. Luckily for the Eagles, they’re just one game out of first place in the NFC East. That being said, the Eagles are now in “must-win” mode and can’t afford another early season loss, especially this week at Lincoln Financial Field against the New Orleans Saints.
Next Game: vs. New Orleans Saints, Sunday, October 11th, 1:00 PM EST
That’s all for my NFC East report for Week 5, 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!