The Eagles are flying high. With a 5-1 record and a perfect record against divisional opponents, the Eagles are running away with the NFC East as we near the mid-point of the NFL season. It’s hard to imagine a team storming back into contention unless the wheels on the Wentz Wagon suddenly begin to loosen. Having said that, nothing is cemented in the NFL. The Birds are off this weekend, taking a well deserved rest after the win over Carolina. So what can we expect from the rest of the division?
STANDINGS
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Pct
|
PF
|
PA
|
Home
|
Away
|
Strk
|
||
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
.833
|
165
|
122
|
2-0-0
|
3-1-0
|
W4
|
||
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
.500
|
91
|
89
|
1-1-0
|
1-1-0
|
L1
|
||
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
.400
|
125
|
132
|
1-2-0
|
1-1-0
|
L2
|
||
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
.000
|
82
|
122
|
0-2-0
|
0-3-0
|
L5
|
||
Washington Redskins vs San Francisco 49ers
The Eagles closest competition right now comes in the way of Kirk Cousins and the Redskins. Washington faces a Kyle Shanahan team seeking its first victory. This is problematic considering the Redskins second-most valuable piece on Offense is injured.
Left Tackle Trent Williams has allowed just 7 sacks this season, and with his backup also out, the Redskins are at a crossroads that could see the advantage slowly drift in favor of the home team. To make things worse, the Redskins are missing star cornerback Josh Norman as they prepare to face a familiar foe in Pierre Garcon. His replacement, Jamison Crowder has half of the catches that the Niners leading receiver has and will simply have to flourish against a Defense that has struggled against the run.
The Niners are yet to suffer a big loss. Sure, they’ve been beaten, but the team are always within a score and have pushed some great teams to the brink of defeat. It may not be too long before they find the missing cogs to get that first win…and if they do, it will complete the perfect weekend for Philadelphia, who leave with a win, their health, and huge losses to all three divisional opponents.
Dallas Cowboys: BYE BYE
The Cowboys are entering their bye-week, which means they too will be watching the remaining NFC teams justle it out. A heartbreaking loss to Green Bay that saw Aaron Rodgers do what Aaron Rodgers does best will sit sourly in the mouth of Jason Garrett and his team, but perhaps not as sour as the Eagles continued getaway mission at the top of the pecking order.
The big storyline here is the re-enstatement of Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension. Losing the former Ohio State Buckeye is a huge blow for Dallas, who have relied on his 393 yards of rushing and two scores so far. Although teams have began to sting the pocket more and contain Elliott, forcing Dak Prescott into a one dimensional offense where Dez Bryant has struggled this season and leading the team in receptions is a 35-year old Jason Witten.
Of course the other storyline comes from Jerry world itself. The anthem protests and constant distractions surrounding the locker room may finally beginning to take their toll on a team that many assumed would at least be contending for the NFC ‘B’east this season. This is a HUGE week for the Cowboys off the field. A week where distractions have to come to an end and dealing with off-the-field setbacks will set the tone for the games ahead.
New York Giants vs Denver Broncos
The Giants travel to Mile High stadium on an extreme low. Losing Odell Beckham Jr is one thing, but losing Brandon Marshall AND Sterling Shepard has forced an 0-5 New York team to dive deep into their practice squad. To make life even worse, reports of the locker room cracking are emerging and pressure is only building on Head Coach Ben McAdoo.
The team benched Eli Apple at the start of the loss to L.A last week and this week, star corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromatie has been suspended by the team for deciding to leave the team’s facility during the week.
To put it bluntly, this dreadful looking team travels to one of the toughest stadiums to play in against one of the most talented Defenses in the league. Eli Manning has no more support cushions. A wounded offensive line and lack of anything mildly playmaker related leaves the veteran with the locker room looking to him for help. Manning HAS to put the team on his shoulders if the Giants are even going to look half-watchable…and by this time next week, a bye-week for Dallas will turn into a goodbye-week for Ben McAdoo.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
