Week 1 is officially over and the NFC East only had two victors due to both divisional matchups! The Redskins started off hot against the rusty Eagles. Case Keenum looked as if he was a man on a mission until he wasn’t. After a 50 yard bomb to DeSean Jackson, the game was never the same as the Eagles went on a 32-3 run to hold off Gruden’s team.
Speaking of runs, The Cowboys ran all over the lowly New York Giants as they proved to the world what everyone already knew, The Giants are a bad, bad team. Usually I would say ‘to the victors go the spoils’, but in this case, both Eagles and Cowboys were expected to win, so we’ll leave it at that. As for now, here’s your week 2 guide on the State of the NFC East:
Philadelphia Eagles
2019 Record: 1-0
2019 RANKS:
• Offense: 6th
• Defense: 20th
• Passing offense: 11th
• Rushing offense: 11th
Key players of Week 1:
• Carson Wentz – 28/39, 313 yards, 3 TDs
• DeSean Jackson – 8 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TDs
• Alshon Jeffery – 5 receptions, 49 yards, 2 TDs
Key injuries: DT Malik Jackson is out for the season with a foot injury
Week 2 vs Atlanta Falcons @ 8:20pm ET
After exploding in the second half against the Washington Redskins, the Eagles will now travel to Atlanta to take on the team they’ve haunted the most in the past 3 matchups. Matt Ryan will not only be seeking revenge but they’ll also look to rebound after a big loss against the Minnesota Vikings. They’ll have a lot on their plate as the Eagles have now put the NFL on notice with a glimpse of their full potential.
Speaking of potential, two key position groups to watch for the Eagles will be the running backs and the cornerbacks. After an odd start in week 1, Coach Pederson will be looking to get the ground game going and it would be in his best interest if he relied more on Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders. As for the corners, the young secondary will be heavily relied upon in content not only Julio Jones, who torched them last time out with 169 receiving yards, but also Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu. It’s going to be a tough road match for the birds but they may have history on their side as Doug Pederson has yet to lose against Dan Quinn’s Falcons.
REDSKINS
2019 Record: 0-1
2019 Ranks:
• Offense: 14th
• Defense: 27th
• Passing offense: 5th
• Rushing offense: 31st
Key players of Week 1:
• Case Keenum – 30/44, 380 yards, 3 TDs
• Terry McLaurin – 5 receptions, 154 yards, 1 TD
Key injuries: RB Derrius Guice suffered a knee injury, will miss some time
Week 2 vs Dallas Cowboys @ 1 pm ET
Hail to the Redskins! I mean Hell for the Redskins, that must be how this weekend felt for this team. After blowing a 20-7 lead at halftime to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Redskins will host the Dallas Cowboys in a big divisional matchup.
The Redskins showed that their frontline on the defensive side of the ball is a group that can’t be taken lightly but other than that, this team has too many problems. From the organization signing Adrian Peterson despite Gruden’s opinion to the healthy scratch of Peterson against the Eagles.
Now with Guice down, Gruden may have to rely on the veteran running back to save the day. The team’s young receivers showed promise against the Eagles secondary but the running game was non-existent. This can’t happen against the Cowboys especially if they’re looking to slow down Ezekiel Elliot and company. Expect this game to not go as planned, I mean it is the Cowboys and Redskins.
Dallas Cowboys
2019 Record: 1-0
2019 RANKS:
• Offense: 4th
• Defense: 10th
• Passing offense: 1st
• Rushing offense: 22nd
Key players of Week 1:
• Dak Prescott – 25/32, 405 yards, 4 TDs
• Michael Gallup – 7 receptions, 158 yards
• Amari Cooper – 6 receptions, 106 yards, 1 TD
Key injuries: S Jeff Heath (just banged up)
Week 2 vs Washington Redskins @ 1 pm ET
The Cowboys did exactly what I said they needed to do, start hot this season. Picking up where he left off, Amari Cooper continued to show his unique route running ability all over the Giants secondary. Granted, it was the Giants but it was the victory that the Cowboys needed to start 2019.
Dak Prescott had himself a game against the broken down Giants as he passed for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns. He looked pretty rusty early but found his groove as the game went on.
This week, they’ll be taking on a Redskins team that’s looking for revenge after blowing a 20-7 lead to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys may take advantage of a weak secondary behind the game plan of Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore, but they need to make sure Zeke gets heavily involved early on if they hope to keep the ‘Skins defensive line away from Prescott.
The Redskins shouldn’t be overlooked, the hungriest dogs are always the ones that are counted out, let’s see how this divisional matchup ends. One thing to keep an eye is how the Redskins approach the running game, the Cowboys couldn’t contain Saquon Barkley, I wonder how Adrian Peterson will look against them if he plays.
New York Giants
2019 Record: 0-1
2019 Ranks:
• Offense: 24th
• Defense: 29th
• Passing offense: 10th
• Rushing offense: 6th
Key players of Week 1:
• Eli Manning – 30/44, 306 yards, 1 TD
• Saquon Barkley – 11 carries, 120 yards
• Evan Engram – 11 receptions, 116 yards, 1 TD
Key injuries: WR Sterling Shepard has a concussion, G Kevin Zeitler has a shoulder injury, and Edge Rusher Kareem Martin has a knee sprain.
Week 2 vs Buffalo Bills @ 1 pm ET
Is this not what we expected?? A rebuilding team gets humiliated by a playoff team, but shh don’t tell the Cowboys that they gave a beatdown to a bad team. There are some good takeaways from this game, the Giants started off well as Dak Prescott looked like the QB he really is until his fairy godmother turned him into Cinderella.
Saquon looked as good as he did last year, he ran everywhere and anywhere with pure efficiency while Evan Engram finally had his coming-out party. This team has some great young talent surrounding a decaying QB. It would be in not only the Giants’ best interests but also Eli’s best interest if they parted ways.
The team has to start their rebuilding now if they hope to keep up with the Eagles and the Cowboys. If the losses keep on piling up, the Giants may be forced to start the rookie, Daniel Jones, while embarrassing their aged veteran. Until then, they have a chance to rebound against a team that their Met Life roommates almost defeated until their defense collapsed.
The Buffalo Bills aren’t a team to underestimate, they have the weapons to be a lethal team as they proved against the Jets. While the Giants look for a big win, they can’t avoid who they really are, a lottery team competing for the #1 draft pick.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
