It’s only been two weeks, but the NFC East has already shown to be the best division in football through the early stages of the season. An 8-1 mark where the one loss comes in a divisional game tells all you need to know at this point.
Week 3 of the NFL season will be tougher for the teams in the NFC East, but it’s another opportunity to show just how good the entire group has been over the last few years.
Even with the on-field success, each member of the division has had plenty of storylines off the field at this point to start the year. Today, we go over the latest that is happening across the entire NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles
On the Field:
Philadelphia may be 2-0 to start the year, but both games have been “below the standard” that many in the organization expect them to play throughout the year. In a positive approach, the Eagles are still winning without playing their best ball. They have won with a plethora of injuries in the secondary, and they have shown some positive updates to their coaching staff.
That being said, the Eagles have the toughest upcoming schedule in football later in the year. They’ll need to be a lot better if they want to get back to the Super Bowl or win their second straight NFC East title.
Off the Field:
The big issue the Eagles are currently dealing with is injuries. They had 10 players on the injury report throughout the week leading up to their contest against the Buccaneers. Simply put, their injury luck from the last few years is out. To win the NFC East and get back to the Super Bowl, they’ll need to find a way to get healthier throughout the year.
Dallas Cowboys
On the Field:
Objectively, there hasn’t been a more impressive team through the first two weeks of the season than the Dallas Cowboys. Their 70-10 point differential between the two New York teams is among the most in NFL history. Their defense has been dominant, their offense hasn’t made any mistakes, and it’s a big reason why they are deadlocked with the Eagles for odds to win the NFC East.
Off the Field:
Even with how good they’ve been, the Cowboys suffered a major injury during the week. All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs tore his ACL during a 1v1 drill and is lost for the year. Dallas lost their top player in the secondary, and it could cause a ton of pressure on the interior of the defense, as well as the offense to make plays. It also doesn’t help that the Cowboys offensive line is also dealing with a plethora of injuries on their own.
Washington Commanders
On the Field:
Washington has been one of the surprises in the NFL this year so far. A 2-0 start with second-year quarterback Sam Howell looking like a seasoned vet has the DC fanbase at a new level of happiness. Eric Bieniemy has shown his chops by changing the offense to one of a legit team to be feared. There are some concerns in the secondary and the offensive line, but this Commanders team can compete for the division crown right now.
Off the Field:
Unlike most seasons, there aren’t many off-field issues surrounding the Commanders at this point. The team has done a good job on the offensive end. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that while Washington is 2-0, they’ve played the easiest start to the season of any of the NFC East teams. That’ll change on Sunday in a key game against the Buffalo Bills. If the Commanders can knock off Josh Allen, the team will send a major message to the entire NFC East.
New York Giants
On the Field:
Remember how good the Giants were during the preseason? Well, that certainly seems to be over. New York’s offensive line has been a mess through three games, the defense can’t tackle, and Daniel Jones is crumbling around all of the issues. The Giants may be only 1-2, but they’ve been blown out by two of the best teams in the conference. Their lone win? Against arguably the least talented team in football this year, the Cardinals. They have not looked good so far this year. Can they still compete in the NFC East?
Off the Field:
There are legit concerns about two things for the G-Men: the offensive line, and who the play-caller is on offense. All-Pro tackle Andrew Thomas is hurt, and last year’s seventh overall pick Evan Neal has been very inconsistent to start. Both not being out there is a major problem for the team.
On the play-calling side, Mike Kafka was believed to be the play-caller this year but there is some controversy because Brian Daboll was seen with a playsheet throughout the last two weeks. It’s really semantics, but the team just seems completely out of sorts right now and it’s a big problem for them so far.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
