THE CONFOUNDING NFC EAST THROUGH WEEK 3

Dak Prescott has played well, but his team seems to look for ways to lose. Photo by Andy Lewis.

While fans have adjusted to the newer NFL trend of starters avoiding most, if not all of preseason action, the teams themselves find that task a bit more challenging.

The Eagles and Giants are both 2-1 while the Cowboys and Commanders are a mirrored 1-2 but the records barely scratch the surface at what we’ve seen so far.

The Eagles are sitting in that top spot with what could be generously described as an inconsistent offense that is struggling to chain drives together to apply pressure on their opponents.

They rank No. 23 in scoring offense while giving up the eighth most sacks up to this point which is being impacted by a banged up offensive line that has already seen major shake ups in personnel.

The Giants will look to players like wide receiver Malik Nabers to help carry the load. Photo by Andy Lewis.

The Giants are treading into unfortunate territory early in the season knowing they’ll be without their budding star QB Jackson Dart for the remainder of the year after he tore his MCL, PCL, and Meniscus in Week 2.

A trade for young project QB and former first round pick, J.J McCarthy, shows they are trying to make the most of the circumstances but it’s hard to feel like that wasn’t a gut shot to their season dreams.

The Cowboys have once again found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with their Week 3 meltdown vs the Ravens taking the lead with seven seconds on the clock to only give up the game winning field goal as time expired.

Their offense is No. 7 overall in points for averaging just a tick off 30 a game, but the defense is ranked No. 25 giving up just over 27 creating these back-and-forth matchups that seem more befitting of the Big 12 than the NFL.

The Commanders are the toughest team to get a real read on as they are also navigating the loss of their franchise QB Jayden Daniels because of a dislocated elbow but have shown signs that they can still compete in his absence.

 Commanders QB2 Marcus Mariota helped Washington to its only win this season. Photo by Andy Lewis. 

Much like the Cowboys their problems lie in their defense being ranked No. 31 in points against which could prove burdensome for backup QB Marcus Mariotta to consistently overcome.

Each team has shown its capability to compete in this wide-open division while also demonstrating its ineptitude at seizing its control.

What needs to improve for these teams to grab a hold of this very winnable NFC East and secure their playoff seat?

Eagles

It’s difficult to imagine this team getting back to its 2024 form and once again hoisting that Lombardi if they don’t get this Offensive Line situation under wraps.

They have shuffled Cam Jurgens to guard and brought in Drew Kendall under center in the wake of Landon Dickerson’s injury and while they’ve shown some positive push throughout the game, the results are a mixed bag.

RB Saquon Barkley fed off that once dominant front line to over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2024 and if they want to fix this offense’s inconsistency problems it starts with blocking better for your All-Pro to help keep the chains moving.

Giants

Whether its veteran QB Jameis Winston or newly acquired J.J. McCarthy, this team needs someone who will complement their defenses at the helm allowing the strength of this team to carry them to success.

The Giants have the reverse issue of many of their NFC East counterparts with their offense being anemic, but their defense carries the water and so stable quarterback play is paramount.

Playmakers like WR Malik Nabers and RB Cam Skattebo just need someone to maximize their games and this team might surprise some folks if they can get that from their QB.

Cowboys

The Cowboys have shown that their offense led by QB Dak Prescott is one that commands respect but winning in this league is going to take major improvements on defense if they are to reach their potential.

Shootouts like that game vs Baltimore are wildly entertaining from the non-biased fans perspective but are unsustainable from a success standpoint and need to be addressed.

Putting it all together has been Dallas’s crux these past few years, so hard to imagine they aren’t searching deep inside for remedies to fix what’s broken.

Commanders

The Giants lost their franchise QB and are struggling to replace him while the same set of circumstances fell to the Washington Commanders and they are thriving.

We have seen this story before though with QB Marcus Mariotta who has strung together many of solid performances only to regress to the mean shortly after.

This team has an uphill battle but if Mariota can keep this up, they will be in this NFC East race in no time. *