It was a bounce-back weekend for the NFC East, as every team had a resounding victory over an opponent that previously looked awesome. Well, except for the Giants, who got steamrolled by your defending-champion Birds and are now 4-19 in their last 23 games.
Here's what happened, and what's happening, this week in the NFC East:
New York Giants (1-5)
ICYMI: The NFC's Cleveland Browns find themselves at 1-5 for the second consecutive year, Eli is toast, Alshon Jeffrey is better than Odell Beckham (who is being called out by Rooney-wannabe John Mara), and as Eagles-reddit pointed out, Donovan McNabb is still dominating this rivalry. #5WillAlwaysLoveYou.
Spin: This spring, Giants brass pitched their fans they were only a dominant running game away from contention. That was dumb. They now have that legitimate running game (Saquon Barkley is on pace for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage), and yet they're in the same exact position they were a year ago.
The Giants will have another opportunity to draft the heir-apparent to Eli this offseason. There's zero reason to believe they won't muck it up. These are the same geniuses that believed in the idea that signing Jonathan Stewart to a $3.5-million deal was going to make them a contender. Even Chip Kelly has a better feel for an NFL roster (maybe).
What's Next: Monday night against the 2-4 Falcons. Yawn.
Philadelphia Eagles
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Washington (3-2)
ICYMI: It turns out Josh Norman wasn't being benched last week, he was merely preparing for his Revenge Game against his former team. The Ex-Panther had an INT and a FF, Washington forced what felt like a dozen first-half turnovers, & Jay Gruden's squad squeaked out a victory, 23-17.
Spin: Washington has built an old-school style football squad here. A few weeks ago it was the secondary that was getting props, but more recently it has been the play of the defensive line (led by Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen). Of course, that smashmouth-style team couldn't put this game on ice despite leading 17-0 at one point. This roster is about as complete as a Mad Lib.
What's Next: It's Dallas Week in Washington, more on that below.
Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
ICYMI: Because the NFL is twisted and unpredictable, Dallas went ahead and thumped the formerly-feared Jacksonville Jaguars, 40-7. Dak Prescott did most of the damage with his legs (only throwing for 172 yards, a majority of which went to Cole Beasley).
Spin: If you're looking for reason to panic, the Dallas D-line has looked very good, doing so with a lot of stunts and motion (the same sort of thing that gave the Eagles fits in Tennessee). That's definitely something to keep an eye on. Reluctant-props to Jason Garrett, who got creative and made Prescott effective against a talented Jaguars defense. Good luck replicating. Beasley isn't giving you 100-yards receiving on the reg, and the likelihood of a quarterback who can't throw for 200+ yards having sustained success is unlikely, no matter how much movement the D-line has pre-snap.
But hey, they beat Blake Bortles, so LET'S GET THE HYPE TRAIN MOVING!
What's Next: Ah, Dallas vs. Washington, an over-hyped NFL rivalry featuring two teams that haven't been to an NFC Championship Game since 1995. It's that rare instance where Birds fans should be pulling for Dallas, but don't fret; any result will benefit the Iggles somehow, and neither of these rosters are deep enough to compete with the Eagles when they're on.
