The Philadelphia Eagles are about to have the best week of any NFC East team not named the Washington Commanders.
That’s because the Birds are on their bye.
Chaos reigns at the moment in this famously heated division where the power dynamic constantly shifts.
And it’s not just because rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has traditional bottom-feeder Washington (3-1) in first place, scoring 30.3 points per game, only one victory short of the Commanders’ four-win total for all of last season.
It’s also because, while the Giants (1-3) sit alone in last place, the Eagles (2-2) and Dallas Cowboys (2-2) both look capable of having the bottom fall out and joining them in irrelevance.
The ground is just as shaky beneath the feet of head coaches Brian Daboll, Nick Sirianni and Mike McCarthy, respectively, as it appeared entering this pivotal season for all three programs.
The question now is whether Dallas and Philly are capable of catching themselves, or if the carnage is only going to engulf them, too, as the schedule continues deep into October.
The Giants’ outlook is bleak.
They have not won the division since their last Super Bowl season of 2011, while the Cowboys have won five NFC East titles in those 12 seasons, the Eagles have won four and Washington has won three.
The Giants are in last place in the entire NFC conference, not just in division.
Joe Schoen’s roster is weak. Star rookie receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) looks like he’s going to miss Sunday’s game in Seattle. Player discontent is palpable.
And an upcoming stretch against the Seahawks, Bengals, Eagles and Steelers realistically could drop the Giants to 1-7 before a Washington rematch and a Week 10 trip to Germany to potentially battle the Carolina Panthers for next April’s No. 1 overall pick.
There is a resigned acceptance of the Giants’ place from their frustrated fan base, though, having finished in third or fourth in the NFC East in six of the past seven seasons.
The Eagles, who won 25 of their 34 regular season games the past two years, are in a more constant state of drama due to the disparity between their expectations and reality.
Sirianni’s lack of solutions, quarterback Jalen Hurts’ regression and the concerning dynamic between the coach and QB are drawing most of the scrutiny, justifiably in many respects.
Hurts’ dismissive postgame remark in Tampa that he and Sirianni “have our moments” was nothing short of undermining.
But GM Howie Roseman should not be skating for the defensive personnel he has put on the field. The talent and execution levels for the most part are embarrassing and way below the standard Roseman and that organization has set in recent years.
They’re allowing 365.8 yards (29th in NFL) and 24 points (23rd) per game.
Meanwhile, it should not go overlooked that Hurts said after the Eagles’ pathetic loss to the Bucs that he needs to do a better job of communicating what he sees on the field.
That sounded like an indictment of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s initial plan against Todd Bowles’ defense and the Eagles’ inability to pivot and react.
Injuries to top players A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson played a huge part in the team’s Week 4 dud, too. But there will be no excuses when Philly returns from the bye to host the Cleveland Browns, visit the Giants and Bengals, and then welcome old friend Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars back to South Philly.
Not that the Cowboys have it any better.
Dallas rescued itself from 10 days of national ridicule with last Thursday night’s narrow 20-15 win over the Giants. But they haven’t beaten a good team yet. The roster is top heavy.
They commit penalties like humans breathe oxygen. And one strong defensive night against the Giants’ pathetic run game does not guarantee that the Cowboys’ rush defense (145.8 yards allowed per game) will fare well at the Pittsburgh Steelers and at home against the Detroit Lions before Dallas’ bye.
Then they have to travel to the San Francisco 49ers coming out of the break.
McCarthy’s Cowboys have gone 12-5 in three straight years, but this season’s version looks less consistent. Owner Jerry Jones did the coach and team no favors by sitting on his hands this offseason and not signing free agent running back Derrick Henry after last year’s home playoff embarrassment to the Green Bay Packers.
And with a defense that’s clearly deficient despite some talent, they will have to be more explosive on offense or the wheels will come off.
McCarthy elevated Dak Prescott’s Cowboys offense to first in the NFL in 2021 (31.2 points per game), fourth in 2022 (27.5 points per game) and first again in the league in 2023 (29.9 points per game). Prescott was the MVP runner-up last year.
But right now the Cowboys are only scoring 24.3 points per game, 11th in the NFL, which would be the lowest since their 24.7 per game finished 17th in the NFL in 2020 – when Prescott played only five games and Andy Dalton led most of the rest.
Meanwhile, former Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s Commanders are in first place despite a shaky defense (25.5 points, 257 yards per game allowed), with a favorable upcoming schedule against the Browns, at the Ravens, and then hosting the Panthers and Bears.
Who would have thought the best in the NFC East would found in Washington? Better yet, who will join the Giants in the cellar?
The drama promises to build in Week 5.
