News: BTB: Checking In On How The Rest Of The NFC East Fared While Dallas Was Regrouping

[NewsBot]

While the Cowboys were idle this past weekend the rest of the NCF East was in action. Let's check up on the rest of the division.

New York Giants (3-3)

Last Week:


New York Giants - 7 Philadelphia Eagles- 27

Next Up: Dallas Cowboys


For the Giants the week that has passed could be the title of an old Clint Eastwood western, The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. For that matter there was not very much good; the biggest positive of the past seven days is the news that tight end Daniel Fells has finally been released from the hospital. Fells underwent seven surgeries recently in his battle with MRSA, and there are at least two more procedures in his immediate future. That does not include future reconstructive surgery that will be needed to restore his foot to some semblance of normal.

Fells' release is extremely positive news for the player, who had reason to fear for his life and faced the possibility of his foot being amputated when he was initially diagnosed with the serious, antibiotic-resistant staph infection.
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For the bad, the Giants turned in a stinker of a performance against the Eagles. They bore little resemblance to the team that won three straight games not did they look like the team that dominated the first three quarters of their initial two contests before collapsing during the fourth quarter. New York was lousy from the second quarter on. They found every way possible to self destruct; fumbles, penalties, a pick six, and numerous blown assignments. They looked like last year's team, maybe worse. From top to bottom, the Giants looked like anything but a division leader against the Eagles, and they know it.

"We were pretty much stagnant." - Tom Coughlin

"From the second quarter through the second half, we just got outplayed,." - Eli Manning

"We just didn't play well." - Geoff Swartz
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And now the ugly. Just a few weeks ago the Giants looked at the injuries to Dez Bryant and Tony Romo as a gift from the football gods, a break that would allow them to fight their way back into a race they tried to take themselves out of. The gods giveth, and the gods taketh away. After starting the season with a hole one the defensive line thanks to Jason Pierre-Paul's fireworks accident, things really began to look ugly for New York. First Victor Cruz was lost, and then more recently offensive weapons Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham, Jr. missed some time. The latest blow impacts the Giants defense. Prince Amukamara will now miss several weeks with a torn pectoral muscle.

Washington Commanders (2-4)

Last Week:


Washington Commanders - 20 New York Jets - 34

Next Up: Tampa Bay Buccaneers


After an unexpectedly strong start there was hope in the Nation's Capitol. The Commanders might be getting back on track. Those hopes are starting to fade as reality sets in for Washington. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins is starting to resemble the Commanders passers who went before him, and I don't mean the ones who won rings. Cousins had thrown eight picks in just six games this season, coach Jay Gruden is still humming an old Tammy Wynette song, but people are starting to question how long he can stand by his man. You also have to wonder how long Danny Boy will allow the coach to continue down this road before insisting that Robert Griffin III get another look. On the other hand, several former Commanders players are calling for the team to take a different approach. Former players Brian Mitchell became the most recent ex-Commander to call for Colt McCoy to assume the helm. Haven't we seen this same song and dance before?

"Kirk gives us the best chance to win, still. I want to see him fight through this. That's going to be the making of a strong person, a strong football player. How they react to some tough times and how they improve. I'm excited to see him bounce back and have a big bounce-back game this week and the coming weeks. We'll see how it goes." - Jay Gruden
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Injuries are slowing Washington as well. The offensive line that allowed them to get off to a solid start is now fighting off the wounds of life in the trenches There are multiple issues there. Two key offensive weapons have also been banged up. DeSean Jackson's absence has hurt the offense and tight end Jordan Reed has been injured as well. At least he appears to be one the mend for this week. Several key pieces of the defense, including Jason Hatcher, have been limited as well.

Injuries are going to happen. The human body was not designed with the NFL in mind. What is more frustrating to Washington fans is when guys like Pierre Garcon, who is healthy, cannot contribute. After a strong first half in which the Commanders were able to stay in the game, Garcon came up blank after the break. The Jets secondary is good, but the Commanders and Garcon were having success and then things stopped. The ball never went his way after halftime. Part of that may be due to Cousins forgetting what color jerseys his teammates were wearing but Garcon also looked like he was phoning it in after the break as well.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

Last Week:


New York Giants - 7 Philadelphia Eagles - 27

Next Up: @ Carolina Panthers


The score does not tell the story in this one. As Dan Graziano of ESPN stated in an article quoted earlier, the Eagles were almost as pathetic as the Giants, and perhaps in some ways they were slightly worse. It has to make you wonder what might happen if Dallas is able to use the bye week to their benefit.

But while this game appears to have been out of character for this year's group, the way the Giants lost it should give you pause. The fact is, the Eagles weren't a whole lot crisper. They turned it over four times, committed nine penalties for 72 yards and converted only 38 percent of their third downs. They gave up only one sack, because the Giants can't pressure quarterbacks, but the point is they didn't exactly play a brilliant game, either.

And yet they won it by 20.
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One thing driving the Eagles right now is the return of the running game. DeMarco Murray may have found his stride. He turned in an 83 yard outing against the New Orleans Saints in week five and against New York Murray finally got back over the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. True, those efforts both occurred during contests in which the opposing defenses played lousy football, but success is contagious for a back like Murray. If he gets it going he can be the horse that carries the Eagles to the playoffs.

The thing that should concern teams in the NFC East is not the presence of an alleged genius running the show on offense. The big concern is the under-rated defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Bill Davis and his charges did a number on Eli Manning and the Giants and that is not the first time this has happened in 2015. The Eagles have the #3 defense in the league right now. They are third against the pass and fifth against the run. The entire unit is on top of their game right now and they are carrying the load for an offense that has fallen short of what it was predicted to be. To any NFL team looking for a head coach, look Coach Davis' way. We don't need him in Philadelphia.

Don’t forget to resister for our Blogging the Boys meet-up!
Oct 24-25, 2015
Cowboys-Giants in the beautiful Poconos
Three awesome Cowboys-centric events!
Saturday, October 24
(8:00-10:00 PM): Dinner the night before the game Sunday, October 25
(9:00 AM - 1:00 PM): Pre-game brunch Sunday, October 25
(4:30-8:30 PM) Cowboys-Giants game, with free buffet
Click Here to RSVP Click here for more information on pricing, lodging, etc.​

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