jobberone
Kane Ala
- Messages
- 54,219
- Reaction score
- 19,659
NFC East emerging as NFL's most surprising division in 2014
It's just like we predicted in the preseason: The NFC East is incredibly competitive and fun to watch. TheGiants are confident and hot. The Cowboys are dominant, a thrilling bunch to follow, and tied for first place at 3-1.
Wait, what??
In a zany first quarter of the 2014 campaign, the zaniest division of them all is in the NFC East -- a foursome that, conventional wisdom said all offseason, would be impossible to watch this year.
The Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Commanders are a combined 5-1 in nonconference play.
Is it all a fluke? What's next?
Here's what has happened so far, and what lies ahead for the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
Dear Dallas,
I was wrong. I was dead wrong on the 2014 Dallas Cowboys. I thoughtCowboys fans calling into my radio show, commenting on my columns and tweeting at me saying Dallas would compete were living on Planet Delusional.
After they lost Sean Lee to injury, I figured the 'Boys would be defunct. I didn't trust the defense to mature quickly. I didn't trust the Cowboys to commit to a plan, to commit to running the football.
Well, they have, and it's absolutely fantastic.
Jason Garrett is wisely feeding the ball to DeMarco Murray behind the Cowboys' big, physical, talented offensive line that features three former first-round picks. And suddenly, Dallas boast the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack. As a result, Tony Romo is rocking steady. He spread the ball around brilliantly and was a dominant model of efficiency in a 38-17 statement win over the talented New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.
We've all been calling for Dallas' offense to operate in this manner for quite some time. Now, Garrett needs to stick with it.
Running the ball -- and, inherently, controlling the clock -- really helps the defense. The young unit has made major strides. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013, the Cowboys have cracked the top 10 in scoring D.
I think Stephen Jones deserves a lot of credit here. He talked his dad out of the potential nightmare of drafting Johnny Manziel, allowing Dallas to take a strong, physical offensive lineman in Zack Martin. Looking back at the column I wrote in May after a wide-ranging interview with Jones, the CowboysCOO truly believed in this young defense. At the time, I liked the philosophy of getting younger and trimming overpaid aging players, but I never thought it would click this fast -- especially once Lee went down.
The win over the Saints was a signature moment, but the Cowboys had already shown me something striking one week prior. By overcoming a 21-0 deficit to win in St. Louis, Dallas flashed heart and grit -- two words nobody has associated with this team in recent years.
The Cowboys host the Texans on Sunday before visiting Seattle. Then Dallas hosts the Giants,Commanders and Cardinals before going to Jacksonville and then hitting the bye week. Can the 'Boys go 4-2 in this six-game stretch? I'd guess 3-3, but four wins is certainly a possibility if they continue to feed Murray and give Romo balance.
I'm not ready to call Dallas a playoff team, since we've only completed a quarter of the season, but color me impressed. Dallas looks like a real NFL team with a plan. And considering what we've seen from this franchise in recent years, that's something.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ging-as-nfls-most-surprising-division-in-2014
- By Adam Schein NFL Media columnist Published: Oct. 2, 2014 at 01:46 p.m.
- Updated: Oct. 3, 2014 at 01:54 p.m.
It's just like we predicted in the preseason: The NFC East is incredibly competitive and fun to watch. TheGiants are confident and hot. The Cowboys are dominant, a thrilling bunch to follow, and tied for first place at 3-1.
Wait, what??
In a zany first quarter of the 2014 campaign, the zaniest division of them all is in the NFC East -- a foursome that, conventional wisdom said all offseason, would be impossible to watch this year.
The Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Commanders are a combined 5-1 in nonconference play.
Is it all a fluke? What's next?
Here's what has happened so far, and what lies ahead for the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
Dear Dallas,
I was wrong. I was dead wrong on the 2014 Dallas Cowboys. I thoughtCowboys fans calling into my radio show, commenting on my columns and tweeting at me saying Dallas would compete were living on Planet Delusional.
After they lost Sean Lee to injury, I figured the 'Boys would be defunct. I didn't trust the defense to mature quickly. I didn't trust the Cowboys to commit to a plan, to commit to running the football.
Well, they have, and it's absolutely fantastic.
Jason Garrett is wisely feeding the ball to DeMarco Murray behind the Cowboys' big, physical, talented offensive line that features three former first-round picks. And suddenly, Dallas boast the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack. As a result, Tony Romo is rocking steady. He spread the ball around brilliantly and was a dominant model of efficiency in a 38-17 statement win over the talented New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.
We've all been calling for Dallas' offense to operate in this manner for quite some time. Now, Garrett needs to stick with it.
Running the ball -- and, inherently, controlling the clock -- really helps the defense. The young unit has made major strides. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013, the Cowboys have cracked the top 10 in scoring D.
I think Stephen Jones deserves a lot of credit here. He talked his dad out of the potential nightmare of drafting Johnny Manziel, allowing Dallas to take a strong, physical offensive lineman in Zack Martin. Looking back at the column I wrote in May after a wide-ranging interview with Jones, the CowboysCOO truly believed in this young defense. At the time, I liked the philosophy of getting younger and trimming overpaid aging players, but I never thought it would click this fast -- especially once Lee went down.
The win over the Saints was a signature moment, but the Cowboys had already shown me something striking one week prior. By overcoming a 21-0 deficit to win in St. Louis, Dallas flashed heart and grit -- two words nobody has associated with this team in recent years.
The Cowboys host the Texans on Sunday before visiting Seattle. Then Dallas hosts the Giants,Commanders and Cardinals before going to Jacksonville and then hitting the bye week. Can the 'Boys go 4-2 in this six-game stretch? I'd guess 3-3, but four wins is certainly a possibility if they continue to feed Murray and give Romo balance.
I'm not ready to call Dallas a playoff team, since we've only completed a quarter of the season, but color me impressed. Dallas looks like a real NFL team with a plan. And considering what we've seen from this franchise in recent years, that's something.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ging-as-nfls-most-surprising-division-in-2014
