Upon further review, the NFC East is just not that good. For a brief moment, a window had opened for the Dallas Cowboys. Division leading Philadelphia had just given Jason Garret’s coaching career hope by losing to the hapless Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys were leading the Green Bay Packers 36-31 at the 2-minute warning when that all too familiar narrative surrounding Dallas’ favorite son reared its ugly head once again. With the game on the line and ball in his hand, Tony Romo once again threw a costly interception, and gift-wrapped Mike McCarthy’s Packers a second chance at the promised-land. With just two games left on the NFL’s regular season docket, things are about to get interesting in a division no one seems to want to win.
Green Bay Packers(7-6-1) 37 Dallas Cowboys(7-7) 36
It was so close too. All Romo and the Cowboys offense had to do was hold onto the football, and they would be in the lead of the most underperforming division in the NFC. After Monte Kiffin’s laughingstock of a defense allowed the Packers to rally from 23 points down and tie a franchise comeback record, Matt Flynn yes, that Matt Flynn, led the Packers back from the brink of despair, and right into the race for the NFC North. Dallas is reeling, and this time no excuses can be made for coach, quarterback, or diva wide receiver.
Dez Bryant left the field after Romo’s costly interception, because “I was emotional… it had nothing to do with my teammates, we had it… we fought and didn’t finish”. All temper-tantrum’s aside, Bryant has a point. How can a team allow the Aaron Rodgers -less Packers team to rally while simultaneously losing grip on a division the University of Alabama’s football team could make a run at, no disrespect to Ben Afflec, but the Dallas Cowboys are out of excuses, and could be out of luck should they lose to the Washington Redskins in Week 16. Two games will decide the future of Jason Garret in Dallas, so brace for disaster Cowboys fans; if recent history is anything to go by, an implosion is coming.
Minnesota Vikings(4-9-1) 48 Philadelphia Eagles(8-6) 30
Without Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder many assumed the outcome of this game to be a foregone conclusion. Unfortunately for fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, many would be wrong. An utter collapse by a division-leading team was only overshadowed by the repetitive narrative surrounding the career of Tony Romo, and Philadelphia still clings to a one game lead atop the NFC East. Matt Asiata (who?) yes, Matt Asiata rushed for three scores to complement the aerial assault Matt Cassel unleashed upon Philadelphia’s secondary, and the Vikings played themselves out of the running for the first pick in next year’s draft. Leslie Frazier out=coached Philadelphia’s favorite field general, and Minnesota was able to play spoiler, if only for a few hours.
Abandoning the run-first offensive strategy the Vikings have employed since Brett Favre played his last game in purple, Frazier unleashed a talented receiving corps and veteran quarterback who dissected the Eagles porous passing defense. By calling exactly 35 rushing and 35 passing plays, Minnesota proved that a balanced attack is all it takes to outsmart a team expecting an easy victory. In what Chip Kelly called a “trap game” the Eagles abandoned their hard-nosed rushing attack in favor of the Nick Foles show, to disappointing results. LeSean McCoy carried the rock just eight times for 38 yards in the disappointing loss. Despite a major coaching miscue and an unfortunate loss, the Eagles are still very much alive in the race for the NFC East title.
Atlanta Falcons(4-10) 27 Washington Redskins(3-11) 26
Is Mike Shanahan fired yet? Asking for a friend. Nobody deserves to lose his or her job more than the elder Shanahan. With son Kyle already updating his resume as offensive coordinator, the Dan Snyder’s team will look to part ways with the family that continues to cash checks and not produce results. In a sloppy four-quarter brawl against the Falcons, the Robert Griffin III -less Redskins turned over the ball seven times in a game that neither team wanted to win. To make matters worse, every loss gives the St. Louis Rams a better draft pick, as per the RGIII-10 trade from a season ago. At least the Wizards are playing good basketball, because this NFL season has been nothing but forgettable in Washington.
Seattle Seahawks(12-2) 23 New York Giants(5-9) 0
Where to start with this burning trash pile? On pace for 30 interceptions on the season, Eli Manning added five to his total Sunday in New York, as the Giants were embarrassed at home once again. Unable to post even a field goal, this game was over before it started for the Giants. Heading into the off-seasons with major questions at running back, wide receiver, and across the board on defense, one must wonder if Tom Coughlin even wants to return to the team he won two Lombardi trophies for.