It was business as usual for the four members of the NFC East. Three of the four teams fell in embarrassing fashion, and the other struggled to beat the hapless Oakland Raiders. No one expected San Diego to compete with the current beasts of the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys; but compete they did, and Dallas is back to the drawing board. Not much was expected out of the second-place Eagles during their travels to Denver, and they did nothing to dispel the worries of a despondent fan base.
The Redskins finally got into a rhythm and defeated a Raiders team devoid of leadership, and quarterback Terrelle Pryor. But the hapless Giants continued their losing trend, and a third NFC East team fell to familiar-foe Andy Reid. Perhaps no one is happier to have left the East than the Chiefs’ skipper, who’s current teams’ win total equals that of the entire division he was expelled from mere months ago. Where does that leave the NFC’s most popular grouping? In the Oakland A’s dugout without a paddle…
San Diego Chargers(2-2) 30 Dallas Cowboys(2-2) 21
Which Dallas Cowboys team is the real version? The group that annihilated a Rams team and saw DeMarco Murray rush for 175 yards, or the team that scored just 16 points in Kansas City, and gave up 30 on the road in San Diego? The beautiful offensive balance Dallas found during their wins in Week 1 and Week 3 disappeared in a flash, as Tony Romo threw 37 times matched by just 16 rush attempts in Sunday’s loss to San Diego. Even without Miles Austin , the Cowboys still have one of the most talented sets of skill players in the NFL, but one wouldn’t have realized it this weekend. Tight end Jason Witten was virtually absent in this one, recording just five catches for 43 yards. Witten caught 114 passes from Romo in 2012, and the two have not been able to find that chemistry thus far into 2013.
Despite finding the end zone three times against the Chargers, Dallas was unable to compete with an offense who’s “stars” include Ryan Mathews , Eddie Royal ,and Philip Rivers. Sure, Dallas boasts one of the best front sevens in football, and Demarcus Ware has adjusted nicely to his new defensive end role, but a unit that was supposed to be rejuvenated under the tutelage of legend Monte Kiffin, is surrendering 304.5 yards per game through the air. At the end of the day, the Cowboys are facing the same problem they have dealt with since the advent of Romo as their starting quarterback: they can’t finish games. Sunday was no different as San Diego scored the final 20 points, and the Cowboys are back at square one.
Denver Broncos(4-0) 52 Philadelphia Eagles(1-3) 20
Welcome to the NFL Chip, I imagine things aren’t going quite as you planned. Had this been a YMCA rec-league contest, the referee’s would have turned the scoreboard around at halftime, as Denver set a franchise record scoring more points than ever in their 54-year history as a professional franchise. Billy Davis’ defensive unit has no answer for the Broncos fast-paced high-flying circus that is the NFL’s best offense, while dispelling all claims that the Eagles are a contender in 2013. Rest easy Eagles fans as this is a rebuilding season; yet while Rome wasn’t built in a day, Octavian never gave up 52 points either. Surrendering 323 passing yards and 122 rushing yards per game, the Eagles defense likely wouldn’t be relevant in the SEC, and are looking more like Lennay Kekua than Manti Te’o during his Heisman Trophy campaign.
The Eagles secondary is closer to an all-boys choir than a defensive unit, and the personnel decisions have been atrocious as well. Where are Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry ? These two staples of the Eagles’ defensive linemen corps have been virtually absent through four games, while watching an abysmal defensive unit get worse with each passing snap. There is no Juan Castillo to blame this time, and Billy Davis’s Bastille Day may be closer than one thinks. In the end, there is some positivity. The Eagles still lead the NFL in rushing with an average of 198 yards per game, and are 11th in passing yardage with an average of 260.5 per contest. Still, it is hard to find a silver lining while watching Andy Reid’s Chiefs improve to 4-0. In their Week 4 drubbing at the hands of Peyton Manning 's Broncos, the Eagles were only out-gained by 22 yards, but lost by 38 points.
It seemed as if the closure problems were just vintage-Andy, yet there remains a real issue scoring the ball in Philadelphia. Add that to the fact that kicker Alex Henery has missed a 40-50 yard field goal in each of the past three losses, and the Eagles have a serious problem that needs addressing. Moving the ball is great, grand even, but Philadelphia must find a way to get the ball into the end zone. Chip Kelly’s group must find a rhythm in their next two contests against the winless Giants and Buccaneers. If any other NFC East team was relevant this would be the time for panic, but as it stands the Eagles are just one game out of first during a rebuilding season, and that is all Philadelphia’s fans can ask for.
Washington Redskins(1-3) 24 Oakland Raiders(1-3) 14
In perhaps the least anticipated game on the Week 4 slate, Washington entered the “Black Hole” to meet with an Oakland Raiders team reeling from its Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos. To make matters worse for the struggling bay-area franchise, the team was forced to play without its centerpiece, quarterback Terelle Pryor. Without Pryor the Raiders were forced to turn to career backup Matt Flynn in the hope of securing a victory. Despite going up by 14 points early, Washington forced seven sacks, and the Redskins cruised to an easy road win. Rookie cornerback David Amerson had his welcome to the NFL moment on an interception he returned for a touchdown, solidifying the rookie as a serious defensive rookie of the year candidate. While the Raiders’ offense is a far cry from a coherent one, the Redskins must continue their positive momentum and try and get back in the race for an NFC East crown.
Despite losing their first three contests, Washington is just one game behind division-leading Dallas. Don’t get too excited Redskins’ fans; this unit is still far cry from the group that took the East crown a season ago, as proved by the lack of a true rushing offense. A year ago, Washington led the NFL in rushing on the backs of Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris. Flash-forward a year and the Redskins are just 17th in rushing with an average of 106 yards per game. Is Morris a true number-one rusher? Can Griffin III overcome a devastating injury and regain his form from a dominant rookie campaign? Only time will tell, but after a disappointing start to 2013, things are looking up in the nation’s capital.
Kansas City Chiefs(4-0) 31 New York Giants(0-4) 7
Arrowhead Stadium played host to the funeral for the 2013 Giants’’ playoff hopes, or it would have if a competent team played in the NFC East. On Sunday, Andy Reid continued his dominance over the East with a drubbing of his former-rival Giants. Tom Coughlin and Big-Blue are in turmoil, and a meeting with the NFL’s sack-leaders was not what the doctor ordered for the ailing franchise. David Wilson can’t get on the field, the Giant’s offensive line is in shambles, and New York’s defense is giving up 122.5 rushing yards per game, with 261.8 surrendered through the air.
Furthermore, with just seven points in their last two games, many are starting to wonder if the big money the Giants’ skill players are making this year is worth it. Faced with a coach so hard-headed he will not change his offensive philosophy, there really is not a clear solution for the Giants’ problems. Tom Coughlin continues to over-utilize quarterback Eli Manning who threw his NFL-leading ninth interception, to go along with two fumbles. If the turnover-machine at the helm of the offense isn’t bad enough, the Giants’ rushing attack sure is. Averaging just 57 yards per game, Wilson and backup Da’Rel Scott have been as beneficial Mike Tolbert on a passing down.
If New York can’t find a working balance within its offense, the Giants will miss the playoffs yet again in 2013. Regardless, with a paper-Mache defense, fixing the offense is just half the battle for New York’s second-most beleaguered franchise. A team that makes its defensive livelihood rushing the quarterback should have more than four sacks in as many games. It seems the Giants’ biggest strength has turned into yet another major weakness, and New York’s playoff hopes will suffer due to this.