At last! At last! The New York Giants have a win at last! Now all they have to do is win eight more games, and Tom Coughlin will have completed yet another spectacular turnaround right? Not so fast Giants’ fans, despite being just three games behind the division leading Cowboys, there is little chance for a rebound in New York. Speaking of the NFC East leaders, Jerry Jones’ disciples outlasted an Eagles team devoid of offensive production, something uncommon thus far into 2013. Another uncommon occurrence from Sunday concerns the Redskins, who were able to outlast the Chicago Bears in a shootout. Things finally seem to be turning around for the team that had so much promise entering the season, and Washington is just two games out of first. The playoff race has just begun, and the NFC East is far from decided.
Washington Redskins(2-4) 45 Chicago Bears(4-3) 41
While Washington is far from boasting a capable defensive unit, its offense seems reborn after a hard-fought win in the nation’s capital. Chicago lost quarterback Jay Cutler to injury early in the game, and it was Josh McCown ‘s time in the sun. Unfortunately for the Bears, McCown did not display the tenacity for victory normally shown by Chicago’s favorite diabetic, and the Bears’ were out-gunned in shootout in D.C. Running back Matt Forte shined with 91 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, but the Bears’ offense lacked rhythm without its leader, Cutler. The Bears’ quarterback was not the only casualty in the team’s road-loss, as linebacker Lance Briggs is likely to miss the next four to six seeks due to a shoulder injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to Washington. Without its offensive and defensive leaders, Chicago will face an uphill battle as the playoff race heats up in the NFC.
As for the Redskins, Washington’s favorite son appears to be back to his old self. Robert Griffin III dominated a stagnant Bears’ defense throwing for 298 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 84 yards on the ground. Despite throwing a single interception, Griffin III appears to be fully healthy for the first time all year. In the game’s leading up to Sunday’s showdown in Washington, Griffin III had no more than eight designed runs in any game. Against the Bears, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan called Griffin III’s number 16 times, a sign that bodes well for Redskins’ faithful. Perhaps the most interesting storyline from this game is the resurgence of Washington’s rushing attack. Griffin III alongside Alfred Morris and Roy Helu combined for 220 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, the latter all belonged to Helu. This win was an encouraging sign for a struggling Redskins team, who will look to continue their success next week in Denver against the Broncos… Good luck with that.
Dallas Cowboys(4-3) 17 Philadelphia Eagles(3-4) 3
Hope that was fun while it lasted Nick Foles because as of now, you look more like Kevin Kolb than Donovan McNabb. Isn’t it funny how so much can change in a week? Had Philadelphia been able to overcome the loss of starter Michael Vick and defeat the Cowboys, Foles would have had a cult following comparable to Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster film Pulp Fiction. Unfortunately for the Eagles Foles was incompetent, the team could not run the ball to save its life, and the Birds fell to the Cowboys for their ninth consecutive home loss. In just seven days, the Eagles went from frontrunners for the NFC East title, to a mediocre team whose wins may hurt more than losses in terms of the future. The lone silver lining for Philadelphia came from Billy Davis’ playbook, as an oft abused unit played a tough game and held one of the league’s most prolific offenses to just 17 points and 368 total yards. With the return of Vick expected for the team’s upcoming bout with the Giants, things are still looking up in Philadelphia, for everyone except Nick Foles.
Dallas entered Sunday’s contest without its best rusher, DeMarco Murray and defensive lineman, Demarcus Ware and still managed to eke out a tough division win on the road. Now perfect with three wins in as many games in division play, Dallas has begun to tighten its grip on the NFC East. While the Cowboys’ defensive woes will likely continue in the coming weeks, Monte Kiffin’s Tampa-2 held one of the most prolific offenses in the league to just a field goal. If Dallas’ defense can continue their recent success, the team may be worthy of its Top-10 power rank. Holding LeSean McCoy to 55 yards on 18 carries is a feat worthy to be put in song, if this was a mission in Skyrim. Nonetheless, the Cowboys have cemented their spot at the top of the NFC East’s standings, if only for a moment.
New York Giants(1-6) 23 Minnesota Vikings(1-5) 7
What did Minnesota truly expect from Josh Freeman? The fifth year gunslinger and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer has a career completion percentage of 57.6%, has just 80 touchdowns in five seasons compared to 67 interceptions, and boasts a career quarterback rating of 47.4. So based on these statistics, what in the world would lead Leslie Frazier to believe that asking Freeman to throw the ball 53 times in a game was a good idea? Compare that to Adrian Peterson’s 13 carries, and you have your formula for the Vikings’ 1-5 record. There is an abundance of talent on Minnesota’s roster, but it will never flourish until Frazier is wearing something other than the color purple.
It is about time Tom Coughlin’s team won a game. In what was by far the Giant’s worst start to a season in the Coughlin era, the Giants’ were dead last in rushing, and in the bottom third of the league in both passing and rushing defense. While Monday night’s victory was no season-changing win, there is momentum to be gained from the Giant’s embarrassment of the Vikings. Surprisingly, Eli Manning was even able to go four quarters without throwing an interception, something he has been unable to do thus far into the 2013 season. Despite converting just seven of 19 third down situations, only 257 yards of offense, and with just four more first downs than Minnesota, the Giants won by three scores against one of the league’s most misguided franchises. As little has changed personnel wise in the past few weeks in New York, aside from a rare Peyton Hillis sighting, the game ball for the Giants’ first victory in 2013 goes to coach Tom Coughlin. Next week spells a trip South on I-95 for the Giants, who will look to continue their positive momentum, and avenge a loss to Philadelphia in the process. The Giants are down but not out, will this season be another classic Coughlin comeback? Only time will tell, but New York finally has a check mark in the win column.