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Josh Naso

State of the NFC East: Week 4

The state of the NFC East changed pretty drastically following Week 4. Sure, the division is still by far the worst in football and is perhaps historically bad. It remains the only division in football in which all four teams hold a negative point differential and it has by far the fewest wins of any division in the league. But, at least if you're a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, that's suddenly not looking like such a bad thing. With the division going 1-3 in Week 4 and the Eagles being the lone team to win, Philadelphia suddenly finds itself atop the standings, gaining an important bit of control at the quarter mark of the season. Let's see how things look.





Philadelphia Eagles (1-2-1)


At Eagles Frenzy, we've covered the disastrous start to the season for the Eagles at length. Blowing a lead against a bad team in Week 1, getting destroyed by a decent Rams team in Week 2, and scuffling to a tie against a rebuilding Bengals team in Week 3. But Week 4 certainly altered the outlook.


The Eagles traveled across the country and beat the 49ers after entering the game as nine-point underdogs. Carson Wentz showed signs of improvement, the defense finally forced a couple of turnovers, and the defensive line continued to be an impact unit. With the win, what once looked like a lost season now holds at least a glimmer of hope.


It's way too early to put too much stock into "controlling your destiny" and yes, the Eagles need to show more if they are to salvage the season, but it's impossible to ignore the importance of this win for the Eagles. At the very least, it gives them the opportunity to change the narrative of the season, and after the first three weeks, that's a very big thing. As a reward, they can call themselves "the first place Philadelphia Eagles" for at least a week.


Next: at Steelers


The Washington Football Team (1-3)


Washington lost its grip on first place after suffering a third-straight defeat, this time at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. No one gave Washington much of a chance to win its Week 4 game so the result wasn't a surprise. All three of the team's losses have come by 14+ points and the Week 1 win against the Eagles is looking more and more like an anomaly. The fact that Washington holds the only divisional win in the NFC East so far is really the only asset it has left, and it's hard to see that mattering with the way things are going.


Next: Rams


Dallas Cowboys (1-3)


The Cowboys defense got absolutely torched by the Cleveland Browns, surrendering 49 points and 508 total yards. Cleveland trounced its way to 307 rushing yards despite the fact that RB1 Nick Chubb left with an injury. The Cowboys fell behind 41-14, and without the Atlanta Falcons being on the other side of the ball they were unable to erase the deficit. A 24-8 advantage in the fourth quarter got Dallas within striking distance and made the final score look somewhat more respectable, but it wasn't enough to overcome the way in which the Cowboys were dominated in the second and third quarters. They have now given up 39, 38, and 49 points in their last three games and have a serious defensive problem on their hands. The 146 points Dallas has given up are most in the league, eight more than the next-worst Falcons at 138.


Next: Giants





New York Giants (0-4)


The Giants have the opposite problem as the Cowboys. Without Saquon Barkley, New York just simply can't score. Week 4's 17-9 loss to the Rams was the second straight game in which the Giants failed to score at least 10 points, and they have scored a league-worst 47 points, with only their New York counterpart the Jets anywhere close to such offensive ineptitude with 65 points. Week 5 will provide an opportunity to see which unit is worse, the Giants' offense or the Cowboys' defense.


Next: at Cowboys





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