Ranking the Most Optimistic Fanbases from the NFC East

There's nothing quite like a knee-jerk reaction to help NFL fans simmer down from the emotional high of a football game.

In fact, one of the great things about being a football fan isn't that the game instills so much passion in us; it's that it allows such a wide range of emotion to build up in the week between games. Fans are able to go on a wild ride even when the next game is still days away.

That's both good news and bad news for fans in the NFC East, a division that's had a bumpy start to the season. Combined, the division holds a 3-5 record, while its individual teams have seen as much turmoil as anyone across the league.

So, how are the fans feeling two weeks into the 2015 season? Click ahead to see which fanbase is the most optimistic heading into Week 3.

Note: Links to Reddit threads and comments sections contain NSFW language.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

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This sequence from Redditors Jonny Rashid and MMouchi in an Eagles discussion thread titled "How is everyone doing?" sums up the current mindset of Philadelphia fans:

"I feel better about the Phillies." 

"The Flyers start soon. At least they have an offense."

All is not well in the City of Brotherly Love. Head coach Chip Kelly's aggressive offseason has yet to bear fruit, and the Eagles fanbase is beginning to realize just how ugly things can get when an organization lacks stability. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Daily News is asking for papal intervention. 

After losing three of their last four games last season, the Eagles have opened up 2015 with an 0-2 record. If things don't turn around soon, the notoriously venomous Philadelphia fans will get even surlier.

3. New York Giants

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It's difficult not to get the sense this iteration of the New York Giants and their fans are like a couple who have been married for over 20 years but are now headed toward divorce. It's not malice that has caused the dissolution of the marriage, but time.

Head coach Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning have brought Giants fans two Super Bowls and a lifetime of memories, but the spark is gone. Giants fans no longer believe this duo can lead them out of difficult situations.

Heartbreaking (and confounding) losses to Dallas and the Atlanta Falcons did not cause the enmity, but they may serve as the tipping point. Scroll through the comment sections at Giants blog Big Blue View, and the word "disappointed" comes up a lot.

Giants fans realize whatever ineffable force propelled this team twice past the New England Patriots has long since faded.

2. Dallas Cowboys

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On one hand, the Cowboys are 2-0, two of their division rivals are imploding and the third division rival is the Washington Redskins.

On the other hand, Cowboys fans now have to prepare themselves to live without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for potentially half the season.

Between the glee, schadenfreude and dread the opening two weeks have inspired in Dallas, it's unlikely any fanbase is more confused at the moment. It's all a bit much to take in.

If you're a fan of roller coasters, give the postgame reaction thread on the Cowboys' Reddit page a read, although it might be wise to take a Dramamine first.

1. Washington Redskins

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When your team hasn't won a playoff game since 2005 and has lost at least 10 games in five of the last six seasons, you learn to cherish even meager glimmers of hope.

In fact, that particular four-letter word hasn't been so prevalent in Washington, D.C., since President Barack Obama plastered it all over town in 2008.

Fans now have something to seriously believe in following Washington's 24-10 win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 2. Kirk Cousins was efficient at quarterback, and the team produced 182 yards rushing against a very good Rams defense. The fanbase has clung to this newfound sense of direction for all it's worth.

With the Redskins at 1-1 on the season, Reddit threads have popped up offering apologies for doubting Washington's offensive line and advocating for new nicknames for running backs Alfred Morris and Matt Jones.    

Wins tend to engender festive moods, but Washington fans are realistic. They know this team isn't the finished product. They're just happy to see it moving, at last, in the right direction, particularly when the rest of the division is so down.