NFC East: Predicting How the Division Will Play Out the Rest of the Way

It was a couple of decades ago when the NFC East was the dominant division in the National Football League. The New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys all won Super Bowl championships. Dallas was the team of the decade. While the Philadelphia Eagles never won a title in the 1990s, Philadelphia was a perennial playoff contender when a healthy Randall Cunningham was starting at quarterback. 

Things change. 

No NFC East team is over .500 heading into Week 11 of the 2015 NFL season. What may be the best overall roster, as it pertains to talent, in the division has notched only two wins in nine attempts. The biggest reason there will be any NFC East team in the upcoming postseason is because the division winner automatically qualifies for the playoffs per NFL rules. 

Each of the four teams in the divisions is responsible for fascinating stories as the regular-season's final stretch begins. Those clubs all have one thing in common: All are in the playoff hunt and one hot streak away from participating in at least one meaningful January game. 

One thing we know at this point is that December should be fun for followers of NFC teams.

Dallas Cowboys' Key Player: Tony Romo Is Back!

Associated Press

Tony Romo returns, but it may be too little and too late for the Cowboys.

It is demoralizing for a Super Bowl contender to lose its starting quarterback two weeks into the season. Such a setback can emotionally affect players on both sides of the football, particularly when the other options on the roster are Matt Cassel and Brandon Weeden.

Worry no more, Dallas fans, as Tony Romo and his healed collarbone will be making a heroic return this Sunday when the 2-7 Cowboys are away to the 4-5 Miami Dolphins. 

Unlike when he suffered a back injury, Romo does not believe he will have to change the way he plays this time around. According to ESPN staff writer Todd Archer, Romo said: 

"

You are not necessarily playing through an injury. It's not something I need to feel. When I first started with the back you had to figure out how to play through that or with that. But this you are really coming back healthy. It’s just the fact that a hit could reinjure it faster than others.

It is not as if I feel that on each play. That is a different perspective. To be honest with you, I don't know that you really change anything as far as your thought process and how to play the game. You go out. My job is to get us in good plays. Throw the ball accurately and get it the guys and let them go make plays.

"

Romo should feel comfortable playing behind one of the NFL's top offensive lines. The Cowboys have, per NFL.com, surrendered only 37 registered QB hits this season. That is impressive considering Cassel and Weeden have, to date, taken the majority of the snaps from under center in 2015.

Dallas Cowboys: Why They'll Win the NFC East

Associated Press

Dez Bryant must be rejoicing to have Tony Romo back.

Think about this: We have yet to see the full power of the Dallas offense play four consecutive quarters of football this season. 

It's November 20. 

Dez Bryant went down to an injury in the season opener against the New York Giants. The Cowboys still managed to take advantage of multiple New York miscues en route to winning the game. Dallas then survived losing Romo in a Week 2 divisional showdown against the Eagles. 

You'd have to go back to the 2014 season to appreciate the numbers Bryant has been able to post versus NFC East foes (h/t ESPN): 

1. Nine receptions and 151 yards against the Giants. 
2. Three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown against the Redskins. 
3. Seven receptions, 86 yards and a pair of TDs against the Giants. 
4. Four receptions and 73 yards against the Eagles.
5. Six receptions, 114 yards and three TDs against the Eagles.
6. Four receptions, 99 yards and two TDs against the Redskins.

The Cowboys were, on paper, the best team in the NFC East back on September 1. A healthy Dallas side probably steamrolls to an easy division crown and maybe even competes for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Any other NFC East team would be left for dead at 2-7. 

You can't do that with this Dallas roster when it is only three games out of first place with seven games left on the schedule.

Dallas Cowboys: Why They Won't Win the NFC East

Associated Press

It is unrealistic to expect the Cowboys to make a run this year.

Anybody who can count understands that a 2-7 NFL team probably isn't making the playoffs. Not only are the Cowboys facing a scenario where every game is essentially a postseason contest, but Dallas also has a brutal schedule between this Sunday and the end of the regular season: 

1. Week 11: At a Miami Dolphins team that is in the AFC wild-card hunt.
2. Week 12: Versus the undefeated Carolina Panthers on a short week because of the Thanksgiving Day game.
3. Week 13: At the Redskins for what could be a must-win game for both teams. 
4. Week 14: At a Green Bay Packers team that will be chasing either a division title or a playoff berth
5. Week 15: Versus the New York Jets—a team that could still be in the wild-card race. 
6. Week 16: At the Buffalo Bills—a team with a menacing defense and a side that could still be in the wild-card race. 
7. Week 17: Versus the Redskins. Washington would love to play the spoiler role against a division foe if the Redskins are out of the division race. 

Worst of all for the Cowboys is that the Giants are already in the rearview mirror. The Week 1 victory that Dallas earned over Big Blue was erased when the Giants beat the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in October. The Cowboys could win out and still not win the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles' Key Player: Mark Sanchez

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Some Philadelphia fans have no faith in Mark Sanchez.

Sports blog The 700 Level recently gave a look at how some fans of the Philadelphia Eagles feel about Mark Sanchez filling in for the injured Sam Bradford for at least one game. 

"

Ugh, Marf Sanchez.

Between his Vidal Sassoon hairstyle, this ridiculous Baywatch pic and the fact that he totally sucks at football, I just can’t take him anymore. To make matters worse, the Eagles backup backup quarterback (THAD LEWIS?!) is no better. So how’s this for a suggestch: what if we were to replace Marf Sanchez with an ostrich? I know, I know, you’re probably wondering: can an ostrich succeed in a pro-style offense? And I’m not sure. I’m honestly not sure. But I am sure that he would look adorable with a little helmet on.

"

(Note: The "Marf" is not, in fact, a typo. That is how the author spells the quarterback's name). 

Sanchez, as those of you who were watching the game know, threw an unforgivable red-zone interception in the fourth quarter when the Eagles were at the Miami Dolphins last week. Those types of mental lapses and miscues have haunted Sanchez since his days with the New York Jets. 

It is easy to understand why some fans may forget that Sanchez once outperformed Tom Brady in a playoff game that occurred at Gillette Stadium. Sanchez's streaky play has kept him behind the likes of Nick Foles and Sam Bradford on the Eagles' depth chart. Sanchez will sink Philadelphia's playoff hopes if he does not eliminate avoidable errors from his game.

Philadelphia Eagles' Big Game: Beat the Giants

Associated Press

The Eagles-Giants Week 17 game could determine the NFC East champion.

Every game is, of course, important for a 4-5 team that is still in the playoff hunt. Fans of the Eagles and Giants can both circle the Week 17 showdown that will feature those two teams at MetLife Stadium. That game will be flexed to Sunday Night Football if the NFC East is on the line heading into the first weekend of January. 

The Eagles could have a big advantage if that is a play-in game for the two clubs. 

Philadelphia already has a win over the Giants this season. The Eagles thoroughly dominated Big Blue in prime time to the tune of 27-7 (h/t ESPN). Just as impressive is that the Philadelphia defense completely shut down New York wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the second half. 

Beckham failed to notch a single catch in the final 30 minutes of play. 

There is another reason to like the Eagles on January 3. The Eagles have beaten the Giants at MetLife Stadium four out of the past five years (h/t Pro-Football-Reference.come).

Philadelphia Eagles' Big Concern: QB Woes

Associated Press

Neither Mark Sanchez nor Sam Bradford has been great for the Eagles.

Now that Tony Romo is back, the Eagles may be responsible for the worst quarterback situation in all of the NFC East. 

Trading for Sam Bradford has not yet paid off for Philadelphia football czar Chip Kelly. Bradford has matched 11 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions (h/t ESPN). The tradition that has become Bradford getting hurt on every fall has continued this year. Eliot-Shorr Parks of NJ Advance Media reported earlier this week that Bradford will be sidelined for at least two weeks. 

Bradford has a separated left shoulder, and he is in the NFL's concussion protocol. 

There are three games, in particular, that stick out on Philadelphia's schedule: Week 13 at the New England Patriots, Week 14 versus the Buffalo Bills and Week 15 versus the Arizona Cardinals. 

The Patriots could be on the verge of going 16-0. Rex Ryan showed when the Bills defeated the New York Jets that he can still motivate a defense to rise to the occasion. Arizona is one of the best teams in the NFC, and the Cardinals are tied for first in total-team interceptions (h/t ESPN). 

Either Sanchez or Bradford will be up against it in December.

Washington Redskins' Key Player: Kirk Cousins

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Will Kirk Cousins carry the Redskins to the playoffs?

Who is the real Kirk Cousins? Is it the fiery quarterback who famously yelled, "You like that!!," after a win? Is it the dejected guy who looks like his big brother stole his favorite toy whenever he loses to the Giants? Is the real Cousins the QB who lit up the New Orleans Saints for 324 yards and four touchdown passes (h/t ESPN)? Maybe it is the QB who entered the tunnel with his head down after he had a dreadful performance against the Patriots. 

Washington fans cannot yet go all-in on Cousins because he has not yet given them a reason to. Cousins, like Sanchez, seems to match every good game with outings that remind you why the current Washington starter has been a backup the majority of his NFL career. 

Yes, Cousins has extra motivation due to the fact that he is chasing after an offseason contract either with the Redskins or with another team. That motivation will mean little unless Cousins can get a firm grip on the type of consistency that he has never had in the NFL.

Washington Redskins' Big Games: Next Two Weeks

Associated Press

Losing to the Giants could mean the end of Washington's playoff hopes.

A lot can change in a division such as the NFC East between now and January 3. That does not erase the reality that the Redskins could be out of the playoff hunt by the start of December. 

Here's how. 

Washington will be at the Panthers this coming Sunday. Carolina is, simply put, better than the Redskins. The Panthers are tied for the most team interceptions in the NFL (h/t ESPN). Carolina's defense is one of the best in the NFC. Quarterback Cam Newton is playing better than ever before. 

Jeff Reynolds of UPI.com believes the Redskins will be blown out in Carolina: 

"

Carolina's defense is championship-caliber and Washington doesn't measure up where it matters, especially stopping QB Cam Newton and RB Jonathan Stewart in the second half.

*Our pick: Panthers 41-23.

"

Say, for argument's sake, that Washington is dominated on Sunday. The Redskins would then, following that demoralizing loss, host a Giants team that will be fresh following an off week. Losing that game would not just drop the Redskins down to 4-7. Being swept in the season series by the Giants would mean that Washington would have to finish ahead of New York in the standings to have a chance of winning the NFC East.

Washington Redskins' Big Concern: Looking Ahead

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The Redskins cannot help but look ahead to next season

The Redskins cannot afford to be distracted by anything at the moment. Off-the-field distractions will nevertheless hover over Washington every time that the team wins. 

Washington is only a game in the win column behind the Giants in the standings. The Redskins are about to face the unbeaten Panthers. Head coach Jay Gruden is still, as Liz Clarke of the Washington Post explained, being asked about Cousins' future, as he is set to become a free agent, during press conferences: 

“Obviously Kirk is a guy we’d like to keep around, no doubt. But it’ll be up to Scot, and Kirk’s agent and Kirk,” Gruden said Monday at Redskins Park, making clear that all decisions involving money and contracts are handled by Redskins president Bruce Allen and general manager Scot McCloughan.

That is not a ringing endorsement. There is, after all, a difference between being somebody "we'd like to keep around" and being "our franchise QB." Players and coaches try to say the right things in these scenarios, but they are human beings who know they are one bad year away from being out of a job.

Cousins feeling that he has to audition each time he plays is only added pressure on an unproven QB's shoulders.

New York Giants' Key Player: Jason Pierre-Paul

Associated Press

Jason Pierre-Paul is back just in time for the Giants.

Unlike the Eagles and the Redskins, the Giants have no worries about the man who is playing the quarterback position. Eli Manning is the only NFC East QB to have twice won the Super Bowl. Manning is the only QB in the division to have won Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors on two occasions. 

The focus instead shifts to Jason Pierre-Paul.

Pierre-Paul was in the headlines over the July 4 weekend when a fireworks accident permanently damaged his right hand. The New York defensive end made his official return to action a couple of weeks ago. Pierre-Paul has, as Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News explained, been impressive. 

"

Despite a four-month layoff, the 27-year-old returned to the Giants and less than two weeks later he played in a game. And in his two games so far he’s played 80% (108 of 135) of the Giants’ defensive plays.

He doesn’t have a sack yet — though he did have one nullified by a penalty against the Patriots on Sunday — but he has three official hits on opposing quarterbacks, one pass deflection, and he’s accounted for plenty of pressure, especially in the last five quarters. Maybe more importantly, he’s caused a revival of the Giants’ previously dormant pass rush, which had nine total sacks in the team’s first nine games.

"

Pierre-Paul is, in a way, re-learning how to play defensive end. The Giants hope he will only improve with more reps. That would only be a plus for a pass rush that missed having JPP in the lineup for a half-season.

New York Giants' Future Schedule: No Layups

Associated Press

The Giants have a rough schedule to end the year.

Just as with the Cowboys, the Giants do not have any layups on the schedule up through the final week of the season. 

1. Week 12: At the Redskins for a game that could be a make-or-break situation for Washington. 
2. Week 13: Giants versus Jets. Always a rivalry game. 
3. Week 14: At the Dolphins. Miami's record on December 14 could determine how much fight the Dolphins have at this point of the season. 
4. Week 15: Versus the Panthers. We have already discussed how great Carolina has been this season.
5. Week 16: At the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings and Packers could still be battling it out for the NFC North title. 
6. Week 17: Giants versus Eagles. This could be the biggest game of the season for both clubs. You've already read about how Philadelphia has enjoyed playing at MetLife Stadium since 2010.

Winning even three of those five games would be difficult for any NFC East team. It may, depending on other results, not be good enough for the Giants this time around.

New York Giants' Big Concern: Regrets

Associated Press

The Giants should already have the NFC East locked up.

Good teams find ways to win games, and bad teams find ways to lose. Listen to sports talk radio long enough and you will hear that adage. 

The Giants, by that definition, are a bad football team, as New York should already have the NFC East title all but locked up. 

New York choked during a Week 1 game away to the Cowboys. Coughlin and Manning's horrendous clock management cost the Giants big on that Sunday night. 

Poor clock management and an overall lack of execution turned a New York win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 into a Giants' loss. That defeat coupled with a Dallas win put the Giants two games behind the Cowboys in the standings. 

New York scored 49 points when away to the New Orleans Saints. The team's defense surrendered 52 to Drew Brees and company in a losing effort. 

The Giants had the undefeated Patriots beaten last Sunday. Tom Brady launched what WFAN radio personality Mike Francesa has, on the air, referred to as a "lollipop" pass late in the fourth quarter that was headed right to New York safety Landon Collins. Collins could not keep possession as his body smashed into the turf, and Brady used that second life to drive the Patriots down the field for a game-winning field goal. 

Say, for argument's sake, that the Giants would have won half of those games. New York would be at 7-3 and in a position to run away with the division crown following the bye week. 

Will the Giants be left wondering what could have been come December?

NFC East: Prediction

Associated Press

Eli Manning is in the best spot to win the NFC East for 2015.

This prediction may be different if the Cowboys were at 4-5. Dallas could make things interesting in the NFC East, but the Cowboys climbing from 2-7 back to the top of the division standings is unrealistic. 

Two people separate the Giants from the Redskins and Eagles: Manning and Coughlin. They've been here before. They have been counted out, only to then emerge as division winners who get hot at the right time of the season. The Manning-and-Coughlin duo has won a NFC East title at home on the final Sunday of a campaign. 

Granted, that was against the Cowboys, but the point is still there. 

You can, in this scenario, have Gruden and Cousins. Take Kelly and Sanchez/Bradford if you dare. The Giants failing to win the division would be nothing short of a letdown for the club. 

It could also result in the end of the Coughlin era for the Giants.