Two weeks ago most of the experts had all but written off the 3 and 5 Dallas Cowboys but now, after they have managed to string together 2 consecutive victories, all of sudden they are the popular pick to win the division. The Dallas Cowboys are now 5 and 5 and have replaced the Redskins and Eagles as the odds on favorite to win the division. Is that because they have played well as of late or is it because of the ineptitude of the rest of the NFC East? In truth it is more likely the latter. The Cowboys chances to win this division improved drastically but the battle for the the NFC East division title has only just begun. As for the rest of the NFC East, both fans and experts tend to overreact and none of those teams should be written off just yet.
Let’s begin with our very own Dallas Cowboys. They have been underwhelming all season long and have not been able to overcome teams that have been able to stop Ezekiel Elliott. The most concerning thing of all for this team is that every single team they have beaten this year has a losing record and every team they have played with a .500 record or better has beaten them. The win against Atlanta though, despite their losing record was impressive in several ways. First of all to win on the road in the NFL is always a challenge, especially in a building such as Mercedes Benz stadium. It was also the first time the Dallas Cowboys have won 2 games in a row all season. Most importantly the Cowboys defense faced their toughest challenge yet and responded superbly. The Dallas Cowboys defense, despite their shortcomings at the safety position, is indeed for real. The Cowboys offense on the other hand is not where they need to be. The Falcons had one of the worst defenses statistically coming into the game against Dallas and the Cowboys made them look pretty good on Sunday. There were some positives for them though. Dak Prescott is becoming more and more confident every week. The offensive line is playing more like what has been expected of them all along. Ezekiel Elliott is starting to get on a roll and Amari Cooper seems to have had the desired impact on the passing game. Most significant of all was that the Cowboys did what they needed to do at the end of the game to win and that is the mark of a playoff team.
The rest of the division has been left for dead according to most experts and that makes them all dangerous. Starting with the division leading Redskins, they had their critics before and now they have been completely written off following the season ending injury to Alex Smith. Newsflash, Alex Smith is not the reason they are leading the division. They are leading the division because of their running game led by Adrian Peterson and their dominant defensive line. Despite the mounting injuries the Redskins have accumulated on their offensive line, they still have the ability to go toe to toe with the Cowboys in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Furthermore, Colt McCoy should not be underestimated as he has beaten the Dallas Cowboys in the past. On a side note, a certain NFC East team that shall remain unnamed was written off last year after losing it’s starting quarterback and still managed to win the Super Bowl. The Redskins season is far from over.
The Philadelphia Eagles were destroyed by the Saints on Sunday and the general assumption is that they have now thrown in the towel for the season. They may have quit on Sunday but regardless of the score of that game it was only one game. Those type of losses tend to motivate teams rather than cause them to plummet into a downward spiral. The Eagles have their share of injuries but in similar circumstances last season they were able to overcome them to win it all. Do not sleep on the Eagles, they will be back with a vengeance when they visit Dallas on December 6th.
Lastly there is the lowly Giants. The laughing stock of the division and the only team deemed to have NO chance to challenge for the NFC East division title. The Giants have nothing to lose and Odell Beckham Jr believes they can run the table. So far they are 2-0 since Beckham made that proclamation and if they beat the Eagles next week and the Cowboys win on Thanksgiving they will be in striking distance in the division. With a rematch against the Cowboys to close out the season, the Giants may be the most dangerous team of them all. They are certainly the most desperate and even if they can’t overcome their current record they could relish the spoiler role and should not be taken lightly.
The Dallas Cowboys have an excellent opportunity to compete to win the NFC East division title. They are positioned to take over 1st place and their destiny is in their own hands but it would be foolish to assume they are the favorite at this point. The rest of the NFC East is listening to the experts talk and the Redskins, Eagles and Giants are aware that they have all been written off. Beware the power of bulletin board material for the NFC East is very much up for grabs.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode