You must be daft to enjoy this division. With five games under the belts for most NFL franchises, the playoff push has officially begun, and the NFC East is officially irrelevant. Philadelphia’s resident punk, DeSean Jackson was back at it in the media this week, calling out Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis who “can’t run with me.” Sunday’s matchup between the winless franchise from Tampa and division-leading Philadelphia should provide random access memories for those unfortunate enough to remember Tampa Bay’s victory over the Eagles in the 2002 championship game. Still, there is more to the unfolding novella of the 2013 NFC East, as the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants can attest to. In a division separated by only two games, every win matters for residents of the East.
New York Giants(0-5) at Chicago Bears(3-2)
“Thursday Night Football” will house this meeting of two of the NFL’s most illustrious franchises, one of which may fall out of that category soon. After an embarrassing defeat at home at the hands of the rival Eagles, the Giants are in free-fall; and the Windy City should be no help to alleviate their pain. On the other hand, the Bears have lost two straight to Detroit and undefeated New Orleans, so a home win would do much to boost the team’s spirits.
As long as Jay Cutler keeps throwing it, Brandon Marshall will keep catching it, or at least that was the sentiment before the season. Enter breakout season candidate Alshon Jeffery who hauled in 10 catches for 210 yards and a score Sunday against the Saints. Cutler has two capable receivers, so there are no excuses for the dastardly diabetic if he cannot produce against a porous Giants’ defense that has allowed 269 yards per game thus far in 2013. If Cutler and company can’t get the job done, Matt Forte shouldn’t have much issues tearing the NFL’s 29th ranked defense to pieces either. With 375 yards and 3 touchdowns this season, Forte is on a quest to prove he belongs in the ranks of the NFL’s elite rushers.
Prediction: Bears 31 Giants 16
Things won’t get any easier for the Giants this weekend. Putting the NFL’s interception leader, Eli Manning, up against a defensive unit with a tenacity for forcing turnovers, this will be yet another Sunday New York’s faithful will want to forget. With six interceptions and eight fumbles recovered in just five appearances, Manning should add to the 12 interceptions he has thrown this year. Chicago will make a power-move in the NFC North here, while the Giants will be all but out of playoff consideration after their Thursday night battle in Chicago.
Philadelphia Eagles(2-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers(0-4)
While facing a team at home that is coming off a bye week is normally a formula for distress, rookie quarterback Mike Glennon is far from a capable quarterback at this early stage, and even the Eagles’ horrendous defense will have a shot to stop the first-year gunslinger. It is Glennon’s backup that should pose problems for Billy Davis’ 3-4 set. Doug Martin has had an uninspiring start to his 2013 season, but will have a shot to get back on track against a defense giving up 108 yards per game. The key to revival for Tampa Bay lies on the back of “the muscle hamster” who will have to carry his team to victory if the Buccaneers have not given up on Coach Greg Schiano yet.
Fresh off a 36-21 road-win in the Big Apple, a rejuvenated Philadelphia team will take a trip to the Gulf Coast and take on an old foe. Some of my earliest and worst memories of being an Eagles fan come from meetings with the Buccaneers. First and foremost would be the aforementioned NFC title-game loss in 2002, but just as painful was the season opener the following season. Sylvester “Rocky” Stallone captivated a capacity crowd during the first “Monday Night Football” broadcast of the 2003 season which was a rematch of the previous year’s NFC Championship. Many believed the Eagles would get revenge on the team that had sent them packing months earlier, and just as many were dead wrong, myself included. The Buccaneers steamrolled the Eagles in the grand opening for their new home, Lincoln Financial Field, and burned an image of Joe Jurevicious in the minds of Eagles fans for all time, after the Bucaneer’s receiver burned the Eagles for two scores on the way to a 17-0 Tampa Bay victory. But oh the times they are a-changing, and the Eagles should come out on top in the latest clash of two long-forgotten rivals.
Prediction: Eagles 24 Buccaneers 20
In a closely matched contest between two of the NFC’s most mediocre franchises, the Eagles and running back LeSean McCoy will send Coach Schiano packing and end the Buccaneers playoff dreams before they started. Quarterback Nick Foles will take the helm for the Eagles Sunday to lay waste to an underperforming offensive unit that is currently dead last in passing yards per game with an average of 174.3 per game. If all goes as planned for Philadelphia, the Eagles will be 3-3 and right in the mix for the NFC East title.
Washington Redskins(1-3) at Dallas Cowboys(2-3)
Oh how the tide has turned, less than nine months ago, the Redskins defeated the Cowboys to win the first division title in the Robert Griffin III era. Sunday will be a different story, as the Redskins must find a way to win on the road if they hope to keep their playoff chances alive. While 1-4 would not be a death sentence in so timid a division, the Redskins would be three games behind the Cowboys, with a head-to-head loss, a situation no team wants to be in.
One week after setting the franchise record for passing yardage, and throwing an interception that cost his team a chance at a victory, Tony Romo will have a much easier opponent to exploit. Romo has been a top-10 passer his entire career, and 2013 is no different. Ranked seventh amongst passers thus far into the season, Romo and his receiving corps have averaged 285 yards through the air per game. Opposite this elite unit will be a patchwork defensive unit who will be lucky if they are able to contain the likes of Jason Witten and Dez Bryant for four quarters on Sunday. Washington is ranked 28th against the pass with over 298 yards given up per game on average, so this meeting with the rival Cowboys will put an inexperienced unit to the test.
Prediction: Cowboys 27 Redskins 24
While Alfred Morris and the Washington offense will get back on track in Dallas, the explosive Cowboys offense has been given new-life by third year back DeMarco Murray who is on a tear thus far in 2013. Murray and Romo will continue their paths of dominance, and the Redskins will fall one step closer to irrelevancy.