NFC East Preview: Week 4

By Ben Haley on Friday, September 27th 2013
NFC East Preview: Week 4

Three down 13 to go, welcome to Week 4 of your 2013 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys have a two game lead on the Philadelphia Eagles, and will look to continue their winning streak in sunny San Diego against the Chargers. Week 4 will not give the Eagles a chance to battle back in the race for the NFC East title, as they will travel to Mile High stadium to battle Peyton Manning and the Broncos. For both winless teams in the East, Week 4 offers a chance to right the rapidly sinking ship, or will be the final nail in their 2013 season’s coffin.  The latter seems to be true for the New York Giants, who will travel to one of the most formidable stadiums in the league to take on Kansas City. Arrowhead stadium is the home of the Chiefs, and the undefeated team from Kansas City should teach the Giants a thing or two about Southern hospitality. For the reigning division champions, a matchup with the Terrelle Pryor -less Raiders should be just the kick-start their ailing defense needs. Regardless, it’s the Dallas Cowboys’ division to lose at this stage, now we play the waiting game.


Dallas Cowboys(2-1) vs. San Diego Chargers(1-2)

Bolt up for this one Chargers fans, a rejuvenated Cowboys team heads to Southern California with one thing on their minds, Green Flash Brewery… I mean a victory. While a Racer five would surely hit the spot after a tough day on the gridiron, Tony Romo and company would be wise not to underestimate the sneaky Chargers in this contest. San Diego suffered their two losses by a total of four points, so expect this one to be close in front of a friendly crowd. Qualcomm stadium will host this battle of oft-beleaguered franchises; and while both teams have above average passing attacks, this contest will be decided on the ground. Injury-ridden DeMarco Murray is coming off his best game of the season after rushing for 175 yards and a score against the St. Louis Rams in Week 3, and will take on tortoise-extraordinaire Ryan Mathews in a battle of stumblers, fumblers, but more frequent bumblers.

Prediction: Cowboys 23 Chargers 20

As neither offensive line has shown itself to be anywhere outside the realm of mediocrity, expect heavy pressure on both quarterbacks all afternoon, turning this contest into a slop-bucket of epic proportions. With a defense that forced six turnovers in one game and is currently ranked 2nd in the NFL against the run, the Cowboys will dominate the Chargers’ game-plan on Sunday. By attaining tremendous pressure with just four down-linemen, Dallas will be able to take advantage of Philip Rivers ‘s tendency to turn over the football and win against the Chargers.


Philadelphia Eagles(1-2) @ Denver Broncos(3-1)

Take a deep breath Eagles fans, the air is about to get a little thin. Chip Kelly’s team will travel to Denver in their Week 4 matchup, for a game in which it is a tremendous underdog. Peyton Manning has never looked better as a quarterback in the NFL, and the Broncos are halfway to making Von Miller ‘s suspension completely irrelevant regarding their playoff chances. While undefeated Kansas City still stands in the way of an early playoff-birth for Denver, the Eagles’ pathetic excuse for a defensive unit won’t pose much of a threat to the Broncos’ undefeated streak. Cary “sconces” Williams has little chance against Demaryius Thomas Wes Welker and the rest of the best offense in the NFL. The Eagles have allowed an average of 323 yards per game through the air this season. Peyton Manning is passing at a clip of 375 yards per-game; the math is simple folks, and the Eagles will fall to the Broncos.

Prediction: Broncos 41 Eagles 34

It is no secret that the Eagles’ offense can score. LeSean McCoy dominates on the ground, and Michael Vick is a solid complement to the Bird’s impressive rushing attack. Things fall apart for the Eagles’ offense when Vick is forced to make plays; It is only a matter of time until the Broncos take the lead on the rickety picket-fence that is the Eagles’ secondary. Peyton does what Peyton does, and the Broncos will outscore Philadelphia and cement their lead over the AFC.


Washington Redskins(0-3) @ Oakland Raiders(1-2)

For a brief second, the Raiders had hope. After Terrelle Pryor was concussed in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s embarrassment at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the Raiders will turn to career-backup Matt Flynn in what seems to be a favorable offensive matchup. Oakland lost 37-21 in an outcome many predicted, but the loss of its starting quarterback will resonate more than a road-loss against a Super Bowl contender. Even still, the Redskins’ defense is a sieve and my nine year old sister would have a shot at 300 yards passing against such a porous unit. Until Robert Griffin III and the offense get in sync, the Redskins will continue to lose. Regardless, the Raiders are by far the least fearsome of the Redskins’ first four opponents. Expect Alfred Morris to shoulder the load, and Washington to win in a shootout.

Redskins 33 Raiders 27

While Matt Flynn is nowhere close to Matthew Stafford , Aaron Rodgers , or even Vick, the Raiders’ quarterback should be able to compete at some level against the worst secondary in the NFL. Though the Redskins should pull away in the end, Washington will have its hands full should the offense continue to struggle. If the Redskins hope to have a chance to make the playoffs, their campaign must start in Week 4. Consider this a must-win scenario for Mike Shanahan’s team.


New York Giants(0-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs(3-0)

Put simply, the team leading in sacks is facing the group that has given up the most thus far in 2013, and the Chiefs should put the Giants’ on high-alert in a dominant victory. New York’s offensive line has been decimated by injuries, and the team itself ranks dead last in rushing. Without David Wilson , who has apparently extended his stay in Tom Coughlin’s doghouse, the Giants have no hope of finding balance to their offense, and that is where Eli Manning comes in. Leading the NFL with eight interceptions, the younger Manning is being relied on far too much in New York’s pass-happy scheme. Manning is harried easily as a passer, and has thrown more picks than Metta World Peace ‘s elbow. All kidding aside, even with the inadequacies of the Giants’ offense, their defense hasn’t been much better. Ranked just 27th against the run, and a mediocre 17th against the pass, New York’s defense will be oft abused in 2013. The Chiefs will roll to another home win, and match the undefeated Broncos at 4-0.

Prediction: Chiefs 34 Giants 13

Until New York can find balance its their offense, there will be no hope for a beleaguered Giants’ team. Kansas City is rolling with three straight wins, and will look to improve to 3-0 against the NFC East. Jamaal Charles should go buck-wild in this contest, and may actually break the scoreboard against a sorry-excuse for a defensive front. If Charles can’t get it done, Alex Smith will step up and dominate an average secondary. The sack leaders will continue to do what they do best, and dominate the Giants’ offensive line in an easy win.

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