The BEAST is back.
And it’s not even up for debate.
The NFC East has compiled the best record of any division in the NFL through week 7 as the Eagles remain the only undefeated team at 6-0, the Giants are winners of four straight and sit at 6-1 and the Cowboys got back in the win column, taking down Detroit 24-6 to move to 5-2.
Hell, even the lowly Washington Commanders are good for 3-4 following an upset win over Green Bay in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday afternoon. That 3-4 record is good enough for a first-place tie in the South, second place in the North and a tie for third in the West.
With this level of success occurring almost overnight for a common laughingstock division like the NFC East, many experts and spectators have been left scratching their heads as they wait for things to come crashing down like they normally do. But I got bad news for the haters (of which there are many), the NFC BEAST is BACK, and it’s for real this time.
PHILLY IS BACK
There’s no disputing the Philadelphia Eagles are a damn wagon and Jalen Hurts is a legit MVP candidate. And by the looks of the remaining schedule for the birds, it doesn’t appear they’ll be tested until a week 12 clash with Green Bay or even a week 13 matchup with the 2021 AFC one seed Tennessee Titans. Even then, both of those games are at home in the city of brotherly love. And if the Phillies continue rattling off improbable wins and bring home a World Series in the meantime, it’s going to be hard to convince the Eagles they aren’t a team of destiny as well.
Through six games, the Eagles have knocked off the Vikings and Cardinals while also solidifying its role as top dog in the BEAST with wins over Washington and Dallas. The next two weeks see Philly (6-0) lining up against an always tough Pittsburgh squad before hitting the road to take on a reeling Houston Texans team. Like I stated above, if the Titans or Packers can’t take down this new NFL Goliath, week 16’s date between the Cowboys and Eagles on Christmas Eve may be the first and last chance for someone to dethrone the birds.
Giants Shocking the World
I think it’s safe to say no one saw the New York Giants becoming a feared opponent in 2022. The lethal combination of first-year head coach Brian Daboll, a rejuvenated Saquon Barkley and an overall weak schedule has helped propel the G-Men into a playoff caliber team at 6-1. The Giants have taken care of less-than-formidable foes like Carolina, Chicago and Jacksonville, but have also recorded surprise wins over Baltimore, Tennessee and Green Bay. All six victories are one score wins, but last anyone in New York checked a win’s a win! New York’s lone loss came at the hands of the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, which proves the inter-division matchups between Philly, NY and Dallas are sure to be must-see TV as the season progresses.
New York (6-1) will look to keep the ball rolling next week as they head cross-country to face off against a surging Geno Smith-led Seattle Seahawks team. Following a bye in week nine, the G-Men will have a solid shot at back-to-back wins as they host the Texans and Lions before matching up with Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.
Dallas Hanging Around
It appeared the Dallas Cowboys were going to be in for another long, injury-riddled season when franchise quarterback Dak Prescott was sidelined for five weeks with a fractured thumb. But thanks to a superb 4-1 record led by backup QB Cooper Rush, America’s team managed to weather the storm and remain in the race for the top spot in the NFC East. With Cooper at the helm, the Cowboys relied heavily on its defense, and they showed out in more ways than one.
Second-year edge rusher Micah Parsons continues to dominate the line of scrimmage while the secondary hasn’t been shy of making game-winning plays. Parsons leads the team with seven sacks and eight tackles-for-loss while Trevon Diggs has hauled in three of Dallas’ seven interceptions. Much like their East counterparts, the Cowboys do not face much of a dreaded schedule this season as matchups against the weak AFC South and NFC North will help keep things interesting as these three teams vie for playoff spots down the stretch.
Dallas (5-2) will host Chicago next week, followed by its bye week, before hitting the road to take on Minnesota and Green Bay on the road. The results from these three games will help dictate what exactly this team is made of.
Washington is Still Washington
There just aren’t a lot of nice things to say about the Washington Commanders this season. No matter how bad a franchise wants Carson Wentz to be 2017 Carson Wentz again, it just isn’t going to happen. Wentz has been competent at QB, but a 10-6 TD/INT ratio partnered with a 60% completion rating has plagued the Commanders from keeping pace with their competition. Luckily, a Wentz injury had led to former XFL QB Taylor Heinicke taking over once more for Washington. Heinicke started off rocky against Green Bay on Sunday, falling behind 14-3 in the first half before rallying the troops to a 23-21 comeback win over Aaron Rodgers.
After dropping four straight, Washington finds itself at 3-4 and still very much in contention for a Wild Card spot if things continue to trend in the right direction. They’ll take on Indianapolis and Minnesota before getting a second crack at Hurts and the Eagles in week 10. Much like the Cowboys, we’ll know much more about this team once we hit the midway point of the regular season.
Keith Jaco 