The Race to the NFC East Crown: Week 3 Recap
Photo Credit: The Athletic
In the 2022 NFL season, the NFC East was arguably the most competitive division in the league. Finishing with a league-high .647 winning percentage among the four teams, the 2023 season looked poised for a repeat in division trends. Before Week 3, everything played out as expected: The Eagles, Cowboys, and Commanders were 2-0, barring some early season scrappy performances, and the Giants were 1-1, having just completed a 20+ point comeback against the Arizona Cardinals. With Week 3 at a close, each NFC East team has found themselves with a potential reality they must consider. To understand how these realities affect the division race and overall playoff picture, we must dive into each Week 3 game.
Philadelphia Eagles 25 - 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For Eagles fans, this win will feel twice as good. On top of starting the season 3-0, every other team in the NFC East lost this week. With a tough schedule down the later stretch of the season, collecting these “insurance” wins is necessary for the Eagles. Notable uncertainties within the Eagles lie in their offensive game, as they haven’t been able to convince the media that they are the same offensive juggernaut that made it to the Super Bowl only a season before. The same notion applies to QB Jalen Hurts, who is still trying to find a rhythm with new Eagles Offensive Coordinator, Brian Johnson. However, this game only further teased the full potential the Eagles can play at on both sides of the ball, so it may only be a matter of time until all pieces are moving as expected. With this mindset, alongside continuous great performances by new Eagles players such as running back D’Andre Swift (16 carries for 130 yards) and rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter (5 pressures, 1 forced fumble), this team is in prime position to take home the NFC East crown once more and make another deep playoff run.
Photo Credit: Yong Kim / The Philadelphia Inquirer
Following the Monday Night game, Head Coach Nick Sirianni emphasized in his postgame conference, “We’re not going to be playing our best football until we get going into the season. We’ve still got things to work on, we’ve still got growth to do” (9:50, NBC Sports Philadelphia).
Dallas Cowboys 16 - 28 Arizona Cardinals
After looking like the best team in the league throughout the first two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys, alongside the football world, were shocked in an upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Coming into Week 3 with videogame-like statistics in point differential (+60), own turnovers (zero), takeaways (seven), turnover margin (plus-seven), and so on, Cowboys and football fans are now trying to make sense of this bizarre event.
Photo Credit: Ross D. Franklin
Ultimately, the Cowboys’ defense was caught off guard. The Cardinals dominated the line of scrimmage and established the run wholeheartedly with a two-possession lead right out the gate. The loss of Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs right before this Week 3 matchup did not help the Cowboys’ case either, as the defense gave up a 69-yard catch-and-run to rookie wide receiver Micheal Wilson. It can’t be understated that in a division like the NFC East, an early loss against an inferior opponent may come back to bite. On the positive side, the Cowboys still have a potential DPOY in Micah Parsons and a winning formula that created those record-breaking statistics throughout the first two weeks. If they can manage to retap into that early-season dominance moving forward, the Cowboys can still very well be a top contender in the East.
New York Giants 12 - 30 San Francisco 49ers
Photo Credit: New York Giants
This past week, the New York Giants were a victim of the 49ers onslaught. Against a team built to succeed, the Giants lacked the necessary firepower to keep up with this San Francisco unit. In defense of this team, they did have to play back-to-back away games on a short week. While that previous away game was a historic comeback win against the Cardinals, it ironically caused further damage to the Giants heading into Thursday Night’s game. The team’s rushing offense struggled immensely without Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley (day-to-day ankle injury) and rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt did not see a target after an efficient 89 yards on merely 2 catches the previous week. More shocking stats reveal that the Giants have been outscored 63-6 in three first halves this season. If this team can pinpoint the foundation of their previous season's success and address these first-half struggles, they can begin putting themselves in positions to win as opposed to climbing out of a self-made hole. With a long 11-day rest before the Seahawks on Monday Night, the Giants can re-establish a winning identity to get back on track.
Washington Commanders 3 - 37 Buffalo Bills
Photo Credit: John McDonnell / The Washington Post
If there were any positives to consider from this brutal rout against the Buffalo Bills, it’s that the Washington Commanders still have a positive record. A lot of nightmares happened on Sunday, with Sam Howell getting sacked nine times and Washington nearly finishing the game with zero points. Ultimately, Joey Slye’s 51-yard field goal in the game’s final minute cut the Bills’ lead to 34, preventing the shutout. This was just one of those games and performances you forget about. While the commanders have occasional flashes of potential, they are not a team that can contend with the top of the pack. At least, not for a while. Next task up: Washington has to prepare for another challenging opponent in their division rival, the Eagles (-7.5). If they can produce a better first quarter than the one in their last game, Washington may be able to stand their ground.
