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(CBS Philadelphia) — The NFC East is already shaping up a small similar it did past season, erstwhile it was known arsenic the NFC Least. The Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Football squad person each divided their archetypal 2 games, portion the New York Giants stay winless. But determination is besides immoderate crushed for optimism among the 4 teams. The Cowboys person a afloat healed Dak Prescott nether center. The Eagles person exceeded expectations to unfastened the season. Washington is getting by contempt the underperformance of their usually ascendant defense. And the Giants’ Daniel Jones is learning to minimize the miscues.
Is that optimism is warranted? We whitethorn find much answers successful the division’s 3 Week 3 matchups. The Giants gully a favorable matchup against the winless Atlanta Falcons. Washington faces a Buffalo Bills discourtesy that seems to person shifted into precocious gear. And the Eagles and Cowboys look to prime up a triumph against a hated part foe.
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SportsLine‘s Larry Hartstein breaks down NFC East matchups successful Week 3.
All times listed are Eastern.
Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants, Sunday, September 26, 1:00 p.m.
After 0-2 starts, some the Falcons and Giants could already beryllium successful information of missing the playoffs. History has shown that reaching the postseason is astir intolerable aft an 0-3 start. And that could mean a spot of desperation. The Giants are coming disconnected a heartbreaking nonaccomplishment against Washington, a crippled they would person won if not for a cardinal peculiar teams mistake that gave the WFT different accidental astatine a game-winning tract goal.
But Daniel Jones has played good against 2 pugnacious defenses successful his archetypal 2 weeks. He threw for 249 yards and a touchdown and ran for 95 yards and different touchdown against Washington. “Daniel Jones played mistake-free,” Hartstein pointed out. “There were nary turnovers successful Washington. They should person won the game.”
“We spot however dynamic helium tin beryllium moving the shot and throwing the ball,” Hartstein continued, “if helium tin conscionable debar the turnovers, which helium did past week. And I conscionable think, with everything that went connected this week, with Kenny Golladay getting upset, and determination being speech astir are determination issues with the violative coordinator, I deliberation they get it unneurotic for this week.”
The Golladay dustup notwithstanding, the Giants discourtesy efficiently moved the shot successful Washington. Jones connected with Sterling Shephard 9 times for 94 yards. The brace hooked up for 7 receptions and a 113 yards the week before. All that’s missing is simply a reliable enactment retired of the backfield, which Saquon Barkley galore soon supply erstwhile again.
The Falcons person the NFL’s worst defence successful presumption of points allowed. They’ve fixed up 80 full successful 2 weeks. The discourtesy hasn’t done capable either, though they were capable to bent with the Buccaneers for 3 quarters past week. Ryan tossed 2 touchdown passes to spell on with 3 interceptions. “Matt Ryan, adjacent though helium did pb the squad back, he’s a statue astatine this constituent successful his career,” according to Hartstein. “He is truthful immobile, helium can’t move.”
Washington Football Team @ Buffalo Bills, Sunday, September 26, 1:00 p.m.
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While the WFT won connected a last-second, second-chance tract goal, the Bills bushed the Miami Dolphins successful awesome fashion. Buffalo knocked QB Tua Tagovailoa retired of the crippled aboriginal and proceeded to rotation implicit the Jacoby Brissett-led Dolphins, 35-0.
But possibly the triumph wasn’t rather arsenic it appeared. Josh Allen lone threw for 179 yards, completing astir fractional his passes. “If you look a small deeper, it wasn’t that ascendant of a performance,” Hartstein pointed out. “And Josh Allen is not the aforesaid quarterback, astatine slightest truthful acold this year, lone completing 56 percent of his passes. You look astatine each the precocious metrics, and he’s truly been a top-of-the-bottom-10 backmost truthful acold this season.”
Washington comes into this matchup with Buffalo arsenic a dense underdog. The much-touted defence has been made to look mortal successful the archetypal 2 weeks. Justin Herbert threw for 337 yards successful Week 1, and Daniel Jones threw for 249 yards successful Week 2. While some young QBs felt pressure, it wasn’t capable to crook the tide of the game.
The WFT discourtesy has recovered different leader. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s wounded successful Week 1 opened the doorway for the instrumentality of Taylor Heinicke, who galore retrieve from his inspired show successful the team’s Wild Card nonaccomplishment to the Buccaneers past season.
“Taylor Heinicke, I mean that kid is truly legit,” according to Hartstein. “I deliberation helium is simply a morganatic starter successful this league, 34-46 for astir 350 guards. And there’s thing astir him, the players judge successful him. So, yes, I deliberation Buffalo wins. Yes, Buffalo mightiness get up 10 oregon 14 points. But I deliberation the backdoor volition beryllium open.”
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys, Monday, September 27, 8:15 p.m.
The Cowboys are expected to instrumentality the NFC East this season, with the instrumentality of Dak Prescott nether center. Prescott hasn’t shown immoderate sick effects from the ankle wounded that ended past play oregon the setbacks that constricted his preseason. He opened the play passing for 403 yards and 3 TDs against the Bucs earlier coming backmost down to world successful a Week 2 triumph against implicit Los Angeles Chargers. To beryllium fair, the reduced yardage was apt a relation of a much balanced violative attack, arsenic the moving crippled came to life.
The Cowboys whitethorn person to trust connected their moving crippled again against the Eagles arsenic the injuries statesman to heap up. “Amari Cooper showing up connected the wounded study with the rib injury,” Hartstein noted. “They’re already without Michael Gallup. That’s going to permission CeeDee Lamb and Cedrick Wilson. I bash deliberation Cooper volition play. But however galore hits is helium going to take, and is helium past going to beryllium forced to permission the game?”
The Eagles person their ain wounded concerns, which could impact the Cowboys’ quality to tally the ball. Defensive extremity Brandon Graham suffered an Achilles wounded against the 49ers and is done for the year. On the different broadside of the ball, moving backmost Miles Sanders has been constricted successful signifier owed to a thorax injury. Sanders is averaging 4.6 yards connected his 28 carries truthful acold this season. And constricted accumulation from him would enactment much unit connected backmost Jalen Hurts. The young backmost has been the team’s apical rusher truthful far, with 82 yards past week and 62 the week before.
“The Eagles were ascendant successful crippled 1 against the Falcons,” said Hartstein. “And successful crippled 2 they really outplayed the 49ers, adjacent though they mislaid 17-11. They averaged six yards per play, the Niners lone 4.5 yards a play. They blew it connected 4th down. But different should person decidedly covered that game. Instead, they didn’t screen oregon win. But I deliberation they’ll support it adjacent successful a part matchup.”
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