Washington Commanders

Rival Watch: Behind enemy lines (week three for the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants)

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) argues a call during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Much has been learned about the other teams in the NFC East since since the last time Philadelphia Eagles saw action.

How many Philadelphia Eagles fans could honestly say that they knew we’d be here after a month of the 2016 season was over? Well, we at Inside The Iggles did. Three months ago, we ran with a story about how the eagles were completely capable of winning the NFC East and the reaction to that wasn’t necessarily one of total agreement. It’s okay. We know there was a lot to digest. There was a new coach, new defensive coordinator, a new defensive scheme and the starting quarterback was still slated to be Sam Bradford.

Truth be told, that is a lot, but here we are. We’re a week into the season, and our beloved Eagles are now 3-0 and alone atop the division. We hope those that doubted feel pretty cool with the fact that you may have been wrong about this team’s potential. Unexpected success is always a nice surprise.

The Eagles were off for week four, but that gave us a chance to examine the other members of this surprising division, and compile our weekly results of where each team ranks. See if you agree. Leave a comment. We’d like to hear from you.

Let’s begin.

October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and players celebrate after a defensive stop during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

1. Those guys with the stars on their helmets.

If you’re a die-hard Eagles fan it’s almost impossible to give the Dallas Cowboys credit for doing anything without getting sick, but you have to agree that, after week four, they deserve it. Wide receiver Dez Bryant, one of their most talented players, can’t seem to get it going and was sidelined with injury this past week. They won anyway. Quarterback Tony Romo got hurt to begin the season, and rookie Dak Prescott stepped in. They haven’t even missed a beat, and some would argue that they’re better. Jason Garrett is still their head coach, Jerry Jones is still the owner and they win anyway.

It’s still too early to tell, but the Cowboys may be the team that battles back and forth with the Eagles all year to determine superiority in the NFC East. When your major concern is whether or not to bench your starting quarterback when he returns, you’ve got to say things are going pretty well for you on the field.

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) shakes hands with fans while leaving the field after the Redskins

2.The Washington Redskins

They’ve been picked on a lot, but we’ve decided to let the Washington Redskins out of the cellar (at least for a week). This team’s got talent and this may sound crazy, but we may spend too much time talking about Josh Norman. The problems they’ve had have now been replaced by a two-game winning streak, and honestly, Norman, even with the interception this week, may not have very much to do with it.  We keep hearing how good Bashaud Breeland is, but in his absence, this team looked better at cornerback. The long-term success of the Redskins will probably be in spite of Norman and Breeland and not because of them.

As far as the game, there was a lot that happened that they can build on. They made plays in the running and passing game. The defense was aggressive and forced turnovers. They even handled adversity pretty well when it came. The one question though is the same question we asked when the Eagles played the same opponent. Was all of this success this because they were good, or was it because the Cleveland Browns are so bad? Let’s check back in next week and see what happens.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

3. The New York Giants

Okay, here’s a serious question. What in the world is wrong with Odell Beckham Jr? He’s losing his cool, blowing up on the sideline and getting in fistfights with inanimate objects (that he’s losing). It’s almost like the Cowboys switched their persona with that of the New York Giants. The Cowboys have stabilized things in the coaching ranks, are getting veteran play from the quarterback position and are winning games. The Giants are playing uninspired, getting very little from players with a ton of talent and have a self-absorbed receiver who is behaving like a diva. Well, maybe that last one isn’t a discrepancy between the two.

Don’t look now, but the Giants have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately for the fans of this team, things aren’t improving. They’re declining, and if the issues that have nothing to do with football aren’t handled quickly, this entire season will be an unraveling of a proud franchise that we thought had it all together.

Where’s Tom Coughlin when you need him?

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