When you think of the NFC East, two things come to mind.
In a weak NFC East race, defense will decide the winner
Forget all the offensive stars -- it’s the action on the other side of the ball which may determine who wins one of the league’s weakest division.
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One, it's got a bunch of disappointing teams that all kind of stink (not one team in the division is above .500). It also boasts some big offensive names, players who go in the early rounds of fantasy drafts: Tony Romo, Eli Manning, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Odell Beckham Jr., just to list a few. It's home to Chip Kelly, a coach labeled by many as a genius largely because of all the offense he designs.
Which is why 2015 has been a strange season for the division. Defense has, more or less, ruled thus far. It's been defense that has allowed Washington to hang around despite sending Kirk Cousins out there every week. It's been defense that has allowed the Cowboys to hang around despite injuries to Romo and Bryant and disappointing performances from members of the offensive line. The Giants, at 3-3, are tied for the best record in the NFC East because they have the division's best (healthy) quarterback, but the play of their defense has been a factor, too.
As for the current division leader, the Eagles were able to overcome three Sam Bradford interceptions, and crawl back into contention Monday night with a 27-7 victory because their defense completely smothered Manning and the Giants. The Eagles forced two interceptions and two fumbles. They held Eli to 189 yards passing. They scored a touchdown and didn't allow the Giants to cross midfield in their final nine possessions -- or to score after the first quarter.
Offensive firepower is what the NFC East is best known for, but it’s the team with the best defense that is likely going to win the division. Which city should be most excited about that? Let’s take a look.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
First, the stats. The Eagles are surrendering just 18.3 points per game, sixth-best in the league, and just 3.4 yards per carry, the third-best mark in the NFL. They've picked off eight passes and forced 10 fumbles. Walter Thurmond and Malcolm Jenkins are playing better that any other safety duo in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
And Chip Kelly and Sam Bradford are lucky that this is the case. Bradford’s QBR is 32nd in the league, while Kelly’s supposedly brilliant offense isn’t in the top 10 in yards or points per game. And yet here we are, entering Week 7, and the Eagles are in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. Despite high expectations out of the offense, with the way their defense is playing, solid output on the offensive end might be all Philly needs to capture a division title.
New York Giants (3-3)
They're the only team in the division with a healthy and competent quarterback, which is sort of like starting out on Boardwalk in a game of Monopoly. But the Giants never brought in a replacement for the perennially injured Victor Cruz, and that has allowed opposing defenses to smother Beckham and force Manning to send the ball someplace else. Until Monday he'd been successful in finding ways to navigate these schemes, but if it weren't for the the Giants' better-than-expected defense, Tom Coughlin's bunch would likely be toward the bottom of the division's standings as opposed to the top.
That unit has been great against the run (3.6 yards per carry against) and the secondary has picked off eight passes. Remember, this is a team that was 24th in defensive DVOA last season. That they’re now in the top half of the league means the Giants can now win games even when Eli Manning struggles. That gives them some margin for error, something no other team in this division currently has.
Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Dallas is still in the division race despite playing without its top weapons -- and with an offensive line that is in the midst of being reshuffled. The numbers are bad (26 points allowed per game), but the defense has figured out ways to, at times, get stops when needed. Also, Greg Hardy returning from suspension is a huge boon to the pass rush. Two weeks ago against the Patriots, Hardy disrupted Tom Brady more than anyone has all season (he hit Brady five times).
When healthy, the Cowboys are the best team in the division. All Rod Marinelli’s unit has to do until Romo and Bryant come back is keep the team within striking distance.
Washington (2-4)
Kirk Cousins is Washington’s starting QB, and yet the team remains just one game out of first place. The defense is allowing 23 points per game, though a lot of that success is the result of Washington taking the air out of the ball and holding on to it for an average of 33:14 per game, the highest number in the league. That said, the Washington defense boasts tough players like Ryan Kerrigan, Terrance Knighton and Chris Culliver, who can make life difficult for opponents. When healthy, they know how to take away a team’s strengths, as evidenced by their success in locking down the No. 1 receiver on opposing teams (third best in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders).
No one expects Washington to make the playoffs. But maybe playing like a team from the early 90s is the best path toward an NFC East title.
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