NFC East power rankings: Cowboys hurdle over Eagles heading into Week 2
Football is back, everyone. It's still weird to say that, but we are heading into Week 2 with some actual insight into what teams will look like for the 2024 NFL season. There's no more speculation and the Dallas Cowboys could not have started the new campaign on a better note.
We are going to dive into each NFC East team's performance and how things looked heading into Week 2. What went well and what went wrong? Let's start at the bottom of the division and work our way up.
NFC East power rankings after Cowboys dominate in Week 1
4. New York Giants (0-1)
Last Week: 28-6 Loss vs. Minnesota Vikings
Heading into the year, the Giants were the unanimous last-place team in the division. They had questions regarding everything except for the play of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. That proved true in their embarrassing loss to the Vikings in Week 1.
With the loss of J.J. McCarthy for the season, Sam Darnold was the starting quarterback in New York. Considering his experience with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, the Giants were more than happy with him throwing the ball.
Right out of the gate, quarterback Daniel Jones looked off. His first throw of the year was a low dump-off to Devin Singletary for a six-yard loss. Yikes. On the next play, Jones didn't snap the ball in time, resulting in a delay of game penalty. Double yikes.
Things didn't get any better for the $160 million quarterback. Throwing the ball was a struggle, as he missed opened throws and threw two brutal picks. When running the ball, he hesitated hitting the few holes his offensive line opened for him. It was an all-around terrible game for Jones.
To add insult to injury, the offensive line failed in both the run and pass game. Guard Jon Runyan was staying flat-footed while Singletary was looking for a lane to run on a screen. The Brian Flores defense found too many ways to confuse the line, leading to five sacks.
Giants receivers had a tough time getting open, and when they did Jones couldn't get them the ball. Rookie Malik Nabers had to stare down Jones for two seconds while wide open to get the ball thrown to him.
The Giants' defensive line got bullied when defending the run, letting running back Aaron Jones gain 3.8 yards before contact and 6.71 yards per carry. The Vikings double-teamed Lawrence and challenged another player to step up. That did not happen.
The Giants head to Washington to play the Commanders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday. It is easier competition, but we'll dive into that more shortly.