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.
Next Game: @ Washington Commanders, Sunday at 12:00 pm CDT
3. Washington Commanders (0-1)
Last Week: 37-20 Loss @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Washington Commanders were one of the more interesting teams heading into the 2024 season. They have a new head coach, who Cowboys fans should be familiar with, Dan Quinn, and a new quarterback in the 2024 second overall pick, Jayden Daniels.
They opened the season at home against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team loaded with offensive weapons and defensive stars. It was expected to be a close matchup with both offenses lighting up each other's defense. That was half right.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield played arguably the best game of his career. When the Commanders had tight coverage, he threw the ball in the perfect spot for his receivers to make a play, and they did. When he was under pressure, Mayfield escaped nearly every time and made a play.
There were five times when Baker should have been sacked, but he somehow escaped and either threw or ran for a first down. Quinn must have been losing his mind on the sidelines.
Give a lot of credit to the Commanders' defensive line for playing hard all game and getting a lot of pressure, but inconsistencies in the secondary burned them. Nursing a big lead, Tampa Bay controlled the game and picked apart Quinn's defense.
Jayden Daniels played decent, but the positive is he improved as the game went on. Initially scrambling even when receivers were open, he eventually calmed himself in the pocket and started making throws. He needs to look for more shots downfield, but that will come with time. In the meantime, running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Zack Ertz proved reliable in the short game, with Ekeler breaking off tackles on multiple plays.
In the run game, the threat of Brian Robinson Jr. and Daniels taking off is always a threat. Both have big-play ability, but the Commanders offensive line struggled to open lanes when they needed to.
Overall, the final score was not indicative of the Commanders' performance, but rather a reflection of everything the Bucs did right. It will be interesting to see how the Commanders' offense and defense perform against a woeful Giants team on Sunday.
Next Game: vs New York Giants, Sunday at 12:00 pm CDT
2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: 34-29 Win vs. Green Bay Packers
The NFC East favorite heading into the season, the Philadelphia Eagles started the season hot. Literally, playing on Friday in São Paulo, Brazil, and finishing the game with a win.
Both the roster and coaching staff saw many changes. That inevitably means the team may take some time until they are running in full stride. In Brazil, there were flashes of brilliance and poor plays that reflected all the changes and talent on the roster.
Jalen Hurts played one of the weirdest games of his career and looked like someone playing Madden. Not in the traditional sense, but rather in a more careless manner. That precedent was set with his first-quarter interception into triple coverage, followed by some great plays.
He made some good throws, like on the touchdown passes to A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley, but his mistakes were costly. A lob into double coverage in the endzone was picked off, and he fumbled the ball on a tush push at the goal line. Both turnovers kept the Packers in the game.
Eagles receivers and running back Saquon Barkley played great, breaking tackles and generating a ton of yards after the catch. One could argue they deserve the credit for the win, not Hurts. I would agree with that. However; it seemed like that was the case for both offenses, with everyone slipping and sliding. Maybe it had more to do with the conditions there.
Hurts' pocket was mostly clean except for a couple of plays, including Rashawn Gary's sack. In the run game, the Eagles' line opened up holes for Barkley and he exploded through them. It is going to be a problem for opposing defenses.
Philly was not bad on defense. Rookie Quinyon Mitchell made some nice plays as the Packers tried to pick on him. The defensive backs played well, covering underneath but got beat deep by Jayden Reed alone twice. Give credit to safety Reed Blankenship on a spectacular read on a throw to the middle of the field, jumping up and picking off Jordan Love.
Defending the run was shaky as it was for the Packers. Green Bay's duo of Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson turned in huge plays running downhill against the Eagles. Wilson averaged seven yards before contact.
Seeing how seemingly everyone was slipping and breaking tackles, it's difficult to put too much stake into this game regarding what it showed of the Eagles, other than Hurts' costly mistakes. A more accurate representation will come this week.
Back playing in Philadelphia, the conditions should not be a factor of excuse. The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is a low bar in itself. While I expect Philly's offense to cook in this game, keep an eye on the defense as they play against an underrated offense with playmakers and a solid offensive line.
Next Game: vs Atlanta Falcons, Monday at 7:15 pm CDT
1. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Last Week: 33-17 Win vs. Cleveland Browns
After losing key pieces all over their roster, the Dallas Cowboys scrambled to replace their starters. Most of the heavy lifting was done in the Draft, leading to some uncertainty heading into the season.
Despite all the changes, the only team in the NFC East to win as underdogs last week was the Cowboys. Many questions regarding the rookies and the change in defensive coordinator from Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer were answered.
The Cleveland Browns were without their top weapon, running back Nick Chubb. Despite that, backup Jerome Ford was more than capable of filling in for him as he did last season. Dallas did a great job stuffing the run in the first half, forcing quarterback Deshaun Watson to throw the ball.
With Watson needing to throw the ball, the Cowboys' pass rush went to work and made the quarterback's day a living hell. According to PFF, their 40 pressures led the NFL, with the next closest being the Seattle Seahawks' 29 pressures against the Denver Broncos.
The rushers sacked Watson six times and hit him 17 times. It could have been more, but he escaped the pocket a few times. He took a beating, but it wasn't always because of the offensive line. Dallas' coverage was exceptional, forcing Watson to hold onto the ball, and giving their rushers more than enough time to hit home.
Corners Trevon Diggs and Caelen Carson played great, with Diggs picking off a pass that tipped off the hands of Elijah Moore, and the rookie essentially locking down wideout Amari Cooper. Linebacker Eric Kendricks also pitched in, picking off a pass that edge rusher Micah Parsons deflected.
Dallas wasn't perfect on defense, but they were impressive. They made big plays and had everyone step up. Mike Zimmer's defense is off to a fantastic start.
On offense, the Cowboys were solid. Quarterback Dak Prescott made plays when he needed to, but with the team taking a big lead early, they took their foot off the gas. Two impressive drives, that which led to Brandin Cooks' touchdown grab in the first quarter, and that which led to a 57-yard field goal before halftime should give you confidence moving forward.
The offensive line played well, with all eyes on rookies Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. The latter did not give up one pressure according to The 33rd Team, and the first-rounder contained reigning defensive player of the year, Myles Garrett. There was some inconsistency in breaking open holes in the run game, but the Browns' front seven is one of the best in the NFL.
Cooks and Ceedee Lamb saw most of the targets, with tight end Jake Ferguson seeing his fair share before being injured. Lamb dominated, as usual, and Cooks looked healthy despite battling injuries last year and coming off his worst season since 2019. Jalen Tolbert only saw two targets, but look for Hunter Luepke to contribute on play actions.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott looks fresh, running for 40 yards on ten carries, but we have seen this before. Rico Dowdle, the expected starting back, was not as productive, running for 26 yards on eight carries. With Zeke known to decline as the season goes on, expect Dowdle to get more opportunities. down the road.
Overall it was a great team win for the Dallas Cowboys against a tough defense. They need to carry that momentum into their home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, who have an underrated defense and dynamic playmakers on offense They're coming off a big 47-10 win against the Carolina Panthers.