Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles to battle for NFC East

After four weeks, each NFL division is beginning to take on its own identity. The NFC East is no different, with a trio of evenly-matched teams getting ready to get after it for the next three months.

While the New York Giants are 0-4 and all but out of the conversation, the Philadelphia Eagles are leading the gaggle at 3-1. Meanwhile, both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys are 2-2 after tough defeats this weekend.

Going into the second quarter of the season, the East is effectively up for grabs with no clear favorite. The Eagles and Redskins both have complete rosters in terms of quality offenses and defenses, with none of the units being elite. The Cowboys have a great offense when everything is rolling right, but the defense is an absolute mess as evidenced by their 35-30 meltdown defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.

So who has the advantage to this juncture? Philadelphia has the best divisional record at 2-0, including a key Week 1 victory on the road at FedEx Field against the Redskins. Dallas is 1-0 in the division, with a win over the struggling Giants at AT&T Stadium.

If any team has looked better than the other, it has to be the three-win Eagles. Philadelphia has taken care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers, Redskins and Giants, with the only loss being a 27-20 thrilled at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs. Philadelphia might have the league’s best front seven with Brandon Graham, Timmy Jernigan, Fletcher Cox, Chris Long, Derek Barnett and others getting after the quarterback.

The Redskins also have to be counted. Washington may have lost on Monday night in Kansas City, but it remains one of the better teams in the league. Kirk Cousins is well on his way to another 4,000-yard season, while the combination of Josh Doctson and Terrelle Pryor Sr. provide size and speed on the perimeter. Defensively, the Redskins have players up front in Ryan Kerrigan, Mason Foster and Jonathan Allen.

As for Dallas, the Cowboys have to continue figuring out ways to get Ezekiel Elliott the ball in space. Teams are stacking the box against the second-year running back, who is averaging a meager 3,6 yards per carry. If Elliott doesn’t get going, the Cowboys are going to struggle, with the entire offense schemed around his considerable talents.

Going into Week 5, the Redskins, Cowboys and Eagles are all in the mix not only for the division, but wild cards spots at the very least. After an offseason of thinking the Giants would be the bully on the block, it appears it’s the other three teams who have come to play.