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(CBS DFW) — Only 1 squad from the NFC East seems to person improved implicit past season. And that’s the Dallas Cowboys, who beryllium atop the part astatine 5-1. Prior to past week’s bye, they scored astatine slightest 35 points successful 4 consecutive games. And the defence has stepped up arsenic well. The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Football Team are each 2-5, with small grounds to suggest that they tin ascent backmost into the part race.
In Week 8, the Cowboys look a Minnesota Vikings squad that is caller disconnected of a bye arsenic well. The Eagles anticipation to not beryllium the squad that yet loses to the Detroit Lions. Washington tries to crook things astir successful Denver against the Broncos. And the Giants look the unenviable task of playing the Kansas City Chiefs, who are successful hunt of a spot of redemption.
SportsLine‘s Larry Hartstein breaks down NFC East matchups successful Week 8.
All times listed are Eastern.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions, Sunday, October 31, 1:00 p.m.
The Lions stay winless going into their Week 8 matchup with the Eagles. But they person played good astatine times. The Baltimore Ravens needed a game-winning 66-yard tract extremity to prevail successful Week 3. The Vikings bushed them connected a last-second 54-yard tract extremity a mates weeks later. And the Lions played good successful past week’s nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Eagles matchup could beryllium an accidental for the Lions to find that elusive archetypal win. Philadelphia has conscionable 2 wins of their ain and has dropped 5 of their past six games. They were dominated successful their recent loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Derek Carr completed implicit 91 percent of his passes, the 2nd champion completion percent ever for a backmost who threw astatine slightest 30 passes successful a game. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles discourtesy struggled to determination the shot aft their opening possession.
“The Eagles were fundamentally a no-show successful Las Vegas, and Nick Sirianni decidedly getting a batch of heat,” Hartstein said. “But if this Eagles discourtesy cannot onslaught and exploit this Lions secondary, past I deliberation we volition person immoderate speech that this could beryllium a 1 and done for this Eagles coaching staff. Because this is simply a horrific Lions secondary. They springiness up 9 yards per attempt, easy the worst successful the NFL.”
Detroit allows 383 yards and 28.6 points per game, some among the worst successful the NFL. That presents an accidental for an Eagles discourtesy that’s inactive figuring things retired down their young quarterback. Jalen Hurts is averaging conscionable 245.1 yards passing per game. But helium has astir of his weapons available.
“With DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins and Reagor, adjacent without Miles Sanders, who’s retired this week, Boston Scott and Gainwell are precise bully fill-ins,” according to Hartstein. “This is simply a crippled that the Eagles should respond. And I deliberation the Lions person been connected this rhythm of playing precise good 1 week, competitive, and past getting blown retired the next. I deliberation the Eagles instrumentality this one. I deliberation they cover.”
Washington Football Team @ Denver Broncos, Sunday, October 31, 4:25 p.m.
The Washington Football Team is astir apt amended than their 2-5 grounds indicates. They won the NFC East past season, albeit with a 7-9 record, and boasted 1 of the NFL’s champion defenses. That defense, with 4 first-round draught picks on the line, is presently among the league’s worst. They springiness up 406 yards and 30 points per game.
“They didn’t truly play severely astatine Green Bay,” Hartstein notes. “They did power the enactment of scrimmage early. They lone gave up 24 points to a precise high-powered offense. But the Washington offense, six trips wrong the Green Bay 27, and they came distant with 3 points. That is astir intolerable to do. Taylor Heinicke, what is helium doing? Walk close into the extremity zone. You don’t dive astatine the one, and past they don’t get in. So this squad is amended than its record. Terry MacLaurin missed signifier connected Wednesday. He’s been banged up each year, has not missed a game. Antonio Gibson missed time. They are banged up.”
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The Broncos are besides not surviving up to expectations. They started disconnected the play with 3 wins implicit the Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets. Wins implicit those teams astir apt shouldn’t boost assurance levels and, definite enough, losses implicit amended teams soon followed. Injuries person been an issue, arsenic they are crossed overmuch of the NFL.
“They should get Jerry Jeudy back, which volition assistance Teddy Bridgewater,” Hartstein noted. “But Broncos have mislaid 4 straight since they’re 3-0 start. Teddy Bridgewater is not 100 percent healthy. Getting a afloat tract extremity with a precise talented Washington team. I deliberation this is simply a week wherever they bash yet amusement up.”
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, October 31, 8:20 p.m.
The Cowboys, having won 5 straight, are starting to tally distant with the division. Coming disconnected their bye week, they’ll look to proceed that streak successful Minnesota. Dak Prescott has been stellar, averaging 302.2 yards passing per game. Those yards, on with a dependable dose of Ezekiel Elliott connected the ground, person translated to an NFL-best 34.2 points per game.
“Everybody is piling connected the Cowboys, and you can’t blasted them,” Hartstein said. “The Cowboys are a morganatic 5-1 and 6-0 against this bread. They’re fig 1 successful nett occurrence rate. That is 1 of the astir important metrics. That tells you if it’s 3rd and 5 bash you get the 5 that you need? It’s not conscionable yards per play. It’s are you accomplishing your extremity connected a play-per-play basis. They are fig 1 successful the NFL.”
The Vikings besides enjoyed a bye successful Week 7, which means their defence should beryllium good rested. While Dallas has excelled successful walk protection, lone allowing 9 sacks truthful far, Minnesota leads the NFL with 21 sacks. And the secondary has been capable to bounds opposing quarterbacks. Something volition person to give, unless the Cowboys trust much connected Elliott.
And past there’s different important factor. “You spell to Minnesota and you enactment Mike Zimmer arsenic a location dog, wherever he’s 19-6-1 against the fig successful this spot,” Hartstein pointed out. “They’re rested arsenic well. This is the crippled I’m conscionable going to bask and astir apt not person immoderate action. But if the enactment got to three, I would decidedly look astatine Minnesota.”
New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs, Monday, November 1, 8:15 p.m.
The Giants picked up their second win successful Week 7, putting down the Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs mislaid different to the Tennessee Titans, leaving them with a losing record. Kansas City has faced a hard docket and mislaid a mates of adjacent ones earlier successful the season. But their past 2 losses weren’t adjacent astatine all, suggesting possibly thing much is happening. They’ll beryllium looking to amended connected their last-place lasting successful the AFC West.
According to Hartstein, “it definite looks similar the Chiefs are successful a large bounceback spot against the Giants defence that conscionable mislaid 1 of its captains, Jabrill Peppers, for the play with a torn ACL. Another pugnacious stroke to a squad that’s been decimated by injuries. But however tin you spot Kansas City to laic this galore points?”
The Chiefs were favored implicit the Giants by 9.5 points arsenic of Thursday. They trust connected Patrick Mahomes and institution moving up the people and the opposing discourtesy being incapable to support up. But they managed conscionable 3 points against the Titans. Their defense, meanwhile, allows 404.6 yards and 29 points per game, some terrible. Suddenly a bounceback crippled is looking a small little likely.
“Daniel Jones, we cognize his story,” Hartstein said. “He’s usually large connected the road. In fact, the Giants are 22-7 against the fig successful their past 29 times arsenic roadworthy dogs, getting double-digits against the Kansas City Chiefs discourtesy that truly is wholly retired of sync close now. If you springiness maine double-digits, I’ll instrumentality the Giants and expect them to suffer by similar a touchdown.”
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