NFC East sweeps Week 2 schedule; three teams at 2-0

While the 2023 season is still early, it’s moving in a familiar direction for the NFC East. After all four teams won their Week 2 games, the division is tight and laying the groundwork for another competitive season like last year’s.

The Dallas Cowboys followed up their drubbing of the Giants with another beatdown on their New York neighbors, handling the Jets 30-10. While Aaron Rodgers’ absence certainly played a part, Dallas’ defense provided another elite performance and Dak Prescott turned in a much more productive game than in the opener.

The Eagles survived another late rally by an opponent and picked up their second win over the Minnesota Vikings. It gave Philadelphia its first win in conference play and a potentially important tiebreaker against a perceived NFC playoff contender in Minnesota, albeit with a 0-2 start to overcome.

Washington also moved to 2-0 with a gritty road victory in Denver. The Commanders overcame a halftime deficit for the second time this year and QB Sam Howell again showed why he earned the team’s faith with steady play in the comeback.

The Giants got their first win of 2023, needing a 17-point rally in the fourth quarter to edge past the Arizona Cardinals. A slow start had everyone wondering if New York was on the way to a complete meltdown this year, but for now, they’ve held off the carrion-feeders and held on to a little dignity.

Here are your NFC East standings after Week 2:

• Dallas Cowboys 2-0 (1-0 in division)
• Philadelphia Eagles 2-0 (0-0 in division)
• Washington Commanders 2-0 (0-0 in division)
• New York Giants 1-1 (0-1 in division)

It will be another week without any divisional games to enjoy, but there could still be some drama for the Cowboys’ rivals. It starts this Thursday night with the Giants going on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers. While New York narrowly avoided the prospect of a 0-3 start to the year, it’s hard to see them upsetting the Niners on a short week after what we’ve seen so far.

Washington returns home to host the Buffalo Bills, who bounced back from their own Week 1 disaster and put a beating on the Raiders last Sunday. This game should reveal a lot about the Commanders; a tough team after two close wins or a suspect squad who finally gets shown up by some real competition?

Speaking of real competition, hopefully that’s what the Eagles have on Monday night against the Bucs. Tampa is also 2-0 right now with wins over Minnesota and Chicago, but Philadelphia will test them like few teams can in 2023. You know Baker Mayfield is ready to show his stuff against one of the new hot, young QBs in football in Jalen Hurts.

The Cowboys have a potential trap ahead in Arizona. While perceived as a tanking pushover going into the year, the Cardinals have given both the Commanders and Giants a run for their money. Is that an indictment on the teams they’ve played or a sign that Arizona isn’t as bad or focused on the 2024 Draft as we were led to believe?

Dallas would love to get a little separation this week in the division before a tough stretch of games. The Cowboys have the Patriots, 49ers, and Chargers coming up after Week 3, then the Rams and Eagles following their bye. A 3-0 start would certainly help matters, as would first losses for Philly and Washington in what’s looking like another competitive season for the NFC East.