The division that has historically been the best in the entire NFL has been down in recent years and it doesn’t exactly look like a powerhouse in 2011.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-4 and at the bottom of the division after an offseason of free agent signing-induced hype led to their “Dream Team” moniker. The Cowboys are a disappointing 2-3 a year after being the consensus pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but fell flat on their faces. The Washington Redskins are in year two of Mike Shanahan’s rebuilding project and their 3-2 record is mostly a mirage. And the New York Giants currently lead the division at 4-2, in spite of obvious flaws that will be exposed as their schedule gets more difficult.
So what has happened to the division that has the most Super Bowl appearances in NFL history with 19 and the most Super Bowl wins with 11?
The obvious thing that has happened is that the very nature of the NFL prevents teams from maintaining success over a long period of time. The NFL draft rewards the worst teams with higher draft picks. That’s how teams like the Detroit Lions, who have never even appeared in a Super Bowl and have had draft picks in the top 5 for the better part of that last decade, are finally coming together. Meanwhile, years of picking towards the middle or end of the draft rounds has hurt the NFC East teams.
The Eagles, who improved to 2-4, still have plenty of proving to do. They’ll get their chance right after this weekend’s bye with a run of games against Dallas, Chicago, Arizona, the Giants and New England. If they’re a playoff team, they win three, if not four of those five. They have to, really.
The four losses they’ve suffered doesn’t give them room to lose more than three more games on the season — and that’s cutting it close. There is a chance the big-market, mediocre NFC East could be won with a 9-7 record.
Still, the Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak with a quality win. Their only other victory came against a Rams team that’s arguably the worst in the NFL. That victory over Washington could be all Philadelphia needed, but we’ll see. This team is hardly a finished product.
RETRANSMISSION FOR ALTERNATE CROP - Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) is sacked by Washington Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry (30) and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. Vick was injured on the play. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci
It has taken only five games for the Eagles’ championship aspirations, and their season, to shatter into tiny pieces. They have followed a season-opening triumph over the St. Louis Rams with four straight losses. They squandered fourth-quarter leads in three consecutive games, then had a late comeback bid fall short last weekend in Buffalo.
The Eagles are left trying to put those pieces back together beginning Sunday at FedEx Field against the Washington Redskins.
If they don’t, Philadelphia fans who just watched their expensive baseball team make an early exit from the playoffs may not be inclined toward patience.
The Redskins return from their bye week with a 3-1 record and a chance to strengthen their hold on the division lead. It’s a scenario few would have envisioned for the teams’ first meeting of the season. The Eagles entered the season widely regarded as the solid — and perhaps overwhelming — favorites in the NFC East, while the Redskins were considered afterthoughts by many preseason prognosticators.
