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Four weeks into the season, and the NFC East is the clear cut worst division in football. Teams have a total of only four wins in the division, including two against each other.
Entering a matchup with the winless New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles have been able to, at the very least, find a few positives. The Giants have fallen to the cellar of the division with no real signs of a recovery on the horizon. Philadelphia’s upside lies in an offense that can be explosive when they are at a pace that allows them to tire out the opponent’s defense.
The problem being that if they fail, the defense, which is far below par, ends up spending more time on the field.
It seems easy for the mind to wander to the upcoming weeks, putting aside a New York team that hasn’t been close to a win this season. Although they have plummeted, New York does have some capable pieces that would be able to take advantage of opportunities.
Eli Manning has looked dreadful through four weeks, with little protection provided by the offensive line and not many weapons to count on for help. Victor Cruz has continued to be a bright spot for the offense and the one consistent option for Manning.
However, the New York defense is not that of what it used to be. Losing some key pieces in free agency, paired along with injuries and aging, they just haven’t been as productive.
It’s easy to see that without a viable offense and with a defense in decline, the Eagles could easily take advantage in each aspect of the game. But taking the Giants too lightly would be the biggest mistake the Eagles could make. If the Eagles cruise into the Meadowlands thinking that the Giants are just going to roll over because they’ve not had success this season, they will open themselves up to allowing New York to crawl out of last place.
Philadelphia needs to prepare as if they are playing the most important game of their season because right now, a win in the division makes it the most important. If the Eagles can come away with a victory, they provide themselves the opportunity to share the division lead and build confidence that they can use to continue to improve as the season progresses.
Bob Francis is a Philadelphia Eagles contributor for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rfrancisjr, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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