NFC East Fly-By
The Games:
Buccaneers @ Cowboys
Panthers @ Redskins
Giants @ Titans
Eagles @ Colts
Buccaneers @ Cowboys
Now the favorites to win the
division, the Cowboys rode Tony Romo’s team-record 5 touchdown
passes to an easy win over the struggling Bucs on
Thanksgiving. After briefly struggling at the outset, Dallas found the end zone at the end of the
first and never looked back. The defense did not miss LB Greg Ellis one bit, shutting
down Tampa for
most of the game. With the exception of placekicker
Mike Vanderjagt, the Cowboys have nothing to complain
about. Nobody knows if Romo is the next Tom Brady,
but he has certainly stabilized his team and given them great position entering
December.
Cowboys 38 Buccaneers 10
Panthers @ Redskins
Washington snapped a two-game losing streak, thanks to a 66-yard
touchdown pass on a play called by Jason Campbell after his headset went dead.
Joe Gibbs made the right adjustments to his offense as Ladell
Betts topped the 100-yard mark on the ground against a tough Carolina defense. The ’Skins showed some
toughness on defense, limiting the Panthers to 264 total yards and making stops
when it counted most. The Redskins knocked Carolina out of first place in the
NFC South, and will have several more chances (against Philly, New Orleans, New
York, and St. Louis) to play spoiler at the end of the year.
Redskins 17 Panthers 13
Giants @ Titans
What could make embattled
Giants coach Tom Coughlin say his team would be sick
about a game “forever”? Blowing a three-touchdown lead with only ten minutes
left in the game, that’s what. For the second week in a row, Tennessee’s Vince Young made the NFC East
look silly, running for a touchdown and throwing two more before a last-minute
field goal sealed the deal. The Giants once again failed to play four good
quarters and paid for it dearly, prompting fans and media to call Coughlin’s
ability to lead the team. Outgoing running back Tiki
Barber was less than stellar on the field (82 yards, 3.3 yds/carry)
after complaining next week. New York
faces a major test that may ultimately decide their season when the Cowboys
come to town.
Titans 24 Giants 21
Eagles @ Colts
Everybody knew that there
wouldn’t be too much defense in this game, and as expected, it was the Colts who
gave their best on Sunday night. Before leaving with a strained forearm, new
quarterback Jeff Garcia teamed with Brian Westbrook for a decent (minus the
lost fumble for a TD) offensive effort. But like most backs who
face the Eagles, Colts rookie Joseph Addai was
unstoppable, going for 171 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Eagles proved that while
they may be able to claw back, they cannot survive a shootout with an
aggressive team like Indy. For more information about this game, see the post
game report.
Colts 45 Eagles 21
What does it mean for the Eagles?
The Eagles face a must-win
against Carolina
next week before they hit the road, but an equally important week 13 game will
take place at the Meadowlands. A week after relinquishing first place, the
reeling Giants have an opportunity to reclaim it when they host the division’s
hottest team, the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas will be
the favorite in every game for the rest of the season (except possibly against New Orleans), and should be
able to finish at least 10-6. The Giants will have a much tougher road ahead if
their struggles continue, and could fall out of the playoff picture completely
by Christmas. A Cowboy win on Sunday would put the Eagles and Giants on even
footing, and though the division crown would be out of reach, the Eagles and
Giants would be in a race for a wild-card spot. In this case, the Eagles would
need to post a better record than the Giants in the final four weeks to take
the spot. If they can pull the upset, New
York will get a big confidence boost and the Eagles
will face a three-team race for two playoff spots, a far more daunting task. Of
course, all of this is contingent on Philadelphia
taking care of business against the Panthers.
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Current
Standings
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W-L (Div.)
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Next Game
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Cowboys
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7-4 (1-3)
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@ Giants
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Giants
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6-5 (3-0)
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Cowboys
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Eagles
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5-6 (2-1)
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Panthers
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Redskins
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4-7 (1-3)
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Falcons
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