The NFL has concluded all of its Week 2 games, and the Washington Football Team is tied for first place in the NFC East with a 1-1 record. Here's a recap of what happened around the division this past weekend.
Washington Football Team (1-0 division, 1-1 overall)
At the top of the NFC East division is the Washington Football Team. After a Week 1 win against a division opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington headed out west and suffered a 30-15 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.
Although Washington fell to the Cardinals, it possesses some young standouts to build around. No. 2 overall pick Chase Young has already made a name for himself during his rookie debut, as he's tied for the NFL lead with 2.5 sacks. The defensive end position for Washington is one that received high praise from the media throughout the preseason, and through two games Washington leads the league with 11 sacks. On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Terry McLaurin is eighth in the league with 186 yards.
Washington will be heading to Cleveland to face the Browns in Week 3. Cleveland is 1-1 after a 35-30 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The duo of quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Nick Chubb have been crucial to an offense that averages 370.0 yards per game. Limiting that attack will be crucial if Washington intends to stay in first place.
Dallas Cowboys (0-0, 1-1)
After a Week 1 loss to the Rams, the Dallas Cowboys barely squeezed out a win this past Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons, 40-39. After overcoming a 20-0 deficit and recovering an onside kick, Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein made a last-second field goal to secure the victory.
The Cowboys have accumulated a bevy of talent on offense, and it has paid off with the unit averaging 475 yards per game. Quarterback Dak Prescott is currently third in the NFL with 716 yards passing, while receivers Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb have at least 100 yards receiving. Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries for an average of 4.2 yards per carry.
Dallas' next challenge will be the Seattle Seahawks, who are on a hot streak after winning two weeks in a row. Pro Football Focus ranks Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson as the second-best quarterback in the league with an offensive grade of 92.7 and a passing grade of 91.5. In his last performance against the New England Patriots, Wilson was 21-for-28 for 288 yards and five touchdowns.
New York Giants (0-0, 0-2 overall)
The New York Giants are off to an 0-2 start after losing a tight contest to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then falling to the Chicago Bears, 17-13, on Sunday. There were a slew of injuries to key players in Week 2, and one of the biggest was running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley has consistently been a leader for New York's offense, but unfortunately, his season has come to a sudden halt after suffering a torn ACL. It is expected that former Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will replace Barkley for the remainder of the season. On Wednesday, the Giants placed starting wide receiver Sterling Shepard on Injured Reserve.
The Giants, led by first-year head coach Joe Judge, have struggled on offense in both games. They rank 29th in total offense, averaging 293 yards per game. The passing game has performed better with second-year quarterback Daniel Jones, who has thrown for 520 yards, but the rushing game averages just 52 yards per game. Freeman has two 1,000-yard seasons in six seasons, so his experience could provide a spark for the team.
The Giants will be at home for their Week 3 matchup against the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers (1-1) have also incurred their own set of injuries with Nick Bosa out for the season and Raheem Mostert and Jimmy Garoppolo week-to-week with their respective injuries.
Philadelphia Eagles (0-1, 0-2)
After two consecutive losses, the Philadelphia Eagles have found themselves at the bottom of the division. After losing to Washington in Week 1, the Eagles fell at home, 37-19. Quarterback Carson Wentz finished the game 26-of-43 and threw two interceptions. Over the past two weeks, he has only completed 58.8% of his passes and has a passer rating of 64.4, both of which are career-lows. The Eagles' offensive line had already lost Brandon Brooks before the season, but it lost another key piece when guard Isaac Seumalo exited the game early with a knee injury.
Like the Giants, the Eagles have also struggled to gain momentum on offense with Wentz under center. Miles Sanders had a strong game against the Rams with 95 yards, but he was inactive against Washington in Week 1. Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles' best receiver in 2019, has yet to make his season debut. Tight end Dallas Goedert is Philadelphia's most reliable pass-catcher through two games with 12 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles' Week 3 matchup is a date with the Cincinnati Bengals at home. The Bengals are also 0-2, but they have played in two close games against the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers, losing by a combined eight points. No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow has played well in both contests with 509 passing yards and three touchdowns to just one interception.
