John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) It wasn’t supposed to be this way after Week 2 in the NFL. The Redskins were supposed to be cellar-dwellers. The Cowboys were supposed to be skating to another division championship. The Eagles were supposed to be setting all kinds of speed and scoring records, and the Giants were supposed to be pressing all of their NFC rivals for position in the division.
But as we learn from all of those financial service ads, past results are not an indicator of future performance.
Things could very well turn out as predicted, but after two weeks, the Redskins defense has proven to be stout, giving up just 20 points in two games, and disrupting both of their opponents’ attempts to drive the field consistently. With a run-first offense that emphasizes ball and clock control in order to minimize throwing mistakes, the Redskins’ suddenly potent defense has given Washington hope of at least a competitive team, if not a winning one.
In Dallas, the Cowboys cling to first place with a 2 – 0 record, but no clear roadmap on ways to improve on that mark without their quarterback and stud top receiver. Tony Romo and Dez Bryant will both be gone into November at a minimum due to injuries, and their former bell cow running back, DeMarco Murray, now calls Philadelphia home. Dallas’ hopes now lie in former first round pick Brandon Weeden, who has a lifetime record of 5 and 16 as a starting quarterback.
The Eagles were supposed to be challenging the Cowboys for NFC East supremacy by now, but coach Chip Kelly’s “mad genius” so far is proving to be “just mad,” thank you, as Philly is off to an 0 – 2 start. The quarterback Kelly traded for, Sam Bradford, threw two interceptions and fumbled once Sunday, leading the Eagles on a touchdown drive only in the fourth quarter Sunday, after the game against Dallas was already out of reach. And what of Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher as a Cowboy last season? He ran for two yards on 13 carries Sunday.
That brings us to the New York Football Giants, who will host the Redskins Thursday night. They are also 0 for 2015, after setting an NFL record of futility Sunday. By falling to Atlanta, 24 – 20, the Giants became the first team in NFL history to lose consecutive games after leading each by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter. The Giants’ receiving phenom Odell Beckham Jr. caught 7 passes for 146 yards Sunday, but his spectacular effort was wasted by the Giants’ defense, which allowed Atlanta to drive 70 yards with the winning score as time ran down on the clock.
Two weeks ago, most football publications and websites listed the Redskins as the worst team in football, due more perhaps to their off-field drama than to their on-field play. There’s still plenty of time in the 2015 campaign for those predictions to be proven correct, but two weeks in to the young season, Washington has to like its spot in front of two winless teams, and chasing a leader that has suddenly been stripped of its most valuable parts.
We’ll learn more about the lay of the land in the NFC East Thursday night, when the Washington Upstarts take the field in the Meadowlands.
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