Washington Redskins: NFC East Roundup Week 1
The Washington Redskins were not in action on Sunday afternoon, but the rest of the NFC East was. What can we learn from their games?
The Washington Redskins were not in action on the first NFL Sunday of the 2016 season. They have a Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and as a result, they will be the final NFC East to play during the first week of the NFL season. The other three NFC East teams were in action, and Redskins fans can definitely learn a bit from the games.
The more interesting of the two games was a divisional battle between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. The Giants ended up winning 20-19. However, the Cowboys got their first look at Dak Prescott as a starter in this game, and he did not disappoint.
Prescott really helped to get the Cowboys offense moving despite dealing with some issues in the receiving corps. He only hit Dez Bryant with a pass once, and he only targeted the star five times. Prescott focused more on the intermediate game, targeting Jason Witten 14 times and Cole Beasley 12 times during the game. The two combined for 17 receptions and 131 yards during the game.
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The team also saw Ezekiel Elliott score his first NFL touchdown against the Giants. He struggled to find room during the game, totaling 51 yards on 20 carries. He should have more success against other teams, given that the Giants have a great run defense.
As for the Giants, they look significantly better on defense than they did a year ago. The additions of Damon Harrison, Janoris Jenkins, and the return of Jason Pierre-Paul have allowed them to significantly improve. They really held the Cowboys in check for most of the day. Once their offense is operating in full swing again, they could be a really strong team.
In terms of the Redskins, they have to be somewhat encouraged by this game. The Cowboys and the Giants played very well against each other, but neither looks unbeatable. The team should be able to beat each team at least once during the season. I would expect that the Redskins defense will matchup well against the Cowboys, especially with Prescott as the starter because he will have trouble against Josh Norman. Norman can lock down Bryant and that will be huge for the team.
must read: 5 Questions About The Redskins vs. Steelers Game
The Redskins matchup slightly worse against the Giants. The positive is that they have a weak running game, so facing a strong run defense will not have a major impact. They will just have to ensure that DeSean Jackson gets open during the game so he can make plays in space. Jordan Reed will also have an easy time working against the Giants linebackers, which is the weakness of their defense.
As for the other team in action, the Philadelphia Eagles, they defeated the Cleveland Browns 29-10. Rookie Carson Wentz looked really good in his first action, going 22-for-37 for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns. Though he was playing a weak Browns defense, he looks like he has some potential. As he progresses, he could make the Eagles a threat. For now, I would like to see them play a better team than Cleveland before making any judgments about them.
Overall, the Redskins should be relatively happy with what they saw on Sunday. They saw the young Eagles beat up on a bad team, and the Giants and Cowboys each looked somewhat vulnerable against each other. The Redskins should still be the favorite in the NFC East, and they should be able to post a 4-2 record against the division at the least.