A lot was written about the NFC East this offseason, as Chip Kelly and the Eagles have been the center of attention in tearing down the roster for a fresh start.
Elsewhere, the Giants opted to stick with what they had – extending Eli Manning to make a run in 2015.
The Redskins benched Robert Griffin III and played the Dolphins tight. In the end, our Dallas Cowboys sit at 1-0 and in first place. Here’s how it went down –
NFC East Career QB Ratings:
Romo 97.6
RG3 90.6
Jason Garrett 83.2
Eli Manning 82.4
Sam Bradford 79.3
Tim Tebow 75.3
Mark Sanchez 74.1— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) June 11, 2015
Dallas Cowboys 1-0
When Tony Romo drops back 42 times, the Cowboys are likely trailing. That was the case through three-quarters against the Giants’ on Sunday night – two interceptions and a lack of consistency put Dallas down entering the fourth.
When given a fighting chance, Marinelli’s defense looked sharp – playing with a healthy Sean Lee. Losing Randy Gregory was a big hit, but the secondary did not allow a big play. The Giants averaged just over 5 yards a pass.
In what was shaping up to be an instant classic, it was going to be up to a playmaker to make a play. As we know, Dez was not out there. A slate of young receivers was – along with Romo and Jason Witten.
Also leading the charge was Tyron Smith and the offensive line giving Romo time to silence the critics on the big state.
With 7 seconds left, Romo picked up a bad snap and fired it to Jason Witten at the goal line for the winning score. This came after Rashad Jennings was told not to score, giving the Cowboys a chance.
New York Giants 0-1 
Consistency is the model that Tom Coughlin and the Giants try to follow year in and year out. However, a lack of pass rush due to the Jason Pierre-Paul “injury” and gaps in the offensive line spelled the end for New York on Sunday night.
Eli nearly avoided mistake after mistake, as Rod Marinelli and his stacked defense looked to force a turnover and make an impact. Rookie Ereck Flowers held his own against Randy Gregory.
Ultimately, the team was not able to keep control of the game – losing the time of possession battle 37:10 to 22:50 and falling to 0-1. The Giants will return home to face the Falcons at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles 0-1
By himself, Eagles CB Byron Maxwell gave up 179 yards in coverage last night. The Cowboys entire defense gave up 193 against the Giants.
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) September 15, 2015
At the heart of the passing game trend that took over the NFL in week one is none other than Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly. Former college teammates Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray on the Falcons turf should have been unstoppable.
Tell that to Dan Quinn and the new look Falcons, who did just enough to slow down the Eagles and pull off a Monday night win.
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones connected for two scores in the second quarter to put the Falcons ahead.
Murray led the Eagles back in the third, scoring from eight and five yards out. In the end, it was Bradford’s late mistake – an interception to Ricardo Allen – that sent the Eagles home at 0-1.
They will now prepare for Tyrone Crawford and the Cowboys in week 2.
Washington Redskins 0-1 
Dallas was not the only NFC East team to lose a top wideout; Kirk Cousins lost DeSean Jackson in a loss to the Dolphins. Washington held tough throughout, despite Cousins throwing a pick-six.
Finding a way to lose, it was Jarvis Landry who ran a punt back for Miami to give the Dolphins the 17-10 win.
They will host Nick Foles and the Rams on Sunday.
Ready for week 2? Shoot me a tweet @ShoreSportsNJ and be sure to tune into Upon Further Review on Friday for more!
