The Philadelphia Eagles are on their bye week, which means they won't be playing a game this weekend. At 3-4 overall with a 1-2 record against the division, the Eagles sit in third place in the NFC East.
The problem with the Eagles in recent years has been their defense, but that isn't the case in 2015. With a revamped secondary with new starters like Nolan Carroll, Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond III, the defense gives up only 19.6 points per game. That is good enough for 10th in the NFL.
The main problems with the Eagles have been on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Sam Bradford has thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9), but the struggles offensively aren't all of his fault. Poor offensive line play has put Bradford under pressure on multiple occasions, and the receivers are dropping the football. The Eagles lead the league in dropped passes with 25.
It's a good thing for the Eagles that no other team in the NFC East division has played lights out.
The New York Giants are the only team in the division with a winning record of 4-3.
The Giants blew double-digits leads in each of the first two games of the season, resulting in an 0-2 start. They won three straight games before losing to the Eagles in an ugly game on Monday Night Football in Week. They bounced back last week with a win over the Dallas Cowboys.
The Giants take a trip to the Superdome this week to play Drew Brees and the recharged New Orleans Saints, who are winners of two straight games after losing to the Eagles in Week 5.
The Washington Redskins, like the Eagles, sit a 3-4 overall and are on their bye week.
A big reason why the Redskins are at 3-4 is because of two game-winning drives led by quarterback Kirk Cousins. In Week 4, the Redskins went on a 90-yard touchdown drive at the end of the game to beat the Eagles. In Week 7, Cousins and the Redskins came back from a 24-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by the score of 31-30.
The Cowboys are 2-4 overall, and are desperate to get their stars back from injury.
Dallas started off the season with a come-from behind victory of the Giants in Week 1, but star wide out Dez Bryant went down with a broken bone in his right foot. The Cowboys were able to secure another victory in Week 2 over the Eagles, but they paid a big price when Tony Romo suffered a broken left clavicle.
Without the combination of Romo and Dez, the Cowboys are losers of four straight games. Backup quarterback Brandon Weeden lost three games in a row before being replaced by Matt Cassle after their bye week.
Bryant is expected to make a return this week against the Seattle Seahawks. Romo won't return until Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins.
The Eagles may have gotten off to a slow start, but no team has necessarily claimed the NFC East as theirs for the taking. If the Eagles can turn things around when they return from their bye week, they will have a solid chance of winning the division.
The second-half playoff push for the Eagles begins in Week 9, when they take a trip to Jerry World to play the Cowboys.
Michael Malia is a contributing intern for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Facebook (Michael Malia) or Twitter @Michael_Malia.
