NFL Quarterly Review: NFC East

The NFL regular season is a quarter over, and with that, let’s take a look at how all the divisions stack up so far. Who are the MVPs, players who need to step up (let’s call them LVPs), players to watch going forward, and favorites to win the division crowns?

NFC EAST

MVP: Robert Griffin III

The Redskins were predicted to be at the bottom of the division, and yet 4 games in, they’re still in the mix. For that, the Skins can thank RGIII, as he has accounted for 8 total TDs, while only throwing 1 interception on the way to a quarterback rating of 103.2. He’s also completing just under 70% of his passes. Man, he’s good.

LVP: Tony Romo

Once again, the Dallas Cowboys came into the year with a ton of hype because... well because they're the Cowboys. They improved the secondary, and expected their offense to continue to roll. Unfortunately, with the maddeningly inconsistent Tony Romo under center, the offense has definitely stalled. Some blame should be laid on Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, who have both underwhelmed so far, but that Monday Night Football debacle clinched it for Romo: 1/4 through the year, he is definitely the LVP of the NFC East.

We saw a lot of this on Monday night... the 'Boys
are hoping to see no more of it the rest of the year.

Player to Watch: Jason Pierre Paul

The highly touted Giants’ defensive line has been disappointing so far, racking up only 8 sacks through 4 games. New York’s offense has been one of the leagues best for the last couple years, and its time for the defense to match that output. JPP is a freakish athlete, and one of the best defensive ends in the game. If he can directly impact the outcomes of a couple games (like he did last year throughout the Giants’ stretch run), the Giants could cruise to the division crown.

Division Winner: New York Giants

As mentioned above, the play of the G-Men’s defense will go a long way in determining the NFC East champ this year. Lucky for them, there’s a ton of talent on the line, which should show up as the season continues. The Eagles are 3-1 despite an awful point differential (outscored 83-66), and Monday night’s disaster for the Cowboys showed the world that they have serious problems as well. That leaves the Giants as the class of the division, because...

The G-Men might have the best D-Line in the league...
Justin Tuck definitely has the best facemask...

Division Dog: Washington Redskins

... the Redskins are just the least talented team in the division. Injuries have made an already questionable defense worse, and—much like the Panthers found out last year—a stellar rookie quarterback can only take a team so far.