What's the Word: What we learned from Week 1 and what we can expect for the NFC East looking forward

After Week 1 divisional match-ups between the Redskins and Eagles and the Giants and Cowboys, we learned a couple things about the division.

1. The Cowboys and the Eagles are going to offensively dominate the division.
   

PC: Philadelphia Eagles

     The Redskins jumped out to a good start against the Eagles but after the second half their defense couldn't handle the offensive explosion that was Carson Wentz and DeSean Jackson. In his return to Philly, Jackson racked up to 2 touchdowns and 154 receiving yards while Wentz, trying to prove his worth after the Eagles released Super Bowl MVP QB Nick Foles in the off-season, finished the game with a QB rating of 93.2 and 3 touchdown passes. Philadelphia beat Washington, 32-27.

     To no surprise, the Cowboys dominated the Giants defense. In a 35-17 win over New York, Dak threw for 405 yards and tossed 4 touchdowns, making a statement for his a case for the $40 million extension he asked for in the off-season. Dak spread the ball around by having each of his four touchdowns scored by four different recievers. One bright side for the Giants offense, as he seems to be every game, was Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 120 yards, averaging 10.9 per carry.

2. Defense is going to be the decision maker for all four teams.

    Dallas and Philly can clearly light up the field offensively but the battle for the division is going to come down to whose defensive stands out. When these two teams square off for the first time on October 20, I expect the game to be won by the defense.

     As for Washington, completely counting them out wouldn't be fair. Clearly their offensive has the potential to make some waves but it is not strong enough to win a game on its own. Their defense gave Wentz far too much time and in order to give their offense a chance, they are going to have to limit the time allowed.

     The Giants defense was hard to watch. They seemed very unprepared for what the Cowboys had in store. They are going to have to rely on veteran linebackers, Alec Ogletree and Markus Golden to step up and be leaders for this struggling defensive team. Next week the team faces the Bills who are coming off a close win over the Jets, a win in week 2 will give the Giants some much needed confidence.

Week 2 Rundown:

PC: New York Giants

This week Dallas will travel to Washington to take on the Redskins. In this match-up, watch for Dak to continue to dominate offensively and see if Washington's defense can avoid dropping to 0-2 against division rivals in back-to-back weeks. The Giants will host the Bills. Expect a close game as New York is looking to avoid dropping to 0-2 while Buffalo is going for a 2-0 start to the season. Keep an eye on Saquon Barkley to stand out in front of his home crowd.

The Eagles will take on the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday Night Football in what is sure to be an exciting game. Matt Ryan is looking to get revenge after last seasons loss to the Eagles on SNF and Carson Wentz is still trying to prove to the NFL that he has what it takes to lead the Eagles on another Super Bowl run.