NFC East Notebook: Previewing Week 5

The NFC East is off to a solid start in 2022.

The Philadelphia Eagles remain the league's only undefeated team at 4-0. Behind them are the Cowboys and Giants, both with a 30-1 record but with the Cowbys having the head-to-head advatnage over New York. And in the rear is Washingon, who at 1-3 has lost their last three games.

Let's take a look at what's on the schedule for Week 5 in the division.

Spread: Packers -8.5

The Giants are probably the most surprising 3-1 team this season. They’ve found ways to win through the first month of the year and look to continue that this week as they face reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in London this Sunday.

The Giants will enter this game with good news and bad news. First, the bad news: the injury bug continues to hit this team hard. Kenny Golladay (MCL), Wan'Dale Robinson (MCL), and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) have all been declared out. Cornerback Aaron Robinson could be done for the year with a knee injury. Pass rusher Azeez Ojulari injured his calf and didn't make the trip. And backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor didn't clear the protocol in time and has been declared out.

The good news is quarterback Daniel Jones is running well at practice after spraining his ankle in Week 4, and he will start. The even better news is that defensive lineman Leonard Williams is on track to be active after missing two games.

The Giants have found ways to win all season, and in their lone loss (to Dallas), they were at least competitive. The Packers are beatable, but only if the Giants can unlock the key to stopping Aaron Rodgers from carving up the defense.

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Spread: Eagles -5.5

The undefeated Eagles travel to Arizona this week to take on the Cardinals. Last week, the Eagles ran all over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coming into the game, the Jaguars allowed just 55 yards per game on the ground and had the best run defense in the NFL. That changed quickly, as the Eagles rushed for 210 yards, led by running back Miles Sanders’ 134 yards and two-touchdown day.

The Cardinals defense is no pushover, at least against the run. The Cardinals are allowing just 87 yards per game on the ground but 255.8 yards per game through the air. This is good news for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and the passing game.

Spread: Rams -5.5

The Cowboys have bounced back remarkably after their Week 1 loss, winning three straight games. And they have done so with backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who has been playing for Dak Prescott, recovering from thumb surgery.

Rush became the first quarterback in Cowboys history to win his first four starts. Rush has thrown for 737 yards, four touchdowns to zero interceptions. The offense has not missed a beat, with the backup quarterback playing the last three weeks.

Prescott appears to be another week away, at least from returning, but there is some good injury news on the Cowboys front. Safety Jayron Kearse is expected to be ready to make his season debut against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams come in 2-2 after a beatdown on Monday night from their divisional rival 49ers.

The Rams haven’t looked like the 2021 Super Bowl champions this season, as they are averaging just 17.5 points per game on offense. This is potentially good news for a Dallas defense playing lights out.

The Cowboys are underdogs in this game, but they could certainly pull out another win if they continue to dominate on both sides of the ball.

Spread: Titans -1.5

After defeating the Jaguars in Week 1, the Commanders have lost their last three games and now sit at the bottom of the NFC East.

One of the bigger stories of the offseason was rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. being shot after a botched robbery attempt. Robinson has been on the Non-Football Injury list for over a month but was designated to return to practice this week. He initially won the starting job during training camp before the incident and will now work his way back into the action.

On the flip side, rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson hurt his hamstring last week and is not expected to play Sunday. Offensive tackle Sam Cosmi also didn’t practice on Wednesday due to a finger injury. It was also announced that pass rusher Chase Young needs more time to recover from his torn ACL.

The Commanders are facing the visiting Titans this week. The Titans haven’t looked like last year's top AFC playoff seed. Tennessee currently has the 29th overall offense in the NFL, but they are hoping to rise up the ranks if running back Derrick Henry can take advantage of a Washington team that allows 116 yards per game on the ground.

The Commanders offense hasn’t looked great, either. With an atrocious offensive line and quarterback Carson Wentz having a rollercoaster year so far, they’re still trying to figure out their identity on offense. The Titans are giving up 392 yards of total offense per game and allowing 25 points per game. If Washington wants to get back on track, their offense must do the heavy lifting this week.

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