Eagles will sit Atop NFC East with Win over the 49ers

It's the Eagles' fault for being winless heading into October, but it's not their fault the division stinks and with a 1-2-1 record, should they win, will be in first place

Admittedly, the Eagles season was torturous to watch during September, and October seems to offer little hope that the agony will end.

Quarterback Carson Wentz has struggled mightily.

Injuries have stripped bare the wide receiver and cornerback positions.

The linebacker play has been inadequate.

The defense hasn’t forced a single turnover while the offense has made eight.

And on Sunday night in San Francisco, the 0-2-1 Eagles will roll out their fourth different offensive line combination in as many games after left tackle Jason Peters was placed on Injured Reserve on Saturday.

The entire offensive line has virtually been rebuilt in-season, with only right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce still hanging tough.

Jordan Mailata will take Peters’ place and maybe that’s an intriguing reason to invest another three-plus hours to see if the Eagles have developed the former Australian rugby star, drafted without any football-playing experience in the seventh-round of 2018, well enough to play a competent left tackle position and keep Wentz upright and healthy and to help open holes for RB Miles Sanders.

Here might be the best, and most unbelievable reason to tune in: An Eagles win will put them in first place in the NFC East.

Yep, beat the 49ers and hello penthouse at 1-2-1. It’s the 23-23 tie against the Bengals last week that will afford them that view.

It’s the Eagles’ own fault that they haven’t been very good for the first month of the season.

It’s not their fault that the division looks infested with termites.

Even if they lose against San Fran, they would still be a half-game out of first place.

Crazy.

“We want to be in that column, but as you look at it, and I didn’t even know until coach brought it up, we’re only a half a game out of being in first,” said Eagles CB Darius Slay. “So, with that going on still gives us hope. Still can go out there and have a chance to take over the division as it is.

“We’re going to continue to keep working, keep confident, front foot forward and keep going. I have the same mindset to go out there and compete even if we were 3-0. We’re going to get it going sooner or later.”

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 1-3 with a 49-38 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys offense is good, but their defense frankly stinks. It has allowed 39, 38, and 49 points the last three weeks, for an average of 42 points surrendered. They are an improbable recovery of an onside kick from being 0-4.

The Washington Football Team has, predictably, lost each game they’ve played since ambushing the Eagles in the opener and the WFT is sitting at 1-3, right there with Dallas.

The New York Giants trailed the Los Angeles Rams 10-6 at halftime of their late-Sunday afternoon game in L.A., but even if the Giants find a way to give first-year head coach Joe Judge is first victory their 1-3 record would still be behind a 1-2-1 Eagles team.

Of course, the Eagles getting to 1-2-1 will be no easy feat.

It will be torture.

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