Giants Country

NFC East Week 2 Wrap-up: Perfect!

Let's recap the action in the NFC East.

Joe Najarian

NFC East Week 2 Wrap-up: Perfect!
NFC East Week 2 Wrap-up: Perfect! /
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The four NFC East teams--Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants--all won their Week 2 games, a rarity in the division. The Eagles, Cowboys, and Commanders all sit with 2-0 records, the Giants with a 1-1 mark. Let's recap the Week 2 action around the league.

Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Justin Evans (30) breaks up a pass to Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles 34, Vikings 28

On Thursday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles forced four turnovers and built up a 27-7 lead but had to fend off the Minnesota Vikings late in the game to win 34-28.

Although Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw four touchdown passes with no interceptions, Minnesota lost four fumbles and put themselves in a position where they couldn’t recover. Meanwhile, strong games from D’Andre Swift (175 rushing yards and a touchdown) and DeVonta Smith (131 receiving yards and a 63-yard touchdown) allowed the Eagles to escape with a win.

Philadelphia drew first blood with a Jake Elliott field goal on their opening drive, which would be the only score of the first quarter. The rest of the quarter was a comedy of errors; the Eagles had an opportunity to take advantage of a fumbled punt by the Vikings, but Jalen Hurts threw an ugly interception into double coverage.

However, Alexander Mattison fumbled on the next play to set Philadelphia up in Vikings territory, only for Elliott to miss a 55-yard field goal attempt.

The second quarter saw much better play. Cousins led the Vikings 55 yards in nine plays and gave his team the lead with a 5-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson, but the Eagles struck back with a long, 16-play, 75-yard drive capped off by Hurts’ 1-yard touchdown run.

Minnesota looked to respond in kind, but Justin Jefferson lost a fumble at the 1-yard line, and the ball rolled out of bounds in the endzone for a touchback. Philadelphia capitalized on this critical play when Elliott drilled a 61-yard field goal, making it 13-7 Eagles entering halftime.

The Eagles looked to take control of the game in the second half. Cousins lost a fumble on Minnesota’s opening drive, and Philadelphia promptly scored in two plays with another 1-yard run by Hurts. Then, after the Vikings went three-and-out, the Eagles needed just three plays to score when Hurts threw a 63-yard bomb to Smith, extending the lead to 20.

But the Vikings would make things interesting by scoring just five plays later. Cousins nearly matched Hurts by throwing a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jordan Addison, putting Minnesota back in the game. Later in the fourth quarter, the Vikings drove 86 yards in nine plays and made it a one-possession game when Cousins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn.

However, Philadelphia added key insurance on their next drive. Swift ripped off a 43-yard run to set up his 2-yard rushing touchdown two plays later, putting the Eagles back ahead by two scores. Minnesota got those points back when Hockenson hauled in his second touchdown, but there was only 1:10 left in the game, and only seven seconds remained when the Vikings got the ball back.

Sep 17, 2023; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz (86) attempts to catch a pass a New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (25) defends at State Farm Stadium :: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Giants 31, Cardinals 28

The New York Giants overcame a 20-0 halftime deficit and a 28-7 deficit in the second half by scoring 24 unanswered points. The 31-28 victory improved the Giants’ record to 1-1.

Quarterback Daniel Jones bounced back from a disastrous Week 1 and a weak first half by completing 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another. Running back Saquon Barkley, despite suffering an injury on New York’s final drive, scored both a rushing and a receiving touchdown while accumulating 92 yards from scrimmage. Overall, the Giants racked up 439 yards of offense to complete their biggest comeback in almost 75 years.

Arizona dominated the first half; despite missing a field goal on their opening drive, they would score 20 points on their next four. Meanwhile, New York only ran 11 offensive plays on their first three drives and saw Jones throw an interception on the fourth that set up a Cardinals field goal. 

A 4-yard touchdown run by James Conner, a 23-yard scramble by quarterback Joshua Dobbs, and two Matt Prater field goals put Arizona in control of the game entering halftime.

However, the game immediately turned on its head. The very first play of the second half was a 58-yard bomb to rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt, who recorded the first catch of his career in the process. Two plays later, Jones put the Giants on the scoreboard with a 14-yard touchdown scramble.

Arizona responded with Dobbs’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown, followed by a two-point conversion, but New York’s offense was now in sync and would score on all their remaining possessions. A 12-play, 75-yard drive was finished by Barkley’s 1-yard touchdown run, followed by a 13-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Barkley’s 9-yard touchdown reception.

With the lead down to seven, the Cardinals went three-and-out to give the Giants a chance to tie the game. They did so when Hyatt’s 31-yard catch set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins, knotting the score at 28. New York’s defense then forced another three-and-out while Jones orchestrated a game-winning drive that was finished by Graham Gano’s 34-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining.

Sep 17, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse (1) celebrates making an interception along with his teammates in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at AT&T Stadium / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys 30, Jets 10

The Dallas Cowboys continued to play like a Super Bowl contender, forcing five turnovers to dominate the New York Jets, 30-10.

The Jets, who had lost Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles injury, had to start Zach Wilson against the Cowboys’ vaunted defense. Although Wilson had led the Jets to a Week 1 victory, he wasn’t up to the challenge this time as he was intercepted three times.

Meanwhile, quarterback Dak Prescott had a strong performance, completing 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Eleven of those passes and 143 of those yards went to receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Dallas immediately set the tone by marching 75 yards in 12 plays on the game’s first possession; Prescott finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ferguson. In the second quarter, the Cowboys moved 78 yards in 14 plays to set up Brandon Aubrey’s 35-yard field goal.

The Jets made things interesting when Garrett Wilson scored on a 68-yard reception, but Dallas responded with another 75-yard drive finished by Prescott’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Luke Schoonmaker, while Tony Pollard punched in the subsequent two-point conversion.

Although the Jets made it a one-possession game entering halftime with Austin Seibert’s 34-yard field goal, the Cowboys dominated the second half. Aubrey kicked four field goals, two in each quarter, while Dallas’s defense intercepted Zach Wilson three times in the fourth quarter to pin the Jets down.

Sep 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is sacked by Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat (90) and defensive end Chase Young (99) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders 35, Broncos 33

The Washington Commanders improved to 2-0 by erasing a 21-3 deficit against the Denver Broncos, hanging on to win by the skin of their teeth, 35-33.

Despite being outgained in total yards (399-388), the Commanders forced two turnovers without turning the ball over themselves and had nine different receivers catch at least two passes. 

Quarterback Sam Howell was sacked four times but completed 27 of 39 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Brian Robinson Jr. scored 87 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns. On defense, Washington sacked Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson seven times.

Joey Slye missed a 49-yard field goal attempt on the game's opening drive, and the Broncos responded with a 61-yard drive that culminated in Jaleel McLaughlin’s 5-yard touchdown run. Slye made a 44-yarder on Washington’s next drive, but Wilson needed only one play to find the endzone by connecting on a 60-yard bomb with Marvin Mims Jr.

After Washington was forced to punt, a 53-yard completion to Mims set up Wilson’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson, increasing Denver’s lead to 18 points. They appeared to be in complete control of the game, but Wilson lost a fumble near midfield that gave Washington new life. 

The Commanders drove 49 yards in nine plays and scored on Howell’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Logan Thomas, and Robinson Jr. followed with a successful two-point conversion. Slye’s 49-yard field goal on the last play of the first half made it a seven-point Denver lead at halftime.

Both teams exchanged blows in the second half. After forcing the Broncos to go three-and-out, the Commanders tied the game with Howell’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin. Wilson was intercepted on Denver’s next drive, but Washington failed to capitalize when Slye missed a 59-yard field goal attempt; with good field position, the Broncos moved 38 yards and retook the lead on Wil Lutz’s 31-yard field goal. 

However, Washington stormed right back by moving 75 yards in six plays; a 36-yard reception by Antonio Gibson set up Robinson Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Commanders their first lead of the day early in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos promptly went three-and-out, while Washington extended their lead to 35-24 on Robinson Jr.’s 15-yard touchdown run. But Denver refused to give up; although they had to settle for a 32-yard Lutz field goal with just 1:50 remaining, their defense forced the Commanders to go three-and-out and gave Wilson and company one last chance. 

This set up possibly the most dramatic ending of the season so far, as Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired, leaving the Broncos just a two-point conversion away from forcing overtime. However, his pass to Courtland Sutton was broken up, and the Commanders won in heart-stopping fashion.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian, a Rutgers University graduate, covered Rutgers Football and Rutgers Baseball during an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN).

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