You thought I would leave you hanging on the final three NFC previews/thoughts just because we are two weeks through the season? If there is one thing you should know about me, whether it is collecting a concerning amount of Blu-rays or contributing to an ever-growing comic book collection, I am nothing if not a completist. Rather than giving up, let’s get a little more creative as we work through the rest of the NFC.
Initially, I planned on writing about the NFC East last. It has four teams in four of the largest markets, and these franchises never lack for drama or storylines, and that has certainly held up over the season’s first three weeks. Rather than rank and project by where I think these teams are going to end up on win/loss totals, we are going to break down each team’s misery in this division.
Washington Commanders (1-2) – Misery Rating: 9.36
It is not even October yet, and the Commanders’ season already feels over. This has nothing to do with their 1-2 record. While not ideal, plenty of teams have come back from losing the first two games of the year to have respectable seasons (some have even won the Super Bowl). The Commanders’ season feels over, and they top the misery rankings (maybe across the NFL), because with three seconds remaining in the first half against the Dallas Cowboys the future and present of their franchise sustained yet another debilitating injury. Looking as if they were about to tie the game, Daniels turned to hand the ball off and fell as a lineman stepped on his foot and he stumbled towards the turf, landing awkwardly on his left elbow, causing it to bend like Odysseus’s bow. It is the same elbow which he injured last year, causing him to miss seven games. In his third season, Daniels’ injury record now reads: ribs, left knee sprain, right hamstring strain, and two elbow dislocations (and a re-aggravation). His 6-foot-four, 210-pound frame was always going to be a concern at the NFL level, but this many significant injuries is a huge concern for the QB, team, and fanbase. Washington fans came into the year hopeful that a new offensive coordinator, and a deeper wide receiver group, would help mask protection issues. Sadly, without Daniels for even a few weeks, Washington’s outlook feels very bleak as the defense has struggled, giving up 92 points in the first three games. Marcus Mariota orchestrated an exciting performance on Sunday, leading the Commanders to a surprise upset win in their home opener against the defending Super Bowl champs, but even an inspiring performance can’t take this down below a 7 (entering week three it was a 10). Daniels’ injury isn’t season ending, and if Mariota can continue to deliver on offense the Commanders could tread water until he’s back, but ultimately the ceiling feels pretty low with a defense that gives up an average of 30 points a game and a franchise quarterback that can’t stay healthy.
Dallas Cowboys (1-2) - Misery Rating: 9.13
There is no sports franchise, not just in the NFL but across all professional sports, that gets discussed as much as the Dallas Cowboys. ESPN might as well be the Cowboys national broadcasting affiliate. It seems as if they are on the NFL on FOX America’s Game of the Week at 4:25pm every week. They play on Thanksgiving every year. They are “America’s Team” and the media machine behind them never stops working. Last year, even during a tumultuous season, they stayed in the press cycle by trading star edge rusher Micah Parsons after refusing to extend him to a longer-term deal, and acquiring a troubling-yet-explosive wideout from Pittsburgh, George Pickens. They finished a disappointing 7-9-1, but were able to draft one of the highest-rated defensive players in Caleb Downs, and overall it was an abnormally quiet offseason for Big D. Jerry Jones was limited in the amount of ridiculous things he said. There wasn’t a high-profile off-field issue. The Cowboys, though, are always relevant, and a trip to Brazil added some massive misery points for the ‘Boys. Dak orchestrated a masterful game-tying drive, and looked poised to win it if it was not for some suspect play-calling in the red-zone. Dallas then made the decision to kick the ball out of the endzone (instead of draining the clock), and left Lamar seven seconds to work some magic. Getting the ball at the 35, and subsequently giving up a 27-yard reception with one timeout, let Baltimore kick a game winning 56-yard field goal; a stunning result, with Dallas tying the game in under ten seconds remaining. (Absolute coaching malpractice aside, this is your reminder that NFL kickers are too good now, and the touchback rule putting the ball at the 35 is ridiculous. You should need more than one first down to get points. We need to reverse the kickoff rule, and shorten the goalposts). What’s frustrating for Dallas is Dak has been playing at an MVP level again, and a possible 3-0 start has turned into 1-2. Dallas is going to be forced to climb out of a hole, and another missed playoff season would likely result in another coaching change for Jerry’s team. Next up: a road game in Houston (0-3), which feels like an absolute must win for both teams (something you never hope to say in Week 4).
New York Giants (2-1) - Misery Rating: 8.76
Had I written this section on the New York Football Giants on Monday morning of week two, they would have ranked at the bottom of the misery index in the NFC East. The first week of the season could not have gone better for the G-Men. They pulled off a surprising upset in week one, bullying the rival Dallas Cowboys at home on national television in primetime. The offseason culture change of hiring John Harbaugh looked as if it was taking hold, and the young Giants led by the human equivalent of the energy bunny hopped up on gas station energy drinks, Cam Skattebo, established a punishing running game, and second-year QB Jaxson Dart looked like he was ready to take the next step going 23-for-29 and throwing three touchdowns. OBJ was back. Vibes were high in East Rutherford. Could the Giants pull a Patriots-like turnaround buoyed by young talent on both sides of the ball? It did not seem far-fetched after Week One. Eight days later it certainly does. The good vibes ended on the first drive of Monday night’s loss to the Rams, when Jaxson Dart left the game on the first drive after taking a hit reminiscent of the ‘Total Elimination’/High-Low move from ECW to his knee. As Dart writhed on the SoFi Stadium turf, you could feel the collective excitement for the Giants’ season turn to dread. Even worse, Dart was not the only Giant to deal with injuries last night (although obviously the most impactful long-term). Malik Nabers, after last season’s torn ACL, and Brian Burns also did not finish the game unscathed while the Rams dominated the Giants. Initially, reports seemed to indicate Dart had a mere MCL sprain and would hopefully miss only a few games, but Dart required season-ending surgery. While nothing definitive has been reported yet, the Giants’ losing their second-year QB one game and one drive into his sophomore year would be devastating not only to Dart’s development, but to the Giants hopes of not finishing at the bottom of the division again. Going from joyous to nearly topping the misery rankings (and the only reason they trail Washington is because of Daniels’ injury history and their winning record, although Dart is now racking up a hospital bill) is a brutal start to the year. While the results will be frustrating, we all need to be thankful for more Jameis Winston gracing our television screens and interview podiums. The Giants are 2-1, but a victory over the lowly Titans at home in a storm doesn’t give them many misery index points, and after his ankle injury Burns tore his ACL against Tennessee on Sunday. Dart and Burns are both done for the year. John Harbaugh’s first season in New York will be more about establishing the culture and resetting the franchise while two of the cornerstones get healthy.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) - Misery Rating: 7.78
The first two weeks of the season resulted in wins, but the misery was boiling up. The Eagles needed a fourth-quarter defensive stand against Washington and a game-winning drive to beat the lowly Titans. It all came to a head in Week Three on Monday Night Football. Despite outwardly having a successful team, vibes in Philadelphia have been terrible for nearly two seasons. After signing Hurts to a massive extension, then winning a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs, the demeanor has shifted downward in Philly. In spite of delivering the franchise its second Super Bowl in 2025, the Nick Sirianni experience seems to have worn on the locker room and the fanbase. Sirianni brings a certain energy to the team, like a high school friend visiting you at college–annoying your new friends by trying to fit in but buying enough drinks to leave everyone sufficiently patient. If the Eagles have another disappointing playoff result, Sirianni might be out of a job, and Hurts might be on the trading block. The signal caller specifically has seemed under a constant debate of “is he good or isn’t he?”, the byproduct of being paid like an elite QB. Hurts’ numbers last year were pedestrian, and his dropback success rate (the % of a QB’s passing plays that generate a positive Expected Points Added) ranked below average. Hurts’ inability to throw in the middle of the field and the Eagles’ general lack of red-zone success resulted in a new offensive coordinator hire, but through two games, the results aren’t exactly promising. This is now Hurts’ fifth offensive coordinator in six seasons, and the league's highest-paid unit finishing 19th in scoring adds some misery points. Monday night offered little inspiration that Hurts and the offense will be drastically improved. So, as strong as the defense looked, and two wins in three games is two wins, Eagles fans are once again at their baseline (angry and miserable). The Birds had the chance to go 3-0 against a third-string QB as Caleb Williams healed from the most dramatic hamstring injury in history, and Chicago turned to veteran Case Keenum. The Eagles’ defense proceeded to give up 27 points, allowing the journeyman veteran who had to speedrun preparation to throw for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Hurts and the offense generated a measly 248 total yards, 153 through the air, once again displaying a frustrating lack of big-play ability the offense thrived on during their Super Bowl run. The Eagles’ situation feels about as miserable as it can for a 2-1 team, and welcoming a legitimate contender in the Rams (coming off a loss) to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday sets up the possibility for another ugly week in the City of Brotherly Love.