Around The NFC East: Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles Storylines

With Week 4 of the NFL season this weekend, there are headlines across the NFC East. Let’s take a look at what’s going on with all of the New York Giants division rivals in this week’s Around the NFC East.

Washington Redskins

Vernon Davis Contributing for Washington On and Off the Field | Hogs Haven

This week, all of the NFL sites in the SB Nation network are focusing on those things being done off the field by players on each team. There are literally countless directions to go, as so many Redskins players do such a great job by making sure they give back to the community. I chose Vernon Davis for his local flavor—he attended Dunbar HS in Washington, and of course went to the University of Maryland—as well as his increased profile on the field for this Redskins team. (I did not choose Vernon because I am working on getting him to appear on The Audible, our weekly podcast...that said, Vernon, hit a brother back at @ItsRainingKen and we’ll lock it down!)

If you start at www.vernondavis.com, you will see a lot of ways to learn more about the veteran tight end with just over a decade in the league (The Athlete, The Artist, The Entrepreneur, The Family Man and The Philanthropist). The Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts believes that, “Through the arts, youth can find new ways to express themselves, to lift their spirits and fulfill their dreams.” They provide scholarships to dedicated art students and grants to deserving nonprofit programs.

Vernon’s Closet, a recent event designed to raise awareness and support for the homeless, provided an opportunity for the player to talk a little bit about his sometimes turbulent upbringing and his goals for his city.

The Chiefs own the Redskins more than any other team in the NFL | Arrowhead Pride

The Kansas City Chiefs own the Redskins more than they do any other NFL team. Good sign? I’ll take it.

I was looking through the Chiefs game release before Monday night’s game against Washington and came away with some fun stats:

The Chiefs are 8-1 all-time against Washington.

Their only loss came in 1983, which was the year the Redskins lost to the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Here’s the box score from that game. The Chiefs had four Nick Lowery field goals in the first half but lost 27-12.

The Chiefs are averaging nearly 32 points per game in their last six against Washington — all wins. They have out-scored them 191-69 in those games.

The Chiefs are 4-0 against the Redskins at home.

The Chiefs winning percentage against the Redskins is the highest against any team in the NFL. So they really do own Washington more than any other team in the league.

I’ll take this all as good news entering Monday night (because we all know how the Chiefs played in 2009 means something today, ahem).

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Injury Report: Jordan Hicks and Rodney McLeod both full participants in practice | Bleeding Green Nation

The Philadelphia Eagles released their first official injury report on Wednesday ahead of their Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The bad news is that five players did not practice: defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, cornerback Ronald Darby, safety Corey Graham, safety Jaylen Watkins, and defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao.

Cox’s absence is especially concerning. He left Sunday’s Eagles-Giants with a calf injury and was seen limping around the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday. The Daily News is reporting Cox is unlikely to play this week. And maybe even longer.

Isaac Seumalo still very much in Eagles' doghouse | NJ.com

Speaking at the podium Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was asked what his plan was at left guard for this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

"We're going to continue to work Isaac," Pederson said, before catching himself. "Er, not Isaac."

Pederson's slip of the tongue was telling, as he followed it up by saying the Eagles will be working Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack in at left guard. Pederson correcting himself, and clarifying Isaac Seumalo won't even be in the discussion, was telling.

The team's Week 1 and 2 starter at left guard, Seumalo was benchedfor last Sunday's game against the Giants. Seumalo allowed four sacks in two games, and was clearly the biggest issue along the offensive line when he was on the field.

Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys’ defensive snap counts: DeMarcus Lawrence could not be stopped | Blogging the Boys

The Dallas defense started shakily again, allowing Arizona to march 82 yards for an opening drive TD. But after the Cardinals had a touchdown negated by penalty on the next drive, then missed the consolation field goal, Dallas forced punts on Arizona’s next four possessions and took control of the game. Dallas won 28-17.

Defensive Overview

Dallas got out-gained for the second straight game. This time it was closer - 332 to 273 yards. But, as we will see in the special teams section, Dallas won the secret yards, with better punting and punt returns to come out ahead overall.

The key on defense was the pass rush generated by the defensive line. DeMarcus Lawrence was a monster, with three sacks and a fourth that was negated by a Sean Lee penalty, along with numerous other hits and pressures.

Donald Trump tweets that he spoke with Cowboys' Jerry Jones about anthem | USA Today

President Donald Trump tweeted about the NFL for a fifth consecutive day, this time saying he spoke with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about his desire for players to stand for the national anthem.

"Spoke to Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday," Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning. "Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for Country!"

Messages left by USA TODAY Sports to the Cowboys organization Wednesday morning were not immediately returned.