The Eagles are 1-3 entering their Week 6 game Sunday against the New York Jets. The rest of the division is 11-3.
"Washington is building momentum. Dallas is building momentum, and New York is building momentum," tight end L.J. Smith said after the Eagles returned to practice Monday at the NovaCare Complex. "These teams really have gotten better since last year."
At the quarter pole, the NFC East is one of only two divisions in the NFL with at least three winning teams. The AFC South has four.
The Cowboys, after pulling out a 25-24 victory Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, are 5-0 and one of just three unbeaten teams in the NFL. Dallas won on a night when its quarterback threw five interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
There are two ways to look at Dallas' performance in Buffalo. One is that the Cowboys, whose first five opponents are a combined 6-19, aren't as good as their perfect record might indicate. The other is to believe that something magical is happening for the Cowboys in their first season with Wade Phillips as their head coach.
Regardless of what you believe, it doesn't change this fact: The Cowboys are the first NFC East team other than the 2004 Eagles to start a season with five straight wins since the 1991 Redskins opened the year 11-0 on their way to coach Joe Gibbs' third Super Bowl title.
Speaking of Gibbs, the Redskins, after holding an explosive Detroit offense to just three points and 144 yards in total offense, have the third-best defense in the entire NFL. The Giants, after losing their first two games, have been resurrected.
"We knew our conference was going to be pretty tough," Smith said. "People are expected to get better, and the NFC East is definitely one of the toughest divisions in the NFL right now."
