NFC East Notebook: Does Romo's return make the Cowboys a threat to win the division?
After the Dallas Cowboys lost a seventh straight game in Week 10, to drop to 2-7, that was supposed to be the final nail in the coffin for their 2015 season. However, just 2 1/2 games back in the division and with two of their best players -- Tony Romo and Sean Lee -- set to return in Week 11, counting the Cowboys out might have been premature.
The Giants currently lead the division at 5-5, but heading into last week they faced the NFL's toughest slate of games -- including matchups against the Minnesota Vikings (7-2) and Carolina Panthers (9-0). The Eagles and Redskins stand at 4-5, just two games ahead of the Cowboys. The Eagles have both the New England Patriots (9-0) and Arizona Cardinals (7-2). The Redskins have the Panthers (9-0) plus two matchups against the Cowboys.
The Giants are among the NFL's most injured teams for a third straight season, and they learned recently they will not be getting reinforcements Victor Cruz and Will Beatty back this season. The Eagles are dealing with injuries along the offensive line and at quarterback. The Redskins are trending up after a big win, but it came just one week after getting blown out.
This Cowboys roster is not very different from the one that ended up just one controversial call away from an NFC Championship appearance. DeMarco Murray is gone, but Darren McFadden has picked up the slack. In four games as the featured back, a role last occupied by Murray in 2014, McFadden has racked up 455 total yards as the Cowboys' most consistent source of offense in Romo's absence. You can argue that the defense is even better than the 2014 version now that Greg Hardy, Sean Lee and rookie Byron Jones are a part of the action and playing key roles. Most importantly, quarterback Tony Romo has looked "razor sharp" in practice and is fully expected to return in Week 11.
It's not to say that it will be easy for the Cowboys -- they will most likely have to run the table or lose one game at most. However, an argument can be made that the Cowboys have the NFC East's most talented and healthy roster heading into the final seven weeks of the season. With two chances to knock off the Redskins, and a tough slate ahead for both the Eagles and Giants, there's certainly an opportunity for the Cowboys to make a special comeback happen.
Mark Sanchez may get another chance to lead the Eagles
Nothing is official yet, but it looks like Sanchez will get another opportunity as the Eagles' starting quarterback in Week 11. Starter Sam Bradford is dealing with a reportedly severe concussion and a shoulder sprain that is expected to keep him out at least one week. Head coach Chip Kelly has expressed full confidence in Sanchez, but at the same time he made sure to dispel any notion of a potentially looming quarterback controversy -- Bradford is his starter when healthy.
However, Bradford has struggled for the most part during the 2015 season with just 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through nine games. Sanchez has shown an ability to move the offense -- he threw for 2,418 yards with 15 total touchdowns (one rushing) in nine games for the Eagles in 2014. He also turned the ball over 14 times. Turnovers have always been his achilles heel, but if Sanchez can protect the football and win games, Kelly may be forced to consider him for the starting role.
Eli Manning continues to thrive in Ben McAdoo's offense
When the Giants hired offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo prior to the 2014 season, there were concerns that Manning would struggle adjusting to the new scheme. Manning had played his first 10 seasons in an offense that relied on long-developing pass plays and option routes that required the wide receiver to see exactly what the quarterback was seeing on every play. In McAdoo's offense everything changed -- Manning was expected to get the ball out of his hands much faster and the option routes were removed from the playbook.
After struggling in his first few games, Manning finished the 2014 regular season with a career-best 63.1 completion percentage along with 30 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions. He also added 4,410 passing yards -- the second-best mark in his career. In 2015, he has been even better through the first 10 games. Manning has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,700 yards, 21 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions.
In 26 games under McAdoo, Manning already has two more 300-yard passing games than in his previous 32 games. He has thrown for 51 touchdowns and just 20 interceptions after throwing for a career-high 27 interceptions in the final season before McAdoo arrived. Some expected Manning's 2014 rebirth to look like an outlier after the 2015 season, but instead he is playing arguably the best football of his career.
