There are few commodities as volatile as the Dallas Cowboys. When the Cowboys opened with back-to-back victories, there was unbridled optimism. Following a loss to a weak Arizona team led by a journeyman quarterback, the panic has begun in Dallas. 

But that panic has been simmering on and off since the Cowboys last won Super Bowl XXX in January 1996. The question for the Cowboys is, how do they go from here? Dallas dismissed offensive coordinator Kellen Moore following last season, and head coach Mike McCarthy took over play calling duties. The Cowboys’ offense has responded to the change by struggling to finish drives. If Dallas can’t turn things around, McCarthy may find himself on the unemployment line by the end of the season.

Overall, it was a difficult week for the NFC East. Three of the four teams lost, and the Eagles’ win on Monday night wasn’t a memorable performance either.

 

Place	Team	W	L	T	Week 3 Result
1.	Philadelphia Eagles	3	0	0	W, 25-11 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2.	Dallas Cowboys	2	1	0	L, 28-16 at Arizona Cardinals
3.	Washington Commanders	2	1	0	L, 37-3 vs. Buffalo Bills
4.	New York Giants	1	2	0	L, 30-12 at San Francisco Giants

Philadelphia’s Passing Offense Still Looks Off

 

There’s a chance that another so-so passing performance by Jalen Hurts can be written off due to illness. Hurts said that he had the flu for Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay. But the numbers don’t support any troubles due to illness.

Hurts finished with a season-high 277 yards passing and completed 62.2 percent of his passes. While Hurts’ quarterback rating was a season-low 71.6, some of that could be due to bad decision-making. Hurts tossed two interceptions, including a wild one that stopped a drive inside Tampa Bay territory.

Ultimately, Hurts will have many opportunities to prove himself. But many expected better against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were off to a 2-0 start, but there are plenty of signs they aren’t quite as good as their record. Black sports news has demonstrated Hurts has been trending to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL and a slow start to this season won’t change that.

 

Giants Run into Buzzsaw

 

There’s no doubt the Giants have their fair share of problems. However, losing to the San Francisco 49ers won’t be a result that changes many people’s opinions of New York. What really devastated the Giants was not having running back Saquon Barkley in the lineup.

San Francisco’s defensive line devoured the Giants’ rushing attack. Without a consistent running game to fall back on, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was unable to be effective in the passing game. Overall, the Giants only collected 29 rushing yards, with Matt Breida leading the team with 17.

 

Howell Learns Under Fire

 

Second-year Washington quarterback Sam Howell is grateful for the opportunity to learn how to play quarterback in the NFL. It would probably be better for his nerves if he didn’t have to learn while running for his life. Buffalo’s defense was relentless in its pursuit of Howell. 

The Bills would end up recording nine sacks and intercepted Howell four times. This was a good lesson for Howell. Playing against experienced defenses will require being patient and staying calm under pressure.

Howell can take solace in the fact that the Bills do this to almost every young quarterback. Buffalo is 19-2 since 2019 against signal callers with 16 starts or less. Howell didn’t make his first start until the season finale last year, which Commanders coach Ron Rivera has said he regretted. 

 

Dallas Loss Wasn’t a Fluke

The Cowboys won’t be able to make too many excuses for losing to the Cardinals. Arizona didn’t win on a freak Hail Mary or a penalty call that went in their favor. When things mattered Sunday, Arizona’s defense found a way to frustrate the Cowboys’ offense.

Dallas made five trips inside the 20-yard line and only came away with one touchdown. One of those red zone trips in the fourth quarter was particularly devastating. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw an interception that killed a Dallas rally.

But it was more than turnovers that killed Dallas. The Cowboys shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with penalties. Dallas was flagged 13 times for 107 yards.

 

Eagles Move Swiftly 

 

D’Andre Swift may have been one of the Eagles’ most important offseason pickups. With the passing game stuck in neutral, Philadelphia has leaned on its running game to move the ball early in the season. Swift carried the ball 16 times for 130 yards against the Buccaneers.

Swift has really seen his workload increase. He only carried the ball once in a season-opening win against the Patriots. He also carried the ball 28 times for 175 yards against Minnesota in Week 2.

 

Diggs’ Absence Was Felt

 

Dallas losing Trevon Diggs for the season due to an ACL injury suffered in practice wasn’t ideal. But it also didn’t seem likely that the Cowboys would struggle to stop the Arizona Cardinals. Veteran journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs had never won a start in his career before last Sunday. Dobbs was 0-4 before beating the Cardinals.

While no one would confuse Dobbs for Tom Brady, he was efficient against Dallas. He completed 17 of his 21 passing attempts and did just enough to keep the offense moving.

 

Blitzing Brock Didn’t Work

 

The New York Giants wanted to try and keep second-year 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on his toes. What the Giants unfortunately found out is that Purdy is excellent under pressure. The Giants blitzed Purdy on 33 of his 39 dropbacks.

When New York brought pressure, Purdy ended up completing passes that went for 270 of his 310 passing yards. When it comes to top sports news today, it seems that the Giants are still trying to figure out a way to replicate their success from last season.

For all the latest NFL, NBA, NFL and Soccer News, stay up to date on BlackSportsDigest