NFC East X factors: Week 8

Which NFC East players will carry their teams to victory in Week 8? Here’s our prediction for all four teams.

Jayden Daniels (QB) Washington Commanders

More specifically, Daniels’ ribs should be considered the team’s X factor against the Bears. Washington’s rookie quarterback left last week’s Panthers game in the first quarter with a rib injury, something ESPN’s Adam Schefter thinks could keep him sidelined for this week’s game.

“The week is not off to a good start,” Schefter said on Thursday. “Jayden Daniels did not practice yesterday and the head coach, Dan Quinn, has already said that Jayden Daniels is week-to-week, which is really code for unlikely to play this upcoming week.”

If Daniels can’t play, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will run the offense. Mariota went 18-of-23 for 205 yards and two scores in relief of Daniels last week, but Chicago’s fifth-ranked defense should be more difficult than Carolina’s 30th-ranked unit.

Fred Johnson (LT) Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia needed just 14 passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts to defeat the New York Giants 28-3 last week, but it should take more than that to beat Cincinnati on Sunday. Ja’Marr Chase leads all NFL receivers with 620 yards and quarterback Joe Burrow ranks sixth among quarterbacks with 1,759 yards. 

In other words, the Eagles will need to throw the ball to beat the Bengals. That means keeping Hurts upright, something they failed to do 18 times this year. Philadelphia gave up five sacks against the Giants last week as starting left tackle Jordan Mailata was placed on IR with a hamstring injury.

In his place, Johnson allowed six pressures and one sack. Mailata earned top marks for pass blocking from Pro Football Focus, while Johnson earned its fourth-lowest score.

Johnson started his career with Cincinnati in 2019, appearing in 23 games over three seasons. He’ll have his hands full against a Bengals defense looking to even the team’s record at 4-4.

Malik Nabers (WR) New York Giants

Pittsburgh allows the second-fewest points (14.4) and third-fewest yards per game on the ground (81.0), but teams can throw on the Steelers’ 22nd-ranked pass defense. Jet’s running back Breece Hall had six catches for 103 yards against the team last week while the rest of the team’s pass-catchers pulled in 18 catches for another 173 yards. Nabers had just 41 yards in a 28-3 loss to the Eagles last week but had missed the previous two games with a concussion. He had 10 catches for 115 yards against the Cowboys before the injury and now that the rust is off, Nabers should have a much better day against the Steelers.

Osa Odighizuwa (DT) Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys’ 27th-ranked run defense seems ill-equipped to stop San Francisco ball carriers but as PFF’s highest ranked run-stuffer on the Cowboys’ defensive line, Odighizuwa has the best chance of stopping the 49ers’ seventh-ranked run game on Sunday. 

Only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry has more yards (873) than San Francisco’s Jordan Mason (667) and with Brandon Aiyuk out for the year with a knee injury, Dallas should expect a run-heavy game script from the Niners.

Of course, linebacker Micah Parsons hopes to return after missing the past two contests with an ankle injury. He’ll certainly help, but he’s been less effective against the run since moving from linebacker to defensive end.

Odighizuwa had a quarterback hit and five hurries in a 42-10 loss to San Francisco last season. This year, he’ll need to focus on the ball-carrier if the team hopes to get over .500 with their fourth win of the season.