ASHBURN, Va. -- Last year, the NFC East was a debacle, with the division-winning Washington Redskins taking the lone playoff spot at 9-7.This year, it is been the best division in football so far.Every team has at least two wins, and the Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are a combined 10-4.The first real division showdown of the season comes Sunday at FedEx Field where the Eagles (3-1) face the Redskins (3-2). The winner would find itself in first place or tied for first if Dallas (4-1) loses on the road to the Green Bay Packers.Last year, Washington swept Philadelphia, clinching the NFC East in the next-to-last week on the road at Lincoln Financial Field. However, the Redskins will see a far more cohesive Eagles team this time around, with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and new coach Doug Pederson leading Philadelphia.The Redskins ideal scenario on defense would be bringing pressure from all over to force Wentz into youthful mistakes. However, is proving to be a good athlete capable of making plays on the move. Wentz has completed 67.4 percent of his passes.Washington, meanwhile, has struggled to generate consistent pressure through its first five games. Even so, the Redskins cant treat Wentz like an average rookie. He is making opponents who do so pay for it, and he has thrown just one interception in 135 pass attempts. He has seven touchdown passes.When teams blitz, it takes everybody, Wentz said. It takes the O-line picking up guys, getting their jobs done and then receivers winning. It takes receivers, tight ends, running backs. It takes them winning and getting open early. I think weve done a really good job of that. Were all playing on the same page, playing fast.Wentz will be without left tackle Lane Johnson, who had a 10-game suspension by the NFL upheld this week. He begins serving it and wont play. That leaves Wentzs blindside in the hands of a fellow rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who played college football at Texas Christian.The Redskins likely will try to take advantage of Vaitai. They have rotated pass rushers Ryan Kerrigan, Preston Smith and Trent Murphy at outside linebacker all season, and so far Murphy has produced the most.Murphy, who gained 30 pounds at the teams request to move to defensive end, had to move back to outside linebacker in training camp after a season-ending injury to pass-rush specialist Junior Galette. Murphy has been dynamite with a team-best 4.5 sacks in his third season. He only had six total in his first two years in the NFL.Kerrigan has 2.5 sacks and is dealing with groin and elbow injuries. Smith has been a disappointment after an eight-sack rookie season. He has yet to record one sack in 2016.Better tackling helped fuel Washingtons win against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. That had better continue against an Eagles team that has players such as running back Darren Sproles who can punish teams for missing.Compared to the Cleveland game, I thought it was a major improvement, thats for sure, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said of his linebackers and safeties bringing Ravens players to the ground quickly and consistently. I think they took it all upon themselves to make sure they were more sound in their fundamentals as far as tackling is concerned. I got tired of hearing about it.Washington could be without star tight end Jordan Reed, who has a suspected concussion. That would be a major loss. Reed had two touchdowns in the division-clinching win Dec. 26 in Philadelphia.The Redskins need to get the ball to wide receiver DeSean Jackson, either way. He had just four catches the past two weeks. It doesnt hurt that Jackson often torches for former team. In three games against the Eagles since leaving Philadelphia after the 2013 season, Jackson has 13 catches for 283 yards and a touchdown. However, the animosity he held for former Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly, who cut him unceremoniously, is gone now.Doug Pederson is actually a good friend of mine, Jackson said. We got a good relationship when he was in Philly coaching, so I dont have no bad taste in my mouth versus him. Well just play, and hopefully well get this win.China Vans Shoes Wholesale . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Discount Vans Shoes . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. http://www.vansoutletsale.com/ . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Vans Shoes Sale Cheap . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Vans Shoes Sale Outlet . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players.SUNRISE, Fla. -- Aaron Ekblad is fully aware that the Florida Panthers will be dealing with a new issue this season, that being the burden of preseason expectations.Hes not bothered.The Panthers reached the playoffs and won the Atlantic Division last season, two major steps for a franchise that has known almost nothing but struggle since reaching the Stanley Cup final for the first and only time in 1996. And with a young core of talent now basically locked up for years -- the 20-year-old Ekblad is under contract through 2025 -- anything less than a playoff run next spring would be a disappointment for Florida.In the end, your guys expectations and everyone elses expectations mean absolutely nothing, Ekblad said. Its our expectations. As players, on a personal level and on a team level, we have expectations that exceed all of yours times 10. In the end, were the ones who have gotten here. Were the ones who have pushed ourselves beyond measure to get into this situation.And what is this situation?We believe we can do it, Ekblad said.Ekblad has been an All-Star defenseman in each of his first two NHL seasons, and hes already one of the faces of the franchise. Hockey hasnt caught basketball -- even after Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat this week for the Chicago Bulls -- or football in terms of popularity among the South Florida sports landscape, but the fact that these Panthers are getting attention in the summertime shows how far the franchise has come.The Panthers announced his $60 million, eight-yeaar extension (which kicks in next summer) last week, then held a news conference at their arena on Thursday to announce the deal again.dddddddddddd. Theres some offseason rebuilding projects going on in the arena, and there was some remodeling of the roster this summer as well.Theres more than two months before the start of training camp, but its hard to find a time when optimism has been this high for Florida.We put ourselves in a good position, Panthers general manager Tom Rowe said. Are we a definite Stanley Cup, going-away winner right now? I dont think you can rule us out but its not a guarantee by any stretch of the imagination. But I think weve got the horses now to have a deep run in the playoffs.Ekblad will be a big key, if or when that deep run ever comes.Hes seemed unfazed by whatever came his way in his first two seasons with the Panthers. His confession came Thursday: Hes not always as cool as he appears.I try to keep it all in my head, Ekblad said. I really try to put a face on that no one really knows whats going on inside my head and I think a lot of players from a lot of different sports have that. Obviously, every night, I go to bed and I think about all those things and all those pressures. But more or less just have to use it as motivation and thats what Ive done over the last couple years.Its working for him, and its working for the Panthers as well. ' ' '