The holidays are here, and it is lucky Week 13 by the NFL calendar. The NFC East continues to be a tight contest, with all four teams wrestling for the top spot in the division. One team feasted on Thanksgiving, tearing apart a division rival like an overcooked turkey, while the remaining two could only look on and prep for Sunday.
Fans waiting to see one team break open this division will have to keep waiting as the schedule only gets harder as the season draws closer to the finale. As the weather gets colder, the action in the NFC East will only get hotter.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1, 2-1 division)
NFL Rank per NFL.com: 1 (+1)
Week 12 Result: 40-33 win vs. Green Bay Packers
Quarterback Jalen Hurts set a single-game rushing record for the Eagles franchise with 157 yards, and Miles Sanders tacked on another 143 yards as Philadelphia ran over the Packers.
Hurts tossed two touchdown passes, but the big accomplishment was surpassing the 130-yard single-game record set by Michael Vick in 2010. Hurts also became the first NFL player since at least 1950 to record 150+ yards rushing, 150+ yards passing, and multiple touchdowns in a game.
The victory keeps the Eagles holding a two-game lead in the division, but still second overall in division standing based on wins and losses. Three of the team’s final six games are divisional contests. Philadelphia travels to face the Tennessee Titans, who lead the much softer AFC South.
2. Dallas Cowboys (8-4, 3-1 division)
NFL.com Rank: 4 (-1)
Week 12 Result: 28-20 win vs. New York Giants
The final score of this game seems closer than it really was as the Cowboys dominated the second half, taking the lead and then preventing an opportunity for holiday magic in the most-watched weekday NFL game in history.
Linebacker Micah Parsons continues to be a dominant player on the Cowboys’ defense. Parsons had two sacks, two solo tackles, and recorded two tackles for loss as the Cowboys’ defense befuddled the Giants and shut down running back Saquon Barkley. Finally having two-star running backs healthy has opened up the Cowboys’ attack as Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard split carries and gained 152 combined yards.
The Cowboys are coming together as the type of team ready to make a run at the end of the season. With just two division games remaining, the Cowboys are in an excellent position to push the division. Dallas is on the road to face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after the mini-bye week following the Thanksgiving Thursday game.
3. Washington Commanders (7-5, 1-2 division)
NFL.com Rank: 13 (+3)
Week 12 Result: 19-13 win vs. Atlanta Falcon
The Commanders finally climb out of the NFC East cellar on the strength of six wins in seven games. It took a bit of luck and a lot of athleticism from the Washington defense to prevent a last-minute touchdown by the Falcons.
Through the win streak, the Commanders have seen a week-to-week improvement in running back Brian Robinson, who hit 105 yards on the ground, his first 100+ yard game of the season after being shot twice in the leg in the preseason. The team continues to roll with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback, and he continues to win.
Things may get weird for Washington as they play at the Giants this weekend, then host the Giants in Week 15 after the bye. New York has yet to win a divisional game this season and could be largely out of the NFC East discussion if the Commanders win both games.
4. New York Giants (7-4, 0-2 division)
NFL.com Rank: 16 (-1)
Week 12 Result: 28-20 loss at Dallas Cowboys
The Giants got off to a good start, putting up points and going into the half with a slim but vital lead. Then in the second half, the wheels came off the bus, and the Giants got steamrolled by a dominant Dallas defense and a brutal one-two punch at running back. For the second week, Saquon Barkley was limited to sub-40 yards, though he did score a touchdown. Quarterback Daniel Jones’ only passing touchdown of the day came on a 1-yarder with just 0:08 remaining in the game.
Things are looking harder for the Giants over the next several weeks. They face two contests with the surging Washington Commanders in the next three weeks, with a divisional showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in between.
