NFC East Race Week 15: Will Cowboys or Eagles Take Control?
FRISCO - The race for the NFC East has become much tighter than many anticipated. The Eagles - who led comfortably throughout most of the season - have lost two games in a row and have relinquished the East lead. One of those losses was to the Cowboys, who now hold a precarious lead in the division. With one win each in the head-to-head column the division winner could come down to tiebreakers. That is, unless, somehow one of the two teams struggles down the stretch.
Which team is more likely to crumble under the pressure in Week 15?
Since coming off their bye week, the Cowboys' offense is rolling. Dallas has outscored its opponents 267-133 over the past seven contests as the Cowboys have gone 6-1. Wideout CeeDee Lamb is now the NFL's third-leading receiver while quarterback Dak Prescott leagues the league with 28 touchdowns and is now in the MVP conversation.
Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni (L-R)
Prescott is also taking care of the ball much better than last season. In 2022 Prescott threw 15 interceptions over just 12 games played. This year, with 13 games in the books, Prescott has just six.
Dallas travels to Buffalo in Week 15, and it's a struggling Bills team compared to recent seasons when they were considered a lock for the playoffs and a contender for the AFC's No. 1 seed.
Quarterback Josh Allen has not had the same success as in years past. Through 14 games, Allen and Washington's Sam Howell are tied with the league lead with 14 interceptions, and Allen has thrown at least one interception in every game since Week 4. He also has just two games without a pick all season.
Behind corner DaRon Bland's league-leading eight interceptions and record five pick-6s, the Cowboys are tied for the second-best points differential in the NFL. It's true that the Bills have two more takeaways than Dallas this season, but they've also committed 10 more turnovers.
Meanwhile, the Eagles travel west to Seattle, a place where they haven't registered a victory since 2008, and are 7-12 all-time. Philadelphia has registered just two total wins at Lumen Field.
What was once a strength of the Eagles has become a weakness. The Philadelphia defense has given up 75 points over the last two contests to San Francisco and Dallas while registering the fifth-worst pass defense in the league.
The Seattle passing game could take advantage of a weakened pass defense that is down to just two healthy safeties on the roster right now.
If things go Dallas' way on Sunday, the Cowboys handle business in Buffalo while the Seahawks (who unfortunately have lost four straight!) hand the Eagles their third straight loss.
That would give Dallas a stronghold on the NFC East and a possible inside track to the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
