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NFC East Notebook: Playoff Edition

Let’s take a deep dive at what NFC East team is up to during Wild Card Weekend.

Andrew Parsaud

NFC East Notebook: Playoff Edition
NFC East Notebook: Playoff Edition /
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The NFL playoffs are set to begin this weekend, and three teams from the NFC East are represented. The 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East crown and the conference’s number-one seed, earning them a first-round bye.

The 12-5 Dallas Cowboys are locked into the fifth seed and are headed to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. Probably the most surprising team on the list, the New York Giants, ended the season 9-7-1 and clinched the sixth seed in the NFC. The Giants are headed back to Minnesota for a rematch with the Vikings.

The NFC East was the only division in football this year where every team finished with at least a .500 record or above. The only team from the division that failed to reach the playoffs was the 8-8-1 Washington Commanders. The Commanders were on a hot streak during the middle of the season, then collapsed near the end when the playoffs were on the line.

Nevertheless, the playoffs should be entertaining, with three teams from the division in the mix. With that said, here’s everything you need to know about each NFC East team heading into Wild Card Weekend.

1

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

Spread: Giants +2.5

The Giants are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but the work is far from over. The season is already a success. Head coach Brian Daboll led the Giants from just four wins a year ago to nine wins and the sixth seed. However, players realize they can make noise in the playoffs and turn some heads.

The Giants will head back to Minnesota, the place they played back in Week 15. They lost 27-24 on a 61-yard field goal. Many players and fans wanted a rematch because they felt that they should’ve won that game. The Giants will get their chance in round two of this matchup.

One big difference this time is that the Giants will have safety Xavier McKinney on the field and possibly cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. McKinney missed seven games while Jackson has been out since Week 12, and his status is still up in the air. These two will be the key in helping to stop Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

The Giants know they have an opportunity in front of them to prove many people wrong. The offense moved the ball well in their last matchup, with Daniel Jones throwing for 334 yards and one touchdown, while Saquon Barkley had 84 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown. They match up well with this Vikings team and could turn many heads with an upset victory on Sunday.

2

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Spread: Cowboys -2.5

The NFL is interesting. The 12-5 Cowboys will be *traveling* to take on a team with an 8-9 record. The Buccaneers haven’t had the season they’d hoped for but managed to squeak out a division title in the NFC South.

The Cowboys are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Commanders in Week 18, losing 26-6. Dak Prescott has been a cause for concern lately, throwing 11 interceptions over the last seven weeks. Prescott’s currently tied for the most interceptions thrown all season with 15. 

The Cowboys were just unable to get anything going offensively against the Commanders. The defense managed to get three sacks and one interception, but Washington seemingly cruised to a meaningless win.

The Cowboys need to regroup quickly if they want to beat the Buccaneers. While Tampa Bay has not looked like themselves this season, they still have Tom Brady at quarterback and a talented core around him. The key for Dallas in this game is getting to Brady and taking advantage of a defense that allowed over 4,700 passing yards in the regular season.

Another interesting stat is that Tom Brady has never lost to the Cowboys. Will that change on Monday night?

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles: First-Round Bye

The Eagles took care of business in Week 18, beating the Giants 26-20. It was surprising to many to see such a close score, as the Giants were playing third-stringers, and the Eagles did not rest a single starter.

Jalen Hurts made his return after missing two games with an injured shoulder. Hurts threw for 229 yards and one interception while being sacked three times. The only Eagles touchdown on the night came from Boston Scott, who has nine career touchdowns against the Giants. 

Other than that, the Eagles settled for field goals for the rest of the game. The Eagles defense did nothing crazy but enough to win the game. They notched two sacks and nine pass deflections in what should have been a more dominating performance.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter now as the Eagles get to wait and see who their opponent in the Divisional Round will be next week.

John McCreary-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Commanders: Eliminated

Another disappointing season is in the books for the Commanders. From Carson Wentz to Taylor Heinicke and finally Sam Howell, Washington’s quarterback carousel has been a whirlwind all season long.

Rookie quarterback Sam Howell got his first NFL start and threw for 169 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown pass went to Terry McLaurin, his fifth of the season. The Commanders defense is what won them this game. Holding the Cowboys to just six points and forcing Dak Prescott to throw an interception is what this defense has been able to do all year.

Unfortunately for the Commanders, an 8-8-1 record was not good enough to clinch the NFC’s seventh seed. The Commanders decided to fire their offensive coordinator, Scott Turner. 

Turner had been a part of Ron Rivera’s staff dating back to Carolina. Washington’s offensive performance this season and the last two were not good enough for the team to retain him. So, add an offensive coordinator to the list of Washington’s off-season needs.

Washington’s currently slated to have the 16th pick in the upcoming draft, but with limited cap space for 2023. The Commander’s offseason has begun, and it’ll be interesting to see what other moves they decide to make over the coming weeks.

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Andrew Parsaud
ANDREW PARSAUD

Andrew Parsaud is currently attending Penn State, where he is studying digital journalism and media. He is an avid follower of the major New York sports teams. 

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