Giants Country

NFC East Notebook: Previewing Week 18

Here’s everything you need to know about each NFC East team heading into the last game of the regular season.

Andrew Parsaud

USA Today Sports via IMAGN Content Services
In this story:

It’s official. Three of the four NFC East teams are playoff bound and anxiously waiting for the postseason to begin. The 13-3 Eagles, 12-4 Cowboys, and 9-6-1 Giants have all clinched a playoff spot, while the Commanders were officially eliminated from contention after last week’s games.

The NFC East has been a whirlwind of excitement all season long. The Eagles are and remain the best team in the league record-wise. The Cowboys had to rely on backup quarterback Cooper Rush while Dak Prescott aided a thumb injury for several weeks. Under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants have certainly earned their way into the playoffs after shocking everybody with their style of play.

This week is the final week to determine who will win the NFC East and who will claim the NFC’s number one seed. Despite the Eagles’ impressive season, they still have not locked up the division or the NFC’s top seed. If they lose this week and the Cowboys win, the Eagles will drop to second in the division. Lots are at stake here for an epic conclusion to a fun-filled regular season for the NFC East.

Let’s take a look at each of their matchups in Week 18.

W18

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Spread: Giants +11.5 | Eagles -11.5

The Giants have finally done it. After six long years of trial and error with multiple head coaches and tons of losing, the Giants have clinched the NFC’s sixth seed and are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

It’s one of the most remarkable stories of the NFL this season. Led by rookie head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants have shown significant signs of an overall organization-wide improvement. The players and staff have built a close-knit bond that shows up every single week.

The Giants needed to beat the Colts last week to clinch a playoff spot. It’s safe to say they took care of business. A 38-10 win at home on New Year’s Day was great for the Giants and their fans.

Daniel Jones threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 91 yards and another two touchdowns. Jones received a curtain call for his stellar performance and has shown why he should be back in the future. Wide receivers Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins keep shouldering the workload, combining for 118 yards and two touchdowns. 

Hodgins and James now have four touchdowns each on the season. The biggest play of the game came from Landon Collins. Collins had a 52-yard pick-six, the second of his career. The Giants' defense played well to stop the struggling Colts offense. Kayvon Thibodeaux had a sack and two tackles for loss, and Dexter Lawrence continued to dominate with one sack and three quarterback hits.

With the Giants locked into the sixth seed, they may rest multiple starters against the Eagles on Sunday. Whatever happens, the Giants are going to the playoffs, and they should be proud.

The Eagles have done something they haven’t all season long: lose consecutive games. The Eagles have lost their last two games and are now 13-3. The two losses can be in part due to injuries. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has missed two games with a sprained SC joint in his throwing shoulder. Hurts is getting better, but the team has not decided on whether he’ll play against the Giants. Some more good injury news is Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Robert Quinn, and Brett Toth have all returned to practice and have 21 days to be activated off of IR.

The Eagles lost last week to the Saints at home 20-10. The Eagles could not get much going offensively with Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Minshew had 274 yards and one touchdown with one interception. DeVonta Smith had 115 yards, and AJ Brown had a 78-yard touchdown in the third quarter to bring the Eagles within one score. 

The Eagles defense got pressure on Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill, totaling seven sacks and nine quarterback hits. It wasn’t enough, going back to Minshew’s interception. The interception was taken back for a touchdown by Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, which ended the game.

The NFL works in a mysterious way. The Eagles, who have been at the top of the league all season, cannot rest their starters because they have not yet won the division. Locked into the sixth seed, the Giants don’t need to play their starters. Whatever happens, the Eagles are looking to win the division and clinch the number one seed in the NFC.

W18-2

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

Spread: Cowboys -6.5 | Commanders +6.5

The Cowboys are in an interesting spot. They currently own the first Wild Card spot in the playoffs, but with how things are shaping up in the NFC East, they could potentially win the division. If the Eagles lose to the Giants and they beat the Commanders, Dallas will win the NFC East crown.

The Cowboys played in Tennessee last Thursday night and took care of business. Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Dallas’ run game was not as explosive, especially with Tony Pollard being out. However, Ezekiel Elliott managed to rush for one touchdown, extending his streak to nine games with one touchdown run. CeeDee Lamb had 100 yards receiving, but it was Dalton Schultz who came down with both receiving touchdowns. The Cowboys defense only had two sacks but managed to hit Josh Dobbs 10 times while also forcing an interception.

The Cowboys wrap up the regular season with a trip to Washington. They must win this game and hope the Eagles lose to capture the NFC East crown.

They're now out of playoff contention in what was once a promising season for the Commanders. The quarterback carousel has been a disaster, and they’re now turning to rookie Sam Howell to start on Sunday against the Cowboys. They went back to Wentz last week, and things went horribly.

Wentz threw three interceptions against the Browns last week in another forgettable performance. The Commanders are now 1-5 when Wentz starts this season. Ironically enough, Wentz scored the Commanders’ only touchdown on the day by rushing for it. The Commanders offense did not generate much except for Brian Robinson Jr, who had 84 yards on 23 carries. Washington’s defense played decent, sacking and hitting Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson five times each. They just couldn’t stop Nick Chubb, who rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries, and Amari Cooper also had 105 yards and two touchdowns.

With the Commanders out of the playoffs, all they can do now is hope for the season to end quickly so they can figure out where to go from here.

Join the Giants Country Community

Published
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. 

Home/Game Day