NFC East Notebook: Week 6 Eagles-Cowboys Showdown on Tap

Let's run down the plans for the four NFC East Teams in Week 6.

The NFC East remains one of the best divisions in football currently. With three teams over .500, the division has completely flipped the script on its old ‘NFC Least’ nickname from year’s past. 

The Philadelphia Eagles are still the only undefeated team in the league, sitting atop the league with a 5-0 record. The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are not far behind, both 4-1. 

The Washington Commanders are the only team that hasn’t kept stride with the other three teams, losing four straight games and are solely in last place with a 1-4 record.

The Commanders already played their Week 6 game, ____ to the Chicago Bears, X-X. We'll recap that for you and take a look at the other division games, which includes a huge meeting etween the Cowboys and Eagles in Philadelphia. .

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Photos via USA Today Sports Network

Spread: Ravens -4.5 

After a stunning comeback victory in London over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Giants head back home to take on another tough opponent, the Baltimore Ravens.

This week's big story is Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale facing his former team for the first time. The Ravens and Martindale decided to part ways in the offseason, so there will be some extra added motivation for the Giants defensive signal caller. 

Running back Saquon Barkley continues to be the spark this Giants team needs, as he leads the NFL in scrimmage yards and has had 100+ yards from scrimmage in four out of five games this season. 

With the best rushing attack in the league and the Ravens allowing 5 yards per carry, this could be another great opportunity for the Giants to continue to run the ball. 

The Ravens, however, also allowed 1,451 yards through the air, the most in the league. The Giants will also look to hopefully spark the passing game, which is 31st in the league in yards currently with 859.

If the Giants can stop quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense, they will have a chance to turn some more heads with another possible big victory.

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Photos via USA Today Sports Network

Spread: Eagles -6.5

The Eagles are still the hottest team in the NFL, getting off to a 5-0 start in muscling their way through every opponent thus far. With a 20-17 win last week in Arizona, the Eagles head home to host the division-rival Cowboys on Sunday night.

This is the true first test for quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense. Dallas’ front seven is very talented, and their defense continues to dominate, holding the defending champion Los Angeles Rams to just 10 points last week. Hurts already has over 1,300 passing yards and four passing touchdowns and is facing a Dallas defense that could force turnovers at any given point.

Fill-in kicker Cameron Dicker was perfect in his PATs and field goals, scoring the Eagles' only points in the second half. His performance won him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week and continued the Eagles' streak of having a Player of the Week in each of the season's first five weeks.

If the Eagles want to continue their dominance this season, they’ll have to beat their biggest division rival at home on primetime.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, continue to win. Since their Week 1 loss, they’ve strung together four straight victories and have done it without their franchise quarterback at the helm. Quarterback Cooper Rush has led Dallas to this point, taking the league by storm. Rush is now the first Cowboys quarterback to be 5-0 as a starter. He’s thrown for 839 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

It also looks like Rush will still be the Cowboys quarterback heading into Philadelphia. Star quarterback Dak Prescott still hasn’t been medically cleared to return after right thumb surgery. For the Cowboys, it would be great to have him back as soon as possible, but probably the right move to keep Prescott out until he’s fully 100%, especially with the way Rush has taken command of the offense.

Another big headline is offensive tackle Jason Peters returning to the place he called home from 2009-2020. Peters called Eagles fans “(bleeping) idiots” when asked about returning to Philadelphia this Sunday. Eagles fans will not take kindly to that comment from their former star tackle.

If the Cowboys can beat the only undefeated team in the NFL right now, they will turn some heads and knock their division rival off their pedestal.

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Photos via USA Today Sports Network

Washington 12, Chicago 7

The Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears 12-7, thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown scored by rookie running back Brian Robinson, Jr.

In just his second start after fighting his way back from being shot twice during an attempted carjacking on August 28, Robinson scored his game-winning touchdown from 1-yard out. The Commanders’ third-round pick (No. 98 overall) out of Alabama was set up when Bears punt returner Velus Jones Jr muffed a punt at his own 6-yard line. 

The short field turned out t be a blessing for the Washington offense, who up until that point had mustered only two field goals, including one to cap their most impressive scoring drive of the night, a 13-play, 70-yard drive that stalled on the Chicago 10-yard line.

Chicago’s only points came in the third quarter against a Washington defense flagged for having too many men on the field. It was the first lead of the game for Chicago, who held the lead until Robinson’s score with 7:35 left in the game.

The win snapped the Commanders’ four-game losing streak. They will net host the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, while the Bears, who suffered their fourth-straight loss, will visit New England for a Week 7 date on Monday Night Football.

Earlier this week, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said their quarterback is why they haven’t kept up with the rest of the division. Although Rivera walked back those comments, he isn't wrong.

Entering the Thursday night game against the Bears, Carson Wentz continued his rollercoaster season, throwing for nearly 1,400 yards and ten touchdowns, but he has also thrown six interceptions in five games. 

One glaring interception came against the Titans, where Wentz threw a pick near the goalline late in the game, ending a comeback attempt.

Wentz went 12 of 22 for 99 yards against the Bears.


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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.