NFC East Week 13 Wrap: Giants Gain Ground in Bye Week

Let's wrap up the action from the NFC East's Week 13 games.

Although the New York Giants had a Week 13 bye, they rose in the division standings thanks to the Washington Commanders losing to the Miami Dolphins 45-15.

The Commanders fell to 4-9, one more loss than the 4-8 Giants. But the Giants, remember, swept the regular-season series against the Commanders, so even if the two teams manage to have an identical record, the Giants, who, per Tankahathon, are currently sixth in the NFL draft order, gain the edge.

Let's run down the rest of the NFC East action.

Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) celebrates after a two-point conversion catch during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium.   / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys 41, Seahawks 35

The Dallas Cowboys extended their home winning streak to 14 games by defeating the Seattle Seahawks, 41-35 on Thursday Night Football.

The Cowboys won an intense shootout by erasing a 35-27 deficit in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points. Both teams combined for 817 yards of offense in the sixth puntless game in NFL history (including playoffs); ultimately, Dallas held the ball for 36:27 and forced a turnover on downs on Seattle’s final three drives to provide the difference.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, with a 115.8 passer rating. His top target was CeeDee Lamb, who caught 12 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Jake Ferguson caught six passes for 77 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown. Running back Tony Pollard had 68 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries as Dallas racked up 136 yards on the ground.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith completed 23 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while rushing for another touchdown. Wide receiver DK Metcalf had a massive game with 134 yards and three touchdowns on six catches, which included a 73-yard score. But despite 406 yards of total offense, Seattle lost their third straight game to fall to 6-6, and their chances of making the playoffs took a serious hit.

Dallas began the game with a 14-play, 63-yard drive that Brandon Aubrey finished with a 30-yard field goal. However, it took just three plays for Seattle to score, as Smith connected with Metcalf for a 73-yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead, and the scoring explosion was underway.

The Cowboys needed just five plays to respond, as a massive 47-yard pass interference penalty on Tariq Woolen eventually led to Prescott’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Lamb.

The Seahawks subsequently drove 51 yards in nine plays, but a delay of game penalty added extra distance to Jason Myers’s 42-yard field goal attempt, which he missed wide right. This allowed Dallas to extend their lead to 10 points, as they drove 68 yards in 11 plays and scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception by Brandin Cooks.

But the Seahawks scored two touchdowns before halftime to take the lead. First, they drove 75 yards in seven plays, 53 of them coming on two defensive pass interference penalties, before scoring on a 1-yard run by running back Zach Charbonnet.

Dallas looked to respond with a massive 16-play, 62-yard drive that took seven and a half minutes and appeared to get those points back when Prescott rushed for a 3-yard touchdown on 4th-and-goal.

However, the score was negated by an offensive holding penalty, and the Cowboys had to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Aubrey. This immediately became important as Seattle needed just one minute and 26 seconds to drive 75 yards in eight plays and score on a 1-yard touchdown pass to Metcalf with just four seconds left in the half.

With Seattle leading 21-20 to begin the second half, both teams picked up where they left off. The Seahawks extended their lead to eight with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that Smith finished with a 5-yard touchdown run, but Dallas got those points right back when Pollard’s 6-yard touchdown run ended a 12-play, 75-yard drive.

The Cowboys had a prime opportunity to score when DaRon Bland intercepted Smith at the Seattle 38-yard line but squandered it by turning the ball over on downs four plays later. Seattle responded by storming 70 yards in just five plays, featuring 25 and 39-yard receptions by tight end Noah Fant and Charbonnet before Metcalf caught his third touchdown of the night to put the Seahawks back up by eight.

However, Seattle would not score again as Dallas scored 14 straight points. First, they drove 56 yards in six plays to set up a 38-yard field goal by Aubrey, his third of the game. The Seahawks then drove to the Dallas 46-yard line and faced 4th-and-1 but turned the ball over on downs when Charbonnet was stuffed for no gain.

The Cowboys then drove 54 yards in seven plays before retaking the lead with a 12-yard touchdown catch by Ferguson; this was followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to Cooks to extend the lead to three.

The Seahawks turned the ball over on downs again, giving Dallas the ball near midfield, and they exchanged their great field position into Aubrey’s fourth field goal of the night to finally conclude the scoring.

Seattle had one last chance to drive for a winning touchdown with one minute and 43 seconds left, but all they could manage was a third straight turnover on downs, as Micah Parsons broke up Smith’s pass intended for DeeJay Dallas to secure a Cowboys victory.

Dec 3, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) carries the ball as Washington Commanders safety Percy Butler (35) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExField / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins 45, Commanders 15

The Washington Commanders continued their downward spiral as they were blown out by the Miami Dolphins, 45-15. The Commanders, who officially clinched a losing record, have now lost four in a row and nine of their last 11 after starting the season 2-0.

This game was effectively over by halftime, as the speedy Dolphins raced to a 31-7 lead and never looked back. Washington was outgained in total yards 406-245 and had only 107 net passing yards.

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell rushed for both of his team’s touchdowns, but completed just 12 of 23 passes for 127 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Curtis Samuel was his leading receiver, with four receptions for 65 yards. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. had only seven carries but had 53 of Washington’s 138 rushing yards.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken out of the game during his team’s final drive, alongside most other Dolphins starters. He finished the game 18-for-24 with 280 yards, a pair of touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 141.0 passer rating. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was unstoppable yet again, with 157 yards and two touchdowns on just five catches. De’Von Achane was the game’s leading rusher with 73 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

After the Commanders were forced to punt on the game’s opening drive, the Dolphins set the tone for the rest of the game on their third play from scrimmage, as Hill caught a pass from Tagovailoa and scampered off for a 78-yard touchdown. Miami’s offense would quickly return to the field after their defense forced a three-and-out, and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught a pair of passes for 28 yards to set up a 49-yard field goal from Jason Sanders.

Both teams punted on their next possessions, but the game officially turned into a rout when linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel intercepted a pass from Howell and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. Miami was up 17-0, and this was the third consecutive game where Howell threw a pick-six.

Washington would eventually get on the board when Samuel hauled in a 33-yard reception to the 1-yard line, and Howell followed with a 1-yard touchdown run two plays later. But Miami scored a pair of touchdowns before halftime to put the game out of reach.

First, Tagovailoa threw a 60-yard touchdown bomb to Hill, and after the defense forced a punt, the offense drove 76 yards in 11 plays to score on Raheem Mostert’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Miami provided the finishing touches in the second half with touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters, both being finished by goal-line touchdown runs from Achane.

The latter drive saw the Dolphins put in backup quarterback Mike White under center, who completed his only pass for three yards. Meanwhile, the Commanders could only muster a meaningless 13-yard touchdown run from Howell in the third quarter (followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to tight end Logan Thomas); their last three drives ended in a missed field goal, a punt, and time running out.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) carries the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.   / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

49ers 42, Eagles 19

The Philadelphia Eagles were served a massive slice of humble pie as they were dominated by the San Francisco 49ers at home, 42-19. Although they still have the best record in the NFL, they are now just one game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East.

The Eagles had won their last four games by rallying back from double-digit deficits, but they dug themselves too deep this time. In a rematch of the 2022 NFC Championship game last January, San Francisco outgained Philadelphia in total yards 456-333 and held Philadelphia’s potent ground game to a meager 46 yards.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 26 of 45 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another touchdown. However, he was also the team’s leading rusher with just 20 yards on seven carries; running back D’Andre Swift was stymied with only 13 yards on six carries.

Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were both productive; Brown had 114 yards on eight catches, while Smith had 96 yards and a touchdown on nine catches. To make matters worse, Hurts was checked for an injury in the locker room in the fourth quarter, although he fortunately returned to action later in the quarter.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy shredded the Eagles’ defense by completing 19 of 27 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns, finishing the game with a sparkling 148.8 passer rating. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was unstoppable, with 116 yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions, while also rushing for 22 yards and another touchdown. Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and caught three passes for 40 yards.

Philadelphia started the game well, holding the 49ers scoreless in the first quarter and putting together a pair of 12-play drives that combined for almost 12 minutes, scoring on two field goals from Jake Elliott for an early 6-0 lead.

But the floodgates opened in the second quarter. San Francisco went three-and-out on their first two possessions, but their third possession was an 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that took seven minutes. A 32-yard reception by tight end George Kittle was eventually followed by a 2-yard touchdown catch by Brandon Aiyuk; the 49ers now led 7-6, and they wouldn’t trail again.

After an Eagles punt, San Francisco responded with a massive 90-yard drive, but they only needed ten plays and four minutes to go the distance. Kittle hauled in another 25-yard reception, and McCaffrey finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-6 entering halftime.

The 49ers completely dominated the second half, scoring 28 points. They began the third quarter by moving 75 yards in seven plays before Samuel scored on a 12-yard touchdown run.

Philadelphia responded with a much-needed 10-play, 58-yard drive finished by a 1-yard touchdown run by Hurts courtesy of the “Brotherly Shove.” Still, San Francisco got those points back five plays later when Samuel took off for a 48-yard touchdown reception, extending the lead to 28-13. However, during the Eagles’ touchdown drive, the two teams got into a scuffle that resulted in the ejections of 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro.

In the fourth quarter, the game turned into a blowout. The 49ers added a pair of touchdowns courtesy of an 18-yard score by Jauan Jennings and a 46-yard score by Samuel. Sandwiched between these two scores was another Eagles touchdown drive that proved meaningless; Hurts threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Smith, but his two-point conversion pass to Smith was incomplete.

The Eagles turned the ball over on downs on their final drive, and the 49ers ran out the rest of the clock.

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