NFC East Week 15 Wrap: Rough Weekend

It wasn't a successful weekend of football for the four NFC East teams, all of whom lost their respective games.

It was a rare kind of football weekend for all four NFC East teams--the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles--in that none emerged victorious in their respective games.

Besides the disappointment of the Giants coming back down to earth following a three-game, Tommy DeVito-led win streak that ended with a 24-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles suffered a 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.

That loss significantly dented their chance of securing the No. 1 playoff seed. They also have the same record as the Cowboys (10-4) as the two teams battle it out for the division title (Dallas currently holds the tie-breaker advantage over the Eagles.)

Let's round up the rest of the division action.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (7) makes the tackle on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) :: Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bills 31, Cowboys 10

A highly anticipated matchup between two of the game’s best quarterbacks--Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills--became an unexpected blowout as running back James Cook and the Bills’ defense stole the show in a 31-10 win that was more lopsided than the score indicates.

Dallas’s high-flying offense was completely shut down by Buffalo’s defense, mustering only 195 total yards, while Buffalo ran wild with 266 yards on the ground. The Cowboys, who were in first place in the NFC East for only a week, fell to 10-4 and back down to second place (until the Eagles’ loss on Monday); meanwhile, the Bills improved to 8-6 and put themselves right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Prescott, who was red-hot entering the game, had possibly his worst game of the season; he completed 21 of 34 passes for just 134 yards and no touchdowns while taking three sacks and throwing an interception to finish with a 57.7 passer rating. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb scored Dallas’s only touchdown on a 3-yard run, but the game was in garbage time at that point; the dynamic Lamb was ultimately held in check with just 53 yards on seven receptions.

Cook put the Bills on his back by totaling an incredible 227 yards from scrimmage; he rushed for 179 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries while totaling 42 receiving yards and another touchdown on just two receptions. 

His dominance was so thorough that Allen only threw 15 passes all game, completing seven for 94 yards and a touchdown. Allen also contributed to the rushing attack with 24 yards and a touchdown on eight carries; this was his 10th game of the season with both a passing and rushing touchdown, setting an NFL record. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs had over half of Buffalo’s receptions, with four catches for 48 yards.

The Bills got to work immediately, moving 75 yards in 12 plays on the game’s opening possession. Consecutive runs of 10 and 12 yards by Cook and an 18-yard completion from Allen to Diggs would set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Latavius Murray, setting the tone for the night.

The next three drives ended in punts, but the Bills would receive new life when Cowboys lineman Sam Williams was penalized for roughing punter Sam Martin, tacking on 15 yards and giving Buffalo a new set of downs. Taking advantage of their second chance, Cook recorded a 24-yard reception before hauling an 18-yard touchdown catch to extend the Bills’ lead.

Dallas finally got on the board by driving 61 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 16-yard reception by Lamb, before Brandon Aubrey kicked a 32-yard field goal. But Buffalo responded with an 11-play, 76-yard drive that featured a 20-yard run by Cook and was finished by a 1-yard “Tush Push” QB sneak touchdown by Allen, as the Bills entered halftime with a 21-3 lead.

Buffalo continued to give the ball to Cook in the second half. On their first possession, they drove 65 yards in 15 plays while eating 8:22 off the clock before kicker Tyler Bass added to the lead with a 23-yard field goal. After forcing the Cowboys to punt again, the Bills put the game completely out of reach with a 6-play, 67-yard drive that featured a 17-yard run by Cook, a 17-yard reception by Diggs, and a 24-yard touchdown run by Cook.

The Bills’ defense took over from there, only allowing a meaningless 3-yard touchdown run by Lamb with just 2:48 left in the game, while cornerback Christian Benford intercepted Prescott early in the fourth quarter for good measure.

Dallas remains atop of the NFC East with a 10-4 record. They hold the second tiebreaker over the Eagles (division record) after splitting the season series with them.

Dec 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) brings down Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second half at SoFi Stadium / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Rams 28, Commanders 20

The Washington Commanders continued their freefall as they lost on the road to the Los Angeles Rams, 28-20. Suffering their fifth straight loss, the Commanders dropped to 4-10 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Los Angeles gashed Washington’s defense by racking up 445 yards, including 196 rushing yards, and holding the ball for 35:53. Despite dominating the stat sheet, the Rams made several mistakes that kept the Commanders in the game until they recovered an onside kick to seal the win. It was an important win for the Rams, who currently hold one of the three NFC Wild Card spots despite only having a .500 record.

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell had a poor performance, completing just 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. However, backup Jacoby Brissett fared much better as he completed eight of 10 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, allowing Washington to make things interesting late. Terry McLaurin was the game’s leading receiver, with 141 yards and a touchdown on six catches, while Curtis Samuel caught five passes for 41 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 33 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. His top target was receiver Cooper Kupp, who caught eight passes for 111 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown bomb. Despite losing two fumbles, running back Kyren Williams shredded the Commanders with 152 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries while also catching five passes (albeit for only three yards).

Washington went three-and-out to begin the game, and Los Angeles marched 77 yards in 11 plays and six and a half minutes on their first possession. But Commanders lineman Daron Payne sacked Stafford on 3rd and Goal from the 3-yard line, and the Rams had to settle for a 22-yard chip shot field goal from Lucas Havrisik.

The Commanders responded with a drive to the Los Angeles 12-yard line, which featured a 24-yard reception by McLaurin on 4th-and-2. But four plays later, Washington elected to convert a 4th-and-1 and turned the ball over on downs when Howell’s pass to tight end Logan Thomas fell incomplete. The Rams would respond with another drive deep into Washington territory, but Williams lost a fumble to Kendall Fuller, who recovered at his own 8-yard line.

Despite the lost fumble, the Rams quickly forced a three-and-out to receive great field position at their own 47. This time, they finally capitalized by driving 53 yards in 10 plays to score on a 1-yard touchdown run by Williams. However, on Los Angeles’s next possession, Williams lost another fumble in Commanders territory, which Kamren Curl recovered.

Trailing 10-0 with just over a minute left in the first half, the Commanders had an excellent opportunity to get back in the game; instead, disaster struck. Preparing to punt after feebly going three-and-out, long snapper Camaron Cheeseman botched the snap, and punter Tress Way was downed at his own 15-yard line while also getting injured on the play. (Cheeseman would be released by the Commanders the next day.) This allowed the Rams to tack on three more points before halftime, as Havrisik kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 13-0.

Disaster struck again for the Commanders as soon as the second half began; on just the second play, Stafford launched a deep pass downfield to Kupp, who was inexplicably left wide open by the Washington defense. Kupp hauled in Stafford’s strike and simply waltzed into the end zone with nobody around him for a 62-yard touchdown, extending the Rams’ lead to 20-0.

After both teams punted, Washington finally got on the board with a 7-play, 48-yard drive that ended with Howell’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Samuel. But after another exchange of punts, Los Angeles struck back with Stafford’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson, and Williams added a successful two-point conversion run for good measure.

The game appeared wrapped up when John Johnson intercepted Howell, but the Rams failed to capitalize when Havrisik missed a 43-yard field goal attempt wide right. With Brissett under center, Washington’s offense suddenly came to life and drove 67 yards in just five plays, capped off by McLaurin’s 29-yard touchdown catch. 

Los Angeles went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Commanders looked poised to make a serious comeback attempt with plenty of time to spare when McLaurin hauled in a 48-yard pass at the Rams’ 1-yard line (the play was originally ruled a touchdown, but was overturned after a replay review).

Unfortunately, Washington would be doomed by disastrous clock management by coach Ron Rivera. With 4:47 left in regulation and the offense at the 1-yard line, it took eight more plays and over three minutes (despite Rivera having all three timeouts available, he didn’t use any) for Brissett to throw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Samuel. The previous plays included a touchdown to Logan Thomas nullified by offensive pass interference and a turnover on downs by the Rams’ defense negated by defensive pass interference to give Washington a fresh set of downs.

By the time Samuel caught Brissett’s touchdown pass, there was only 1:46 left in regulation, and Joey Slye’s extra point was blocked to put the Commanders down by eight. The Rams would recover the ensuing onside kick and force Washington to burn all three of his timeouts before running out the rest of the clock.

Washington (4-10) sits last in the NFC East and holds the fourth overall pick in next year's draft.

Dec 18, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches a touchdown pass against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry (24) during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field.   / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks 20, Eagles 17

In a dramatic finish on Monday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles were the last NFC East team to fall this week, losing a 20-17 heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks for their third straight defeat.

Despite outgaining Seattle in total yards 321-297, accumulating 178 rushing yards, and holding the ball for nearly 33 minutes, the Eagles were the victims of a 10-play, 92-yard game-winning touchdown drive with just 1:52 left in regulation. With the loss, Philadelphia dropped to 10-4 and remained in second place in the NFC East (with Dallas in first); meanwhile, the Seahawks improved to 7-7, broke a four-game losing streak, and re-established themselves in the NFC Wild Card race.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was previously questionable to play due to illness, scored his team’s touchdowns on the ground and accumulated 82 rushing yards on 13 carries.

However, he had a very poor game in the air, completing 17 of 31 passes for just 143 yards and two interceptions, leading to a poor passer rating of 40.1. Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had five receptions for 56 and 50 yards, respectively, while running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries.

It was a career-defining game for Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock, who filled in for the injured Geno Smith. In addition to becoming the hero by leading a game-winning drive, he completed 22 of 33 passes for 208 yards and the winning touchdown, with no interceptions.

Although wide receiver DK Metcalf was held in check for most of the game, he came alive on the final drive and finished as the game’s leading receiver with 78 yards on five receptions. Running back Kenneth Walker III also had a strong game with 86 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while catching three passes for 26 yards.

On defense, Seahawks safety and former Giant Julian Love intercepted Hurts twice, the second of which effectively ended the game.

The Eagles got off to a fantastic start, taking the opening possession and churning out a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took eight minutes and 29 seconds. The massive drive featured an 18-yard completion to tight end Dallas Goedert, and Hurts finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run.

After the next three drives ended in punts, Philadelphia put together another massive drive that also took most of the quarter. They moved 63 yards in 16 plays, eating eight minutes and 26 seconds of clock, and made it a 10-0 game with kicker Jake Elliott’s 27-yard field goal.

Seattle finally responded with a 12-play, 67-yard drive that took under half as much time as Philadelphia’s first two scoring drives at four minutes and 38 seconds. The drive was sparked by a 20-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Josh Jobe, and Seahawks kicker Jason Myers finished the possession with a 26-yard field goal. The score would remain 10-3 Eagles at halftime, as the last three drives of the half ended in punts.

The second half would see much more action, turning a previously uneventful game into a thriller. Both teams set the tone by scoring touchdowns on their first possessions of the half; the Seahawks began the third quarter by marching 75 yards in nine plays before Walker took off for a 23-yard touchdown run that saw Lock deliver the key block to tie the game.

Philadelphia responded in kind with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took “only” five minutes and 22 seconds in comparison to their previous scoring drives and converted three third downs before Hurts scored on a 1-yard run with help from the “Brotherly Shove” to retake the lead.

Both teams went three-and-out before Seattle put together a lengthy possession of their own, taking six minutes and 26 seconds and 11 plays to move 45 yards. The drive was kept alive by a defensive pass interference penalty by cornerback and former Giant James Bradberry on fourth down, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll unintentionally prevented another fourth down conversion by taking a timeout; this allowed Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to win a coach’s challenge that confirmed a sack of Lock by lineman Jalen Carter. Ultimately, Seattle settled for a 43-yard field goal by Myers to cut their deficit to 17-13.

The Eagles responded by driving to the Seattle 45-yard line, but Love intercepted a deep pass from Hurts intended for Quez Watkins in the end zone. Nonetheless, the Seahawks went three-and-out, and the Eagles chewed up four minutes and 43 seconds of clock before Braden Mann’s 42-yard punt pinned the Seahawks at their 8-yard line with 1:52 left in regulation and just one timeout.

But Lock needed only one minute and 24 seconds to guide Seattle to the game-winning score. He completed three passes to Metcalf for 18, 6, and 34 yards, the last of which came on a crucial 3rd and 10 to move the ball into Philadelphia territory. Three plays after Metcalf’s 34-yard catch, Lock threw a dramatic 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to put the Seahawks ahead 20-17 with just 28 seconds left.

The Eagles advanced near midfield with 13 seconds remaining. Still, Hurts’s deep pass intended for Brown was intercepted again by Love, who somehow managed to stay in bounds and maintain possession to give the Seahawks a season-saving victory.

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