NFC East Division Week 4 Wrap: Dallas Starting to Separate from the Pack

The Cowboys are soaring after recording their third win in a row. Meanwhile the Eagles are on the opposite end of the spectrum, having lost their last three while the Giants and Washington are trying to find their respective places in the division race.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Oct 4, 2021 2:32 PM EDT

Let's recap the action among the four NFC East teams and the effect on the standings.

Dallas Cowboys (3-1, 1st Place)

The Cowboys handed the Carolina Panthers their first loss of the young season, a 36-28 defeat that improved the Cowboys' record to 3-1 and their hold on first place in the division.

The Cowboys defense, last year historically bad, delivered an inspiring performance against Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold and company. Darnold was sacked five times, the first time the Cowboys hit that number since 2019.

And according to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys pressured Darnold 21 times, forcing two interceptions (both by Trevon Diggs) in the process.

Offensively, the Cowboys rushing game shredded the Panthers defense, finishing with 245 yards on 34 carries. Ezekiel Elliott led the way with a big-time 143 yards on 20 rushing attempts and a touchdown.

Up Next: Giants

Washington Football Team (2-2, 2nd Place)

Washington brought the high-flying Falcons, fresh off their Week 3 win against the Giants, back down to earth with a 34-30 victory to even out their record at 2-2.

Washington Quarterback Taylor Heinicke engineered back-to-back touchdown drives, the second of which came with 38 seconds left courtesy of J.D. McKissic's leaping score, to help the Football Team overcome an eight-point deficit for the win.

Heinicke had himself a stellar day, completing nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts for 290 yards and three touchdowns., with receiver Terry McLaurin catching six of Heinicke's passes for 123 yards and two of those scores.

The Falcons wasted a three-touchdown performance by the receiver/running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who caught three of quarterback Matt Ryan's four touchdown throws on the day for his first multiple touchdown game in his nine-year career. Interestingly, Patterson didn't get so much as a sniff of the ball in the fourth quarter, one of several curious moves made by head coach Arthur Smith in the loss.

Washington might have escaped with the win, but it sounds like it was a costly one. Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff sprained his MCL. Tight end Logan Thomas strained his hamstring, and linebacker Jon Bostic reportedly suffered a pectoral injury.

Up Next: at New Orleans

Philadelphia Eagles (1-3, 3rd Place)

Former long-time Eagles head coach Andy Reid, now the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, returned to the City of Brotherly Love, where he spent 14 years as a head coach and walked away as the first head coach in NFL history to win 100 games with two different franchises.

Reid's Chiefs dismantled the Eagles 42-30, boosting his all-time career record against his former team to 3-0. The Chiefs produced six touchdowns on their first seven possessions as the Eagles had no answers to stop Patrick Mahomes and company.

In addition to the scoring onslaught, the Chiefs finished with 200 rushing yards against the Eagles run defense, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire leading the way with 102 yards on 14 carries.

The Eagles were able to move the ball, recording 461 yards of offense, including 387 yards through the air from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who finished 32 of 48 and who had two touchdowns, but the Chiefs were no match for the Eagles, who fell to 1-3 in the NFC East.

Up Next: at Carolina

New York Giants (1-3, 4th Place)

The Giants not only got their first win of the 2021 season, but it was perhaps their biggest win in years--even going so far as to top last year's stunner against the Seattle Seahawks--given how it unfolded.

The Giants, who overcame an 11-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, not only closed that gap to tie the game and send it into overtime, but they also scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime on a very impressive-looking 9-play drive spanning 75 yards.

The Giants got a big-time performance from its much-maligned offense, which was missing receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton.

Quarterback Daniel Jones finished with a new career-high 402 passing yards, his first 400-yard performance of his career, and running back Saquon Barkley looked more like the Saquon of old with 53 yards on 13 carries and 74 yards on five receptions., including a breathtaking 54-yard touchdown reception.

Kenny Golladay and rookie Kadarius Toney carried most of the load for the Giants in the receiving game, combining for 12 receptions for 194 yards.

Although the Giants and Eagles are tied record-wise (and have yet to play against each other to determine the head-to-head advantage), the Eagles 94 points scored this season puts them ahead of the Giants, who have 83 points.

Up Next: at Dallas

Join the Giants Country Community

Sign up for our FREE digest newsletter
Follow and like us on Facebook
Submit your questions for our mailbag
Listen and subscribe to the daily LockedOn Giants podcast.
Subscribe and like the new LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
Sign up for our FREE message board forums
Subscribe and like our YouTube Channel

Become a premium Fan Nation member and get access to all of Fan Nation’s premium content plus a subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click here for more information or to begin your free 30-day trial.