Giants Country

NFC East Week 11 Preview

Let’s take a look at the upcoming Week 11 action in the NFC East.

Andrew Parsaud

NFC East Week 11 Preview
NFC East Week 11 Preview /
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It was a different vibe for the NFC East in Week 10. The Philadelphia Eagles, who came in last week as the only remaining undefeated team in the league, lost their first game of the season. The team that ended their perfect bid? The Washington Commanders, now 5-5 and looking to continue their climb in the NFC East race.

The New York Giants came out of their bye week and defeated the Houston Texans 24-16. The Giants are now in sole possession of second place in the division with a 7-2 record. 

The Dallas Cowboys also lost last week after a fourth-quarter collapse in Green Bay. The Cowboys are now 6-3 as they head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings, who just beat the Buffalo Bills on the road.

The NFC East is now a combined 26-11, the best record among any division in the league. Here’s everything you need to know about each NFC East team this week.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Lions (3-6) at Giants (7-2)

Spread: Giants -1.5

The Giants just continue to find ways to win. Their victory against Houston was the first time they won a game this season and led the entire time. Star running back Saquon Barkley is coming off the biggest workload in his career, carrying the ball 35 times for 152 yards and one touchdown. Barkley took it to the worst run defense in the league and propelled the Giants offense to another win.

The Giants defense also played a huge role in stopping the Texans offense. Defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams dominated the interior, with Lawrence totaling one sack and Williams picking up half a sack. Lawrence has dominated all year, with career highs in sacks (5) and quarterback hits (16). 

Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson continues to shut down his side of the field, totaling two pass deflections against Houston. Rookie safety Dane Belton snatched his first career interception, adding to his solid rookie campaign. Belton has allowed zero touchdowns in 173 pass coverage snaps, the only rookie safety yet to allow a touchdown.

The Giants now face the 3-6 Detroit Lions. Forget their record--the Lions offense will be one of the best ones the Giants will face this season. Detroit has a very explosive unit, with 36 passing plays of over 20+ yards and a rushing attack that averages just under five yards per carry. This will be a good test for the Giants, who look to grab their eighth win of the season.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles (8-1) at Colts (4-5-1)

Spread: Eagles -6.5

The undefeated Eagles are no more. They finally lost their first game of the season on Monday night to the rival Commanders. There’s no panic in Philadelphia, however, as the Eagles look to put that loss behind them and bounce back against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Eagles simply did not look like themselves against Washington. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and rushed for one but only had 175 passing yards on the night. Their leading rusher was Miles Sanders, who had only 54 yards on 12 carries. 

The Eagles also gave the ball away a good amount, losing three fumbles and Hurts throwing one interception. The Eagles' strong front seven also was not as dominant as they were the first time they played Washington, totaling three sacks and just four quarterback hits. Definitely an ugly loss for the Eagles, who had played sound, turnover-free football all year.

Their unique opponent this week is the Colts, with new head coach Jeff Saturday. After being benched for a few games, quarterback Matt Ryan is back as the starter. Running back Jonathan Taylor had 147 rushing yards and one touchdown last week. 

Philadelphia has had trouble stopping the run since rookie Jordan Davis was injured. The team signed veteran defensive linemen Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to hopefully help stop the run in Davis’ absence. The Eagles need this win if they want to remain in first place.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys (6-3) at Vikings (8-1)

Spread: Vikings +1.5

The Cowboys are coming off a loss where they were leading by two touchdowns heading into the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had their ‘get right’ game, and it came against Dallas.

Quarterback Dak Prescott had a solid game, tossing three touchdowns and 265 yards until he threw two costly interceptions that helped shift the momentum back to Green Bay. Running back Tony Pollard, who has stepped in nicely in Ezekiel Elliott’s absence, rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown. 

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb looked like a star, catching 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys defense was the big letdown of the day, not looking dominant like they had been in previous weeks. The Cowboys defense totaled just two sacks and only two quarterback hits. Dallas also had no takeaways on the day.

The Cowboys are hoping to have running back Zeke Elliott this week, who has missed multiple games with a knee injury. The team signed former first-round pick Takkarist McKinley to the practice squad and former Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway. Not the former Browns receiver fans were looking for, but Callaway will provide solid depth and return insurance.

The Cowboys now head to Minnesota to take on a Vikings team that has been firing on all cylinders this year. Minnesota is coming off a huge overtime win in Buffalo and now sits with an 8-1 record. The Cowboys must win this game to avoid falling even deeper in the division.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders (5-5) at Texans (1-7-1)

Spread: Commanders -1.5

The Commanders are coming off their biggest win of the season. They took down the undefeated Eagles on the road and in primetime.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke continues to look like the quarterback Washington needs, being named the starter vs. Houston, even with Carson Wentz being activated from IR. Heinicke did not throw a touchdown in the win against the Eagles, but he had 211 passing yards on 17 completions. 

The backfield tandem of Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson carried the Commanders offense. Robinson rushed for 86 yards and one touchdown, while Gibson had 44 yards and a touchdown of his own. Washington’s defense also came up big in the turnover battle, totaling one interception and recovering three fumbles.

Pass rusher Chase Young is expected to be activated for this week’s game against Houston. Young had missed time with a torn ACL and is finally ready to return to game action and help Washington continue their climb up to the NFC East crown. 

The Commanders travel to Houston to take on the 1-7-1 Texans. If Washington wants to keep up in this competitive division, they must take care of business in Houston.

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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. 

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