STAMFORD, CT – Wow, that was some game between the next two teams to beat the Giants. How about that NFC East? Just when you think you have it figured it out, it flips on you. WFT took the division lead, Jalen Hurts led the Eagles to a massive upset, and the Cowboys looked dominant. Everyone is back in it. Let’s handicap the NFC East, again, just three weeks after the last time I did it. Fun!
Washington Football Team. Record: 6-7
Remaining Opponents: Seahawks, Panthers, @Eagles
I thought six games would win this division. Well, it’s gonna take one or two more. WFT beat the Niners in a typical blue collar effort with good defense and just enough offense. They got a scare when Alex Smith went down and Dwayne Haskins had to play. They say Smith should be fine, which is good because all bets are off for this team with Haskins under center.
WFT is a six-point dog to Seahawks. But they should be favored against the Panthers. A split would put them at 7-8 with what could be a game for the division in Week 17 vs the Eagles. Whoa, Nellie!
New York Giants. Record: 5-8
Remaining opponents: Browns, @Ravens, Cowboys
It wasn’t that they lost, it was how they lost. The offense kept kindly setting the Cardinals up on the their side of the field. The defense hung tight for a while, but they were just asked to do too much.
Daniel Jones looked injured and the running game couldn’t get going. They showed some life early in the second half, but that was it. With two games coming up against playoff contenders, the Giants find themselves in a tough spot.
Right now they’re only 3.5 point underdogs against the Browns. But that spread seems low the way the Browns have been playing on offense. They’re likely to be underdogs at the Ravens as well. If they lose both, they’ll be 5-10 and the Cowboys game is moot. The Giants will have to find a way to steal one of them to make things interesting in Week 17.
Philadelphia Eagles. Record: 4-8-1
Remaining opponents: @Cardinals, @Cowboys, WFT
What a difference a change at QB can make! Hello, Mr. Hurt. The Eagles busted out a Lamar Jackson-like attack and the Saints had no answers until it was too late. Hurt somehow seemed to revitalize the defense as well. It was quite a victory against one of the NFL’s best teams. This was the game that was supposed to put them out of their misery, but amazingly, they’re still in it. That Bengals tie way back in Week 3 could still be the difference-maker, one way or the other.
The Eagles said that Carson Wentz was still very much part of their plans. Yeah, about that… They’re working the phones now. Would the Patriots take him on?
The Eagles are currently 6.5 dogs at Arizona. That seems a bit high, but if they lose they’re probably done. Even if they win the last two, they’ll need a lot of help to get in at 6-9-1. But it’s possible. The easier path is to steal one at Arizona, then they should be able to run the hell out of the ball against Dallas. That leaves an interesting season-ending battle with WFT.
Dallas Cowboys. Record: 4-9
Remaining opponents: 49ers, Eagles, @Giants
If the division title went to the team with the best victory over the Bengals, the Cowboys would be champs. The Giants barely got past them. And now, with games against three teams at least three games below .500, it is not over for Dallas. If they get hot and win out, it could happen.
The Cowboys are 2.5 dogs against the 49ers, but I don’t know how much SF has left in the tank. They’ve been decimated by injuries and lost Deebo Samuel on Sunday. They don’t go back home until the season’s over. Morale can’t be high. If Dallas can win that one, they have a chance to make things interesting.
Plausible Scenarios for All Four Teams to Win the Division
WFT: Finish 2-1, beating the Panthers and Eagles. Giants don’t win out.
Giants: Finish 2-1, beating the Cowboys and either the Browns or Ravens. WFT goes 1-2, lose to Seahawks and Eagles.
Eagles: Win out, finish 7-8-1. WFT goes 1-2, lose to Seahawks and Eagles, finish 7-9. Giants don’t win out.
Cowboys: Win out, finish 7-9. WFT loses out, Giants only win 1, Eagles lose to Dallas and beat WFT.
Dallas needs a lot to go right, but any one of these scenarios would not be surprising. It’s anybody’s division. WFT is still the favorite, but Hurts has thrown a wildcard into the mix. If he can take out WFT in the Week 17, it could open the door the Giants to beat Dallas and sneak in, but they have to beat one of Cleveland or Baltimore first. And with the way those offenses looked on Monday, that’s not going to be easy.
Who is going to in the division? Tell us in the comments. Swing back tomorrow for the new kicker for the Minnesota Vikings, Angry Ward. Follow us on Twitter at @BenWhit8, @MeetTheMatts, @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook page, Meet The Matts.
