The State of the NFC East

By Zachary Smith

The NFL’s worst division has been it’s most competitive throughout the season because all its teams have been equally disappointing to their fan bases so far this year. However, the NFC East still has three teams that can win the division this weekend, and one will win redemption for their team’s poor season as well as a fair shot at the Lombardi Trophy.

Washington Football Team

The Football Team are currently in 1st place with a 6-9 record. (Adrian Kraus/AP)

The Washington Football team had a chance to clinch the division last Sunday with a win over the Carolina Panthers, however, they came up short. Dwayne Haskins, who was released this Monday, struggled to lead his team to a much-needed victory, completing only 14 of his 28 pass attempts for 154 yards and two interceptions. Backup Taylor Heinicke fared better as he went 12/19 for 137 yards and one touchdown. The offense struggled on the day as they managed to generate only one offensive touchdown.

With the last game of the 2020 NFL season, the Washington Football Team has a chance to clinch their first division title in five years with a win against the Philadelphia Eagles. They opened their season up with a win at home against the Eagles, however, the insertion of Jalen Hurts has given the Eagles a little spark. As they picked up a win against the Saints three weeks ago and were competitive against the Cardinals before being blown out by the Cowboys. A loss to Philly would open the door for the Cowboys or the Giants to claim the division.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are currently in 2nd place with a 6-9 record. (Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Staff Photographer)

The Cowboys have a shot to win the division for the third time in four years if they can beat the Giants and get a lucky loss from Washington. Andy Dalton completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 377 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup benefited from Dalton’s great performance, with each of them t going over 100 yards receiving. Meanwhile, Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 105 yards, which helped give a much-needed balance to the Cowboys’ offense. 

With their 37-17 win against the Eagles last week, the Cowboys have given themselves a chance to clinch the division on Sunday against the Giants. They must beat the Giants and hope for a little help from the Eagles in order to make the playoffs. Since their own game takes place before Washington plays Philadelphia, the Cowboys must do their best to throw out any thoughts about the outcome of Sunday night's game and focus on taking care of business first.

New York Giants

The Giants are currently in 3rd place with a 5-10 record. (USA TODAY Sports

After three straight losses, the Giants, like the Cowboys, no longer control their own fate in the NFC East. Their most recent loss, a 27-13 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens made Week 17 a must-win situation. No tie, no loss, the Giants must defend their home turf at MetLife Stadium when the Cowboys come to East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon. Their struggling starting quarterback Daniel Jones will have to play better than he did this Sunday as he gave up zero turnovers while completing only 24 of 41 passes for 252 yards and a single touchdown. The defense will have to play better as well against Ezekiel Elliot and the Cowboys’ offensive line, as they gave up over 200 yards rushing to the Ravens’ run-heavy offense last week. 

Just like the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants must focus on winning their own game and not worry about Philly and Washington’s game. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys the first go around and will be hungry for revenge, especially with a playoff spot potentially on the line.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are currently in 4th place with a 4-10-1 record. (Tim Tai/Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Reporter)

The Eagles’ disappointing season has come to an end after a 37-17 loss to their bitter rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The loss has officially eliminated them from the playoffs, and they will be the only NFC East team walking into Week 17 without a chance at winning the division. Jalen Hurts threw for 21 completions on 39 attempts for 342 yards and a touchdown, however, he threw two interceptions as well. 

Since there’s no chance for them to win the division, the Eagles find themselves in a position of power on Sunday Night. They have a chance to essentially decide who wins the division, with a victory over the Washington Football team, the Cowboys/Giants will make the playoffs. With a loss, the Washington Football team clinches the division. For the Eagles, it might be as simple as which team do they hate less between the Washington Football Team or the Cowboys/Giants.

Zachary is a sports writer for La Tonique.