No one, even star players, will play great every game. What matters is still finding a way to win with others stepping up. Still, it is up to the respective team to earn their stripes, rather than having it handed to them.
We saw a scenario with one team being handed a win, and another scraping by in a close loss. I value a team fighting against a tough opponent in a close loss more than one team being handed a win. Keep that in mind as we look at the NFC East power rankings heading into Week 11.
4. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 4th)
Injuries can quickly turn a competitive team into one of the worst. The Dallas Cowboys haven't been competitive and have had injuries all over their roster. The Philadelphia Eagles were beneficiaries of Dallas' struggles.
The agonizing play of backup quarterback Cooper Rush overshadowed the relief in star pass-rusher Micah Parsons returning. Almost as bad was the play of running back Ezekiel Elliott, who turned a goal-line stand into a fumble for an Eagles touchback.
The offense combined for five turnovers (four fumbles and one interception), tied for the most in a game in Dallas. The combined 49 passing yards is the 89th-fewest of 12,650 games since 2000. Rush also had a -0.68 EPA per dropback, the ninth-worst of 1,315 players with 20+ passes in the past three years. The offense was non-existent.
Defensively, the Cowboys didn't play badly but were left out to dry by the offense. The Cowboys' offense was on the field for over five plays on only three of 13 drives. The trio of Parsons, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, and cornerback Trevon Diggs stood out, but it's impossible to play at 100 percent when being put under pressure that consistently with no support.
3. New York Giants (Last week: 3rd)
The New York Giants have playmakers on offense, but they are being held back by the play of quarterback Daniel Jones. Despite both Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary averaging at least five yards per carry, Jones threw the ball off-target too many times and cost them the game.
According to The 33rd Team, a whopping 4.7 percent of Tracy's carries have resulted in a gain of 20 or more yards this season. He finished the game on Sunday with 18 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. While Jones hit open receivers, there were more opportunities on the field that he should have made.
Defensively, the Giants struggled to contain running back Chuba Hubbard. He averaged 5.5 yards per run and exposed New York's weak tackling. Maybe that's due to the defensive line having a poor performance, enabling the Carolina Panthers' offensive line to control them through most of the game.
Quarterback Bryce Young has struggled in his first two seasons in the NFL, but he looked efficient against the Giants. That was largely due to the run game performing well enough to take most of the attention, but Young only got sacked once and completed 60 percent of his passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. Carolina's wideouts consistently found holes against zone coverage.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 2nd)
There's nothing that fans of the Philadelphia Eagles love more than beating up the Dallas Cowboys. Forcing five turnovers in a 28-point win is just that. To be fair, Dallas was playing their backup quarterback, but it must still be a great feeling for them.
The Eagles did not dominate as much as the scoreboard showed, with opportunities handed on a silver platter rather than earned; however, it is still a success nonetheless. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was pressured on over half of his dropbacks, but that didn't stop him from completing seven of nine throws for 115 yards and two scores.
Philly's offensive line was underwhelming, giving up five sacks and four tackles for a loss on top of the nine pressures. Hurts' ability to operate under pressure and Saquon Barkley's elusiveness powered the offense, although it was mostly in the second half. The Eagles only led 7-6 with under two minutes left in the first half.
The Eagles' defense was fantastic, not allowing the Cowboys' underwhelming offense to surprise them. Linebacker Zach Baun was graded by PFF as the best at his position for the third consecutive week, credited for three solo tackles, one for a loss of yards, and a forced fumble. Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, and Quinyon Mitchell also impressed.
1. Washington Commanders (Last week: 1st)
For only the second time this season, quarterback Jayden Daniels did not score a touchdown. The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense did everything they could to force the Washington Commanders into having another player step up. The problem was their top running back, Brian Robinson missed the game with an injury.
Robinson's absence opened the way for Austin Ekeler to take the reigns as the lead back. He did a decent job, totaling 51 yards and two touchdowns on 14 touches. Wideout Terry McLaurin had himself a big game with five catches for 113 yards. His ability to come down with tough catches and running with the ball in his hands is supremely underrated.
Daniels played very well despite not scoring a touchdown himself, setting up the Commanders to score three rushing touchdowns from one yard out. His precision, arm strength, and willingness to throw the ball downfield make him look like a veteran quarterback already.
The Commanders' defense had its fair share of success, but the secondary struggled. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson picked them apart in the quick game. He completed 65 percent of his quick throws for 183 yards and three touchdowns.
The front seven made it difficult, though, sacking Wilson three times and hitting him six times. Despite the constant pressure, the secondary couldn't hold up.
The Dallas Cowboys look like they'll be the worst in the division with quarterback Dak Prescott's return from his hamstring injury looking unlikely this season. The Giants look like they can win a couple of games, so long as Jones doesn't lose the game for them. The Eagles and Commanders are the only two competitive teams in the division and it will be a matchup to watch.
Week 11 look ahead
Thursday Night Football will feature the top two teams in the division, the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles. With both teams being very close, the winner is likely to head into Week 12 as the top team in the NFC East and is taking a significant step toward winning the division this season.
The Giants return home to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's a battle of star rookie running backs Bucky Irving and Tyrone Tracy. The Cowboys will play on Monday Night Football at AT&T Stadium against the Houston Texans for the battle of Texas. Unless the defense scores points, it's extremely unlikely Dallas will win that battle.