NFC East power rankings Week 13: Commanders get deflated by the Cowboys
Everybody loves a good story. Unfortunately, not everyone got a fairytale ending. After 12 weeks of football, the NFC East saw some critical changes take place.
After leading the NFC East for seven weeks, the Washington Commanders look lost on offense. Despite much of the team falling to injuries, the Dallas Cowboys still have some fight in them. The Philadelphia Eagles look comfortable at the top, and the New York Giants finally look for a change at quarterback.
Much has happened with each team in the division. Let's look at it in this Week 13 power ranking of the NFC East.
4. New York Giants (Last Week: 3rd)
An outcome that was very much expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the New York Giants a 23-point loss. It was Tommy DeVito's first start of the season after the release of quarterback Daniel Jones, who is now a free agent.
In the first half, New York put together two first downs and 35 total offensive yards. Coming out of halftime, they drove three drives into Tampa's red zone, although it only resulted in one touchdown. The other two drives ended with a lost fumble and the end of regulation.
Bucs running back, Bucky Irving, averaged a whopping 8.4 yards per touch, the second-most by a running back with 18+ touches this season. The Giants' inconsistent defensive line had an off day, failing to sack Baker Mayfield once, and getting thrown around in the run game.
The secondary did not give up a touchdown, but they didn't have a good game either. Baker completed 80 percent of his passes for 294 yards. Unless the defensive line is having a good day, don't expect the defense to threaten any offense.
3. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 4th)
The Dallas Cowboys won? According to SportsLine, Dallas entered its matchup against the Washington Commanders as 10.5-point underdogs. However, Dallas won thanks to its defense and special teams, despite quite the turn of events from the first to the second half.
Cowboys All-Pro kicker, Brandon Aubrey, missed a 42-yard field goal and had a 35-yard attempt blocked on Dallas' first two offensive drives. Those six missed points were overcome by two returns for touchdowns. One was a 99-yard return of a muffed kick from KaVontae Turpin, and the other was a 43-yard return by Juanyeh Thomas on an onside kick.
The offense was not dominant by any means, but putting together two touchdowns and two field goals was more than what was expected. Quarterback Cooper Rush was efficient, even if he showed his arm isn't that talented. CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle showed they could carry the offense forward.
What impressed me the most was the defense, holding the Commanders to a stunning three points in the first half. That was in large part due to cornerback Josh Butler, a newly-turned 28-year-old playing his first season in the NFL, and the usual DeMarvion Overshown and Micah Parsons. The defense can put up a fight against opposing offenses.
2. Washington Commanders (Last Week: 2nd)
In what was expected to be a blowout win, Washington's offense struggled severely. The defense held strong in the first half but gave up two touchdowns and a field goal in the second half. A blocked field goal and miss in the first half for Dallas was of good fortune to keep Washington in the game until the end.
Two scores against came on special teams returns, which turns a 34-point day into a 20-point deficit defensively. The pass rush was disappointing, with Rush having a relatively clean pocket most of the game. While Washington's defense played clean to start, holes opened up after halftime. Consistency continues to be Washington's Achilles heel.
For the fifth consecutive week, the Commanders' offense has disappointed. Scoring 26 points against the second-worst defense in the league is abysmal, especially considering the reliance on high scoring to win games. Losing running back Brian Robinson early hurt the group, but that shouldn't have stalled the offense as much as it did.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels struggled, but looked completely different in the second half. His 74 rushing yards were his most in a game since Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns. He led the team to three consecutive scores in the fourth quarter, and it would have been enough to win or head into overtime if they hadn't missed two extra-point attempts or given up an onside kick returned for a touchdown.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 1st)
Running back Saquon Barkley is making a strong case to be the MVP this year. His 1649 total yards lead the second-place Derrick Henry by 228 yards and is second behind the King for total touchdowns with 12. His 302 yards in the win over the LA Rams is the sixth-most since 2000.
He doesn't deserve all the credit, though. The offensive line paved the way for the most rushing yards before contact in the NFL with 616. It's a unit that only the Cleveland Browns successfully slowed down this season.
The Eagles' defense continues to improve with the youngsters getting better each week. The constant double teams of Jalen Carter open the way for others to take over, combining for five sacks, eight tackles for a loss, and 11 quarterback hits.
The Rams' high-powered offense still found ways to score, but fumbling four times with one recovered by the Eagles severely slowed them down. It was LA's second-worst offensive output with both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua healthy. Philly's defense had a good game.
The Cowboys and Commanders surprised in opposite fashions, meanwhile, the Giants and Eagles reinforced themselves as bottom-feeders and dominant respectively. New York's quarterback controversy and Dallas' competitiveness flips them in this week's power rankings.
Week 13 look ahead
New York travels to Dallas for a Thursday afternoon Thanksgiving showdown between the Giants and Cowboys. Can Tommy DeVito put the ball into the hands of New York's offensive weapons, or that of Dallas' secondary? How the Cowboys' defense plays will likely determine the outcome of the game.
The Eagles are in Baltimore playing the Ravens, with both coming off impressive wins in their own right. The top two running backs, Henry and Barkley, go head-to-head for the first time on their new teams. The Washington Commanders play an oddly competitive squad at home, the Tennessee Titans.