In a losing season, you must look to the next season and the future of the franchise. the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants succeeded in their respective goals with Dallas winning at home against New York.
The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles put the NFL on notice in their wins. It's a positive outlook for the division after a string of concerning weeks for all but the Eagles. Here's where the division stands heading into Week 14.
4. New York Giants (Last Week: 4th)
Bad quarterback play will bring a team down. The same can be said about failing to prepare a quarterback to start. Quarterback Drew Lock was thrown into the starting role in Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys after the release of longtime starter, Daniel Jones, and the injury to Week 12 starter, Tommy DeVito.
Despite the lack of preparation, Lock didn't play too bad. That is even with his offensive line failing to protect him. He did his job, not turning the ball over and putting the ball into his playmaker's hands. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overcome a rejuvenated Cowboys defense.
Tight end Theo Johnson had a solid game, catching all five passes for 54 yards, a good compliment to Malik Nabers' eight catches for 69 yards. Unfortunately, running back Tyrone Tracey was held back by the poor offensive play, with his 3.6 yards per rush being the lowest since Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The defensive line struggled just as much as the offensive line, unable to sack Cooper Rush once, and getting ripped apart in the run game. On the plus side, the secondary stepped up and made some big plays. They played tight in coverage (especially in the red zone) and got their hands on the ball numerous times.
3. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 3rd)
The best thing for a team playing a lost season is having developmental and depth players play more snaps and get better. That's what we have seen with the Dallas Cowboys over the past two weeks. With defensive players returning from injury and finally getting settled into defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's scheme, Dallas fields a threatening defense once again.
The return of edge rusher Micah Parsons and corner DaRon Bland was a relief. Stars at their respective positions, the once injury-depleted defense finally looked competitive. Dallas tied their season-high in sacks with six, pressured Lock on 52.4 percent of his plays, and limited the Giants' running backs to under 3.5 yards per rush.
A recurring shoulder injury, among other bumps and bruises, limited wideout CeeDee Lamb to a season-low 61 percent of offensive snaps this week, and could see him miss time. In his place, the likes of tight end Luke Schoonmaker, gadget man KaVonte Turpin, and running back Rico Dowdle can step up.
That trio of players provided the stability needed to come out of the Thanksgiving matchup with a win. Schoonmaker is finally getting opportunities on offense in the absence of Jake Ferguson. Turpin was already known to be one of the best in the league with the ball in his hands, but is getting more consistent usage. Dowdle is earning himself a decent pay raise in Dallas or elsewhere this offseason.
2. Washington Commanders (Last Week: 2nd)
The Commanders cruised to a win against the Tennessee Titans, and it's exactly what the team needed to get back on track. After losing three straight, including two division games, the fire in Washington is reignited. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury bet on the run game, and it worked.
Receiving back Austin Ekeler was out with a concussion, and will remain on injured reserve until at least Week 17. In his place, Chris Rodriguez stepped up with 7.2 yards per carry and a touchdown. Rodriguez (94 rushing yards) and Brian Robinson (103 rushing yards) helped Washington control the game.
Capitalizing on their opportunities was an issue in the past, but quarterback Jayden Daniels made the most of it this past week. He completed all eight passes for 66 yards, seven first downs, and three touchdowns on third and fourth down. That efficiency will make the Commanders one of the top teams in the NFL again.
The Titans could not get their run game going due to the early 21-point deficit in the first quarter and the Commanders' strong defensive line. That included two sacks (one being a strip-sack), nine quarterback hits, and three tackles for a loss. The weakness continues to be the secondary against the pass.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 1st)
How high can the Philadelphia Eagles fly? So long as running back Saquon Barkley stays healthy, it seems like their offense is limitless. Their eight-game win streak was continued with a win against a top AFC opponent, the Baltimore Ravens.
While their now 8-5 record may not seem threatening, their run-heavy offense and underrated defense are not easy to get by. Regardless, Philly's five-point win marks the seventh time they held the opposition to under 20 points. It's also the sixth time they did not turn the ball over. It's complimentary football at its finest.
The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the NFL against the pass and run. Defensive linemen Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, and Jalen Carter combined for 24 pressures against Lamar Jackson, have one of the best rookie corners in NFL history in Quinyon Mitchell, and statistically the best linebacker in the league for defensive stops and grade.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn't have eye-popping numbers, but he doesn't need to. What matters is his efficiency in running the offense without turnovers and letting his dynamic weapons make plays. With the best offensive line, and arguably the best running back in the league, defensive coordinators are going to have a rough week of game planning in the playoffs.
The entire division except for the Giants are trending up. While competitiveness for this season is far gone for the Cowboys, there's reason to believe this year's struggles will strengthen the team in 2025. In the meantime, the Eagles and Commanders are gearing up to make a push for the Super Bowl.
Week 14 look ahead
The Washington Commanders have a week off from play as one of six teams to have their bye in the last possible week. Meanwhile, the other three NFC East teams play their respective games at home. The Giants play the Saints in what could be a close matchup between two disappointing teams.
While arguably the worst team in the NFL right now, the Carolina Panthers are trending up, and look to compete against the Eagles. Philly must try not to get caught in a trap game. The Cowboys play on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that somehow always finds a way to lose.