NFC East Power Rankings Week 15: Eagles hit turbulence, but remain stable

The fate of the NFC East is decided unless something unforeseen comes out of the blue, which can happen. Regardless, the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff spot, and the New York Giants are mathematically eliminated. The Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys are in the fight for wild card seeds.

Washington appears likely to have a wild card spot, with the Cowboys fighting for their slim chance to play in the postseason. Neither have Super Bowl aspirations this season, but there's hope to build for a push in 2025. With four weeks left in the 2024 NFL season, here are your NFC East power rankings.

4. New York Giants (Last week: 4th)

The New York Giants offense struggled in all facets of the game against the New Orleans Saints, but at least the defense can be proud of their performance. It's safe to say this was one of the more boring games of the season, and one that perfectly exemplifies the incompetence of the Giants as a whole.

The offense only put 11 points on the board. A 43-yard field goal in the second quarter and a touchdown with a two-point conversion in the fourth is all they could pull together. A blocked 35-yard field goal could have tied the game, but an athletic play by defensive tackle Byran Bresee jumping the snapper stopped that.

The offensive line was a failure against a team that struggled to rush the passer all season. Quarterback Drew Lock was hit 13 times and sacked twice. He threw 49 times and only completed 21. Not the way to win games. While running back Tyrone Tracey didn't get taken down in the backfield often, he didn't have much room to run.

The defense played very sturdy, only allowing 14 points, but it was the chunk plays throughout the game that set the Giants up to lose. The Saints were held to nine drives of under 20 yards, not including the one with Tre Hawkins' high-point interception. Give flowers to linebacker Micah McFadden who had five tackles for a loss.

3. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 3rd)

Injuries continue to plague the Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season, with rising star DeMarvion Overshown leaving due to a knee injury, and center Cooper Beebe suffering a concussion. Their play isn't needed to help the team win this year, but their development and long-term health take a hit with the unfortunate outcomes.

The Cincinnati Bengals have struggled severely on defense, and the Cowboys for the most part took advantage of it with their top weapons. CeeDee Lamb, Luke Schoonmaker, and Jake Ferguson combined for nine catches on 12 targets for 124 yards, compared to the rest of the team's five catches on 16 targets for 36 yards.

The offensive line, despite missing right guard Zack Martin and Cooper Beebee (injured in the second half), played well. The Bengals tried throwing everything at them with blitzes, and the young line held up. That is especially true in the run game, with Dowdle finding lots of holes to run through.

The Cowboys' defensive line continues to power that side of the ball. Micah Parsons remained dominant, Osa Odighizuwa repeatedly penetrated the middle when pass-rushing, and Marshawn Kneeland is growing. The pass defense struggled to contain Jamarr Chase as the rest of the NFL does, but the failure to cover depth receivers cost them.

2. Washington Commanders (Last week: 2nd)

Having a late bye week has advantages, and it's up to the Washington Commanders to make the most of it. Nursing injuries and planning the end of the season, especially when fighting for a playoff spot, take the top priority.

The team has been relatively healthy this season, with most starters except defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and right tackle Andrew Wylie without a designated injury. It's a week for the others to smoothen out the bumps and bruises they've accumulated over 13 games. The remaining four games are all winnable, with a division matchup against the Eagles in Week 16 the toughest task.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 1st)

After calling out the Philadelphia Eagles not to get caught in a trap game last week, they scraped by with a touchdown in the fourth quarter and a dropped pass by Xavier Legette for a six-point win. While it was a close call and an unconvincing win, it was a victory nonetheless.

While his name is getting annoying now, it's tough not to recognize the superb play of running back Saquon Barkley as he became the Eagles' leader for rushing yards in a season with a 124-yard performance against the Carolina Panthers.

The Eagles largely could not put together chunk plays, and the Panthers' defense was quick to tackle the ballcarrier. Quarterback Jalen Hurts only threw for 108 yards, the fourth-lowest in his career. His 59 rushing yards helped make up for it, but it was a quiet night for the offense against an underwhelming defense.

Giving up only 16 points is generally a win, especially considering it was against a unit on a hot streak. Running back Chuba Hubbard gave the Eagles problems, as he has to most of the NFL. The Eagles played well in coverage thanks to their dominant pass rush, but the Bryce Young-Adam Thielen connection was strong.

The Eagles look poised to finish the season at the top, and the Giants at the bottom of the NFC East. Washington and Dallas are fighting for the middle two spots, but the Cowboys have a steep hill to climb. From here on out, things are significantly more settled.

Week 15 look ahead

The Washington Commanders are looking to overtake the Green Bay Packers as the 6th seed to avoid playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card game. A win in New Orleans will surely help Washington. The Eagles are chasing the top seed in the NFC. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers will help put them in a position to take it.

The New York Giants are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, so they're not playing for much other than seeing what they have on the roster, and developing the young guns. The Baltimore Ravens will give the Giants young defense a test to prepare defending against the Commanders and Jayden Daniels next season.

The Dallas Cowboys continue to develop and settle their defense. A matchup against the Carolina Panthers offers a test of not underestimating your opponent. The Panthers won two games before narrowly losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles.

More Cowboys news and analysis