Ugly as it was, Dallas' win over the Colts last week was vital to any lingering hopes they have of keeping pace with the Giants in the NFC East. A big reason for that is this week's lineup, where the Giants have a very favorable matchup, and the Cowboys play arguably the toughest game left on their regular-season schedule.
Even without a strong showing in Philadelphia, the Giants picked up another win against the fallen Eagles. We hoped that Joe Milton III might do us a solid in his first start for Philly, but he fared no better than Tanner McKee before him. The Eagles continued their crawl along rock bottom, while New York improved to an astonishing 5-2-1.
The Cowboys' uninspiring victory in Indianapolis may have kept them afloat on paper, but it did little to improve the mood around the team or build confidence in its ability to compete this year. Even if they can catch the Giants and win the division, an immediate elimination from the NFC playoffs seems likely.
The team's ongoing defensive woes, coupled with intermittent offensive and special teams issues, appear too great for the current crew to overcome.
That sets a very unfortunate stage for Dallas in Week 10. The Giants get a nice opportunity to pad their record against the NFC East's other basement dweller, while the Cowboys have to take on an early Super Bowl favorite.
NFC East standings after Week 9
Note: Division record in parentheses
1. New York Giants 5-2-1 (2-0-1)
2. Dallas Cowboys 4-5 (2-1)
3. Washington Commanders 2-5-1 (1-2-1)
4. Philadelphia Eagles 2-7 (1-3)
Looking ahead to NFC East action in Week 10
The Giants host the Commanders tonight, a rematch of their Week 5 meeting, which ended in a tie.
Tonight's outcome will certainly impact feelings about Dallas' game against the San Francisco 49ers. Another Giants win only adds to the pressure as the Cowboys try to slow down the 7-1 Niners. But if the Commanders pull off the upset, dropping New York to 5-3-1, then Dallas will have ample motivation to go get their fifth win of the year.
Granted, Washington winning this week would be far less shocking than the Cowboys upending Frisco. At the very least, both Dallas and New York losing would help us not lose ground in the division.
Even if these games go according to expectations, it's not a death blow to Dallas' NFC East contention. They'd still be just a few games back, and moving into a much easier second-half schedule than what New York is facing. By the time we get to the Week 17 rematch between the Cowboys and Giants, it could very well be a division-deciding game.
The Eagles are on their bye week, so they'll remain 2-7 for a bit. But they've clearly called it quits on 2026, having just traded DT Jordan Davis away in a future-minded move.
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