The Cowboys did their part to make Week 7 a success by beating the Philadelphia Eagles. Beaten up as Philly is, going on the road and winning against a division rival is never small potatoes. It was a crucial victory for a Dallas team that was teetering on a total collapse.
Unfortunately, the other big NFC East game last week didn't go the Cowboys' way. The Giants continue to surprise people, beating the Texans in Houston and improving to 4-2-1. John Harbaugh's Coach of the Year campaign is gaining momentum as he finds ways to win without his starting QB.
With New York's continued success, they sit atop this year's bizarro version of the NFC East. Washington still stinks, which is the one shred of normalcy. But to see both the Cowboys and Eagles fighting to stay afloat, while the G-Men keep grinding out victories, is pretty jarring.
NFC East standings after Week 7
Note: Division record in parentheses
1. New York Giants 4-2-1 (1-0-1)
2. Dallas Cowboys 3-4 (2-1)
3. Philadelphia Eagles 2-5 (1-1)
4. Washington Commanders 1-4-1 (0-2-1)
Looking ahead to NFC East action in Week 8
Now, we go into Week 8, nearly at the 2026 halfway point, with the Giants getting to rest on their laurels during a bye week. No matter what happens, they can't lose their NFC East lead this week while sitting out.
Still, the Cowboys can get closer with a win over the Cardinals. A 4-4 record would feel good after some abysmal performances to start this season, especially against a historically problematic Arizona team.
Dallas still has a Week 17 home game against the Giants to gain ground and nullify the head-to-head tiebreaker, so this race still comes with plenty of intrigue.
A critical detail is the remaining strength of schedule for both teams, which greatly favors the Cowboys. Going into Week 8, Dallas is considered to have the fourth-easiest remaining SOS, and the Giants' is the 15th-toughest.
If both teams play to expectations, the Cowboys should overtake New York in the aggregate. Then again, if both teams had done as expected in Weeks 1-7, we would be having a very different conversation right now.
Elsewhere in the East, it's wild that the Eagles-Commanders game this week feels like it's more about draft order than the current standings. But that's where Jalen Hurts' injury has left Philly. And even though Washington has Jayden Daniels back, they seem closer to firing Dan Quinn than restoring order and contending.
The NFC East has seemingly moved into two-horse territory, even if not the two we originally expected. At least the Cowboys are still one of them, and perhaps they'll gain a little ground on the sleeping Giants in Week 8.
Add us as a preferred source on Google