The NFC East has appeared to be a two-horse race for a while, but last week’s results crystallized that reality. With the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles finally facing off in Week 9, the Week 8 games helped throw fuel on the fire and make this game even more significant than it already was.
With the Eagles on the horizon, there was legitimate concern about the Cowboys looking past last Sunday’s opponent, the Los Angeles Rams. But Dallas came out of its bye week looking sharp in all three phases and handled the Rams with relative ease. It was a statement win against a quality opponent; Los Angeles may be 3-5 but has faced a brutal early-season schedule with losses to the 49ers and Eagles as well. Dallas actually posted the most impressive win over them of the three with a 23-point margin versus just seven for San Francisco and nine for Philly.
The Eagles preserved the best record in football with their win over the Commanders, going to 7-1 on the year. For whatever struggles Washington has had in other games, they once again pushed Philadelphia to the end in a dramatic 38-31 loss. With the Eagles’ victory being of little surprise, the bigger development from this one was a reported knee injury for QB Jalen Hurts. He played through it and should still be on the field this Sunday, but it could be a factor for a guy who depends so heavily on his mobility.
Elsewhere, in the Toilet Bowl, the Giants lost in overtime to the Jets. The Battle for New York looked more like two drunks fighting in Central Park, but the G-Men came out on the bottom and continued their 2023 misery. We’ll come back to them in a minute.
While this Sunday’s showdown between the Cowboys and Eagles is huge for many reasons, Philly would still be the NFC East leader even in a loss. That’s thanks to circumstances of scheduling and their not having had their bye week yet, which does come immediately after this game.
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