Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season saw the Washington Commanders take on another NFC East rival in the Dallas Cowboys, while the Philadelphia Eagles traveled to take on the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants headed west to play the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
NFC East Standings:
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-0; Point differential: +6)
- Dallas Cowboys (1-1; Point differential: +9)
- New York Giants (1-1; Point differential: -14)
- Washington Commanders (0-2; Point differential: -19)
Despite wins by the Eagles and Cowboys in the division, not every NFC East team was as lucky. Both Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels suffered injuries, the former of which could be season-ending. Each team will have to carry on without its starter, which could shake up the division a lot given how early in the season the injuries occurred.
Let's take a deeper look at what worked and what didn't for each team in the NFC East and how they look heading into their Week 3 matchups:
Washington Commanders
What worked: On paper, both teams were evenly matched in terms of total yards (389 for Washington compared to 332 for Dallas); passing yards (207 to 266) and yards per play (5.8 to 6.1). Where they shined on offense, however, was on the ground. The Commanders outrushed the Cowboys 182 to 66, with Daniels taking most of that load as the team's top rusher -- in just one half. Daniels had seven carries for 69 yards, followed by Jacory Croskey-Merritt (12 carries, 43 yards) and Rachaad White (seven carries, 43 yards).
Room for improvement: The biggest standout against Dallas was how easily the Cowboys seemed to move the ball through the air. Dak Prescott finished with a 143.8 passer rating (26-of-31, 279 yards, four touchdowns), with his top target being CeeDee Lamb (eight receptions, 153 yards and two touchdowns). Across two weeks, Washington's defense has allowed 224 passing yards per game and seven touchdowns (No. 19), compared to just 101 rushing yards per game and zero rushing touchdowns (No. 16).
Looking ahead to the Seattle Seahawks: It's possible both teams will be without their starting quarterbacks due to injury, so we will see Drew Lock under center for Seattle and Marcus Mariota for Washington. The reigning Super Bowl champs have a unique offensive threat in wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had nine receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks' 31-7 blowout against the Arizona Cardinals.
With new injuries to the offensive line in Brandon Coleman and Sam Cosmi, the Commanders' biggest threat to going 1-2 is the Seahawks' defense. They were not playing around in Week 2, holding the Cardinals to just 151 yards of offense and a mere 3.2 yards per play (81 passing, 70 rushing). Jacoby Brissett, who was under immense pressure all game, completed just 17 of 28 passes for 95 yards, his second-fewest ever when playing a majority of the snaps. In Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Brissett was PFF's highest-graded quarterback with an 86.1.
Nick Cross, who suffered an internal injury against the Cowboys, has been ruled out for Sunday's game. The decisions on Frankie Luvu (groin) and Javon Kinlaw's (shoulder) status are still in the air, leaving Washington's secondary thin.
Philadelphia Eagles
What worked: In a game that should have been a way less dramatic win for the Eagles, they trailed the Titans 20-17 in the fourth quarter before pulling out a last-second 24-20 win.
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (10 receptions, 117 yards, one touchdown) was the biggest standout, especially down the stretch with the game on the line. Jalen Hurts consistently looked to Smith on that final drive, hauling in four catches for 28 yards. A pivotal 19-yard grab on a third-down conversion put the Eagles on the Tennessee 3-yard line with 20 seconds left on the game clock, essentially winning the game for Philadelphia.
Room for improvement: Consistent with Week 1, the Eagles need to involve their ground game more often. The likely reason Philadelphia was out-rushed 122-89 by Tennessee is the stinger that All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley suffered in his left arm on the opening play of the game. Despite returning to start the third quarter, Barkley's production (four carries, nine yards) on the ground was minimal. He was held to under 10 yards rushing for just the fourth time in his career.
Looking ahead to the Chicago Bears: With Caleb Williams considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury and backup Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol, the Eagles may very well be facing third-string veteran Case Keenum. It would be Keenum's first NFL start since Christmas Eve in 2023, when he played for the Houston Texans.
It's also important to note that in his second year as the Bears' head coach and previous tenure as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson has never had to play call for a backup quarterback as the starter. This could be a learning curve for Johnson, as Williams and Keenum are different players. Either way, it's something Philadelphia will no doubt be planning for, and will likely look to bolster its pass rush in the days leading up to the game.
Dallas Cowboys
What worked: The offense. Prescott threw four touchdowns to break Tony Romo's career franchise record of 248 touchdown passes, a huge career milestone that was capped with a Cowboys' win and splitting Dallas' division games 1-1. The Cowboys are averaging 288.0 yards per game thus far, with 220.5 of those through the air. As long as Lamb and Pickens are there to catch the passes, Prescott will continue to let the ball fly.
Room for improvement: As stated above, the Commanders took full advantage of the Cowboys' lack of run defense, which has allowed 391.5 total rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in two weeks (No. 29). It's something that needs to improve down the stretch, especially with the Baltimore Ravens (Derrick Henry, 212 rush yards) and Indianapolis Colts (Jonathan Taylor, 190 rush yards) on the schedule.
Looking ahead to the Baltimore Ravens: Again, the rush defense is something Dallas has to clean up if they want to beat Baltimore. The Ravens' biggest threat on the ground is Henry, who isn't afraid to stiff arm his way to the end zone. At 32 years old, Henry is still Baltimore's bellcow, putting up 68 (16 carries, one touchdown) of the Ravens' 108 rushing yards in a close 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
New York Giants
What worked: It's no secret the Giants had a tough go of it against the Rams, and although it may seem like not a lot worked, their passing offense put up decent numbers given the circumstances. Darnell Mooney got in on some of the action and led the Giants' receiving corps with 48 yards (two receptions). Isaiah Likely had another strong week with five receptions for 33 yards but ultimately struggled to connect with Jameis Winston.
Room for Improvement: Winston had a lackluster performance (11-of-27 for 111 yards and one interception) in relief of Dart against the Rams. He finished the game with a 58.0 overall PFF grade, 27th among 33 qualified quarterbacks. His PFF passing grade of 56.8 ranked 28th at the position, and a 37.7 passer rating.
In a game without Rams' star receiver in Puka Nacua, the Giants' pass defense was exposed by Davante Adams. The 33-year-old has a cumulative 92.2 overall PFF grade in the 2026 season, second among 78 qualified wide receivers. His PFF receiving grade of 91.7 ranked second among the same group, hauling in eight receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2.
That being said, New York's defense needs to step up. The Giants defense allowed the Rams 481 total yards of offense, and most startlingly 8.0 yards per play, falling to No. 27 in total defense (362.5 total yards, seven touchdowns) across two weeks of play. Head coach John Harbaugh likes to preach winning football, and this isn't it.
Looking ahead to the Tennessee Titans: A big win over the Cowboys in Week 1 gave the Giants a lot of hope. Starting out the season on such a high note made the injuries to Dart (knee), Malik Nabers (shoulder) and Brian Burns (ankle) in their 28-6 loss to the Rams that much harder to swallow. While Dart and Burns have been ruled out for Sunday, Nabers could still play.
The Titans gave the Eagles a tough time, and it likely won't be any easier for the Giants. Winston will be the starter for New York, but with a week of practice, the offense might be able to get some communication issues ironed out.
