Washington Commanders (3-10) vs. New York Giants (2-11):
With the return of starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, Commanders fans held out hope that things would turn around for their team against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 – especially since top three wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown and Deebo Samuel Sr. took the field together for the first time this season.
In what feels like a theme this season, things didn't go the right way for the Commanders; they were shut out by the Vikings, 31-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Minnesota dominated Washington in all aspects of the game, most notably time of possession, first downs, red zone attempts and third down efficiency. Given these statistics, it goes without saying that the Vikings also outgained the Commanders at 5.1 yards per play. Despite taking a step forward against the Chicago Bears in Week 13, it feels as though the Commanders "took three steps back," in Quinn’s words.
To make matters worse, tight end Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his right knee in the loss, and Daniels re-aggravated his dislocated left elbow in the middle of the third quarter. Head coach Dan Quinn said in his postgame press conference Sunday that Daniels could have returned but did not in a coach's decision. Quinn announced Wednesday that Daniels will not play Sunday and Mariota will be the starter against the Giants.
It is the first time the Commanders will face quarterback Jaxson Dart under center; Week 1 in Washington, quarterback Russell Wilson, who has now been relegated to the No. 3 emergency quarterback position with Jameis Winston serving as the backup, was at the helm. The Commanders will be facing a well-rested Giants team, who are coming off a late Week 14 bye.
Both Washington and New York are among the league's worst defenses, ranked No. 30 and No. 31, respectively. Offensively, the Giants have a slight offensive edge against the Commanders' offense. The difference in this game could come down to turnovers, which Washington had three of against Minnesota, while New York had a fumble lost to the New England Patriots in its Week 13 Monday Night Football matchup.
The Eagles still have a 1.5-game lead over the Cowboys in the division. To overtake that spot in the division and secure a playoff berth, the Cowboys would need to win out and the Eagles would need to lose out. Any future Dallas loss means that Philadelphia can afford to lose one more, or they need one less to win, depending on which way you look at things.
As the Commanders prepare to take on the Giants, let's take a look at how the rest of the NFC East fared.
Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11):
In what started out as a dominant season for the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Eagles dropped their third straight game, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 22-19 in overtime during Monday Night Football. Quarterback Jaylen Hurts had one of his worst performances, with his fourth interception a game-sealing pick in the red zone in overtime.
A bright spot for the Eagles was the run game, which they finally got moving behind running back Saquon Barkley. Through the air, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as well as tight end Dallas Goedert were Hurts' top three targets.
The Eagles were still out-rushed by the Chargers, who got rookie running back Omarion Hampton back from injury. Surprisingly, quarterback Justin Herbert was Los Angeles' top rusher, running for 66 yards on 10 carries despite undergoing surgery on a broken left wrist ahead of the game.
The Eagles' defense against the run had trouble stopping the Chargers' No. 9 (125.7 average rush yards) ground game. They amassed 169 rush yards compared to 106 through the air. Herbert's top receiver was running back Kimani Vidal, who caught a 60-yard bomb from Herbert. Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey were quieted by the Eagles' No. 15 (209.6 average pass yards allowed) pass defense.
Philadelphia's defensive line had a solid game, holding Herbert to a career-low pass completion rating and sacking him seven times. The Eagles generated a 68.3% pressure rate on Herbert, the highest by any team this season and third highest (min. 25 attempts) in any game since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats and the Philadelphia Eagles’ team website.
With Geno Smith (shoulder) unlikely to play, backup Kenny Pickett will likely get the start against his former team. Pickett has appeared in three games this season for Las Vegas, completing 10-of-15 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. Pickett entered the Raiders' Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos 24-17 in the fourth quarter after Smith's injury.
Pickett will have weapons in the pass game in top receivers Jack Bech, Brock Bowers and Tyler Lockett, and in the ground game with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. Despite Jeanty being the No. 6-overall pick, he hasn't produced much for the Raiders, whose rush offense is the worst in the League with 72.7 average rush yards.
Despite struggling on offense all year, the Raiders' defense is notably more productive than its offense. Defensive end Maxx Crosby has had a quieter year with nine sacks in 13 games, although he shouldn't be underestimated. He ranks No. 12 in the League amongst edge rushers in pass rush win rate (16%) and No. 1 in edge run stop win rate (40%). With left guard Landon Dickerson playing through injury the entire season and exiting Monday's game with a calf injury, Crosby could be more of a threat to the Eagles' offense than initially thought.
Dallas Cowboys (6-6) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-8):
Despite a rough start to the season for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, he looked more comfortable in the pocket against the Commanders. The offense had a balanced game plan, with rushing yards (162) slightly overtaking passing yards (151).
The Vikings' defense pitched a shutout, a feat that should give them motivation facing the Cowboys No. 1 (349.9 average offense yards) offense on Sunday Night Football. Washington's top receivers in McLaurin, Brown and Samuel combined for just 87 yards in Week 14. Minnesota also put pressure on Daniels and Mariota, forcing each to throw an interception.
Although it wasn't one of their strongest pass rushing weeks, the Vikings were effective with a 37.5% pressure rate on the Commanders' quarterbacks. Minnesota's high blitz rate certainly helps their pressure rating, however, they also run a good number of simulated pressures which bodes well against the Cowboys.
The Cowboys dropped a 44-30 decision to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football, which ended Dallas' win streak at three games. The matchup was a must-win to keep playoff hopes alive on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Dak Prescott didn't play his best game, partly due to a lack of protection from the offensive line.
The Lions' pass rush (32% win rate) sacked Prescott five times, despite putting up zero sacks the week prior in a loss to the Green Bay Packers. The pressure got to Prescott, who turned the ball over twice. The Vikings' No. 2 pass rush (44% pass rush win rate) will be tough for Prescott and his offensive line to contend with, especially if they are limited in the wide receiver department. CeeDee Lamb left the game with a concussion and is still in concussion protocol. Prescott still has wide receivers George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy in the pass game, but losing Lamb eliminates one of his two deep threat receivers.
The Vikings' offense looked as cohesive as it has all season against the Commanders, even without major contributions from top wide receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Jefferson was targeted just four times against the Commanders, which is puzzling considering Washington ranks No. 30 (246.9 average pass yards allowed) against the pass and Jefferson is their No. 1 route runner. The Cowboys' pass defense is comparable at No. 32 (255.2 average pass yards allowed), so the Vikings could give Jefferson more touches.
The Cowboys' pass defense is the worst in the League, allowing 255.2 average pass yards, although Dallas' run defense was really exposed by Detroit. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery found the end zone four times among the two of them. Minnesota's No. 24 (104.2 average rush yards) rushing game isn't nearly as strong as that of the Lions, although running backs Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones are a strong tandem.
