Washington Commanders (3-3-0) vs. Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1):
The Washington Commanders had the chance to take the No. 1 spot in the division with a Week 6 win over the Chicago Bears because the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys both lost their matchups but ultimately couldn't pull it off, falling 25-24 after a walk-off Jake Moody field goal.
What hurt the Commanders most was turnovers. Washington gave up 13 points thanks to three turnovers -- two fumbles and one interception. The Bears jumped ahead 13-0 with a lead that lasted until midway through the second quarter. Nine of those 13 points came from a touchdown and field goal the Bears achieved on a Washington fumble and interception, respectively. A fumble on the handoff between quarterback Jayden Daniels and Jacory Croskey-Merritt with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter ultimately ended any hope the Commanders had of holding onto their two-point lead.
A second-consecutive slow start didn't help Washington, either. Offensive mishaps put the Commanders in a two-possession hole until a 22-yard touchdown reception from wide receiver Chris Moore combined with an extra point kick put seven points on the board for Washington.
The Commanders had trouble getting the run going against the Bears’ No. 31-ranked rushing defense. Chicago held Croskey-Merritt to just 3.6 yards per carry despite 17 carries. Ranked at No. 29, the Cowboys' rush defense is putting up number similar to the Bears on paper, allowing 142.2 average rushing yards.
In its 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers, however, Dallas was beaten on the ground with Panther putting up 216 rushing yards. The Cowboys' defense couldn't stop running back Rico Dowdle, who put up 183 rushing yards on 30 carries, which bodes well for Washington. An explosive run game against Dallas could also help build some confidence in the rookie after two consecutive weeks with ball security issues.
Despite issues on defense and the run game against the Panthers, the Cowboys still boast the NFL's No. 1 offense and rack up an average of 387.5 all-purpose yards per game. It will be a tough test for the Commanders' defense, which has been making progress at mitigating big plays. Washington held top wideout Rome Odunze to two receptions for 37 yards. Safety Quan Martin had two big pass breakups on deep balls to Odunze, although the defense still allowed other offensive weapons to have big gains. Running back Deandre Swift ripped a 55-yard touchdown after fending off Martin, as well as big gains from rookie receiver Luther Burden III (37-yard reception) and running back Kyle Minogani (34-yard reception).
George Pickens has taken on a larger role and has a proven ability to make plays on deep balls. Pickens had nine receptions for 168 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers, with the Cowboys' No. 2 receiving threat in tight end Jake Ferguson notching three receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Washington is coming into Dallas with a 37.5% third-down defense success rate. The Commanders held the Bears to 30% on third down conversions and stopped the Bears' only fourth-down try. This should give them confidence against the Cowboys’ 43.1% third-down offensive success rate, which is tied with the Bears at No. 7.
While the Commanders put the loss to Chicago behind them and move forward with prep for the Cowboys, let's look at how the rest of the NFC East fared.
New York Giants (2-4-0) vs. Denver Broncos (4-2-0):
The Giants were the only NFC East team to record a victory during Week 6, beating the Eagles 34-17 in a surprisingly lopsided division game. New York had dropped its previous eight division matchups, but despite missing top receivers in Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, the Giants' offense didn't sputter.
The rookie duo of quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo drew praise from fans and pundits alike for their electric performances. The two combined for four touchdowns, three of which came from Skattebo. The Eagles struggled to stop Skattebo, who finished with 19 carries for 98 yards on the ground. He also notched two receptions for 12 yards against Philadelphia, which allowed an average of 5.1 yards per play.
Taking on the Denver Broncos' No. 2-overall defense will be another difficult task. Although the game seemed to oscillate between punts, the Broncos ultimately held the Jets to just 82 total yards. Jets' quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times by eight different Broncos for a loss of 55 total yards, causing Fields to finish with -10 net passing yards.
Denver leads the league with 30 sacks with Nik Bonitto leading the charge for the Broncos' defense. He notched his league-leading eighth sack in London and is already being touted as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Bonitto has a 25% pass rush win rate to rank third in the league, and the Denver defensive line ranks No. 4 as a team for pass rush win rate (46%).
New York's pass rush, led by nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, linebacker Brian Burns and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has become stronger since the start of the season. Burns has seven sacks on the season, and Thibodeaux led the Giants' defense with four total pressures and one tackle for loss against the Eagles. The Broncos' , however, is one of the strongest in the league. Denver boasts the second-lowest sack rate in the NFL, allowing just six sacks through six games on quarterback Bo Nix.
Winning in the offensive trenches has set up a productive Broncos' offense. Nix has options at running back with J.K. Dobbins, wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin as well as tight end Evan Engram. However, the Giants' defense has looked stronger in recent weeks, holding the Chargers to 18 points and the Eagles to 17 points.
The real test for the Giants will be if they can continue to maintain the positive momentum. After New York's unprecedented win over the Chargers in Week 4, they fell to the New Orleans Saints the next week in what remains the Saints' only win of the season.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (3-2-0):
The Eagles have had a mini-bye to stew over what went wrong. It's Philadelphia's first losing streak since the 2023 season, and they're hoping to end it on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Eagles' run game decreased its productivity from Week 5 to Week 6, with New York limiting Philadelphia to just 73 rushing yards. Running back Saquon Barkley's production did increase to 58 rushing yards (30 yards in Week 5), although his 325 total rushing yards through six games is just half at this same point last season (658 total rushing yards). Additionally, Barkley’s 3.4 yards per carry is his fewest in a season he had played at least three games.
Despite quarterback Jalen Hurts throwing more against the Giants and finishing with a 72.7% pass completion rating for 283 yards and one touchdown, the Eagles' pass game has found little rhythm. Wide receiver AJ Brown has just one touchdown and 274 yards for 25 receptions through Week 6; against the Giants, he had six receptions for 80 yards. The lack of rhythm doesn't bode well against the Vikings, which have the No. 2 pass defense in the league, allowing 157.6 yards per game.
The Vikings declared rookie JJ McCarthy the Week 1 starter before he suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz has been at the helm since, but entering Week 7, it seems McCarthy could be on the bench going forward. With Wentz dealing with a shoulder injury, the Vikings haven't committed to naming a starter, which means Wentz could face his former team.
Either way, the Eagles are preparing against a well-rested Vikings team with a top threat at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson. In the Vikings' Week 5 win against the Cleveland Browns, Jefferson had 123 yards across seven receptions. His longest reception this season was a 50-yarder to set the Vikings up for a field goal against the Falcons. Jefferson's ability to find space and use his speed makes him extremely hard for defenses to contain.
Philadelphia struggled against New York's backup receivers in Week 6, although it boasts a No. 12 ranked pass defense that allows an average of 208.5 passing yards per game. The Eagles will get a boost on defense with the return of defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who missed last week's game due to a heel injury. Philadelphia's main issue has been stopping the run, as they allowed 172 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Led by running back Jordan Mason, the Vikings gained an average of 106.8 yards on the ground through their first five games.
