Washington Commanders (3-4-0) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3-0):

The Washington Commanders' Week 7 divisional loss 44-22 against the Dallas Cowboys is probably one they'd like to forget. The loss moved the Commanders down to third place in the NFC East, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys in first and second, respectively.

The Commanders came into the game already at a disadvantage due to injuries. Noah Brown was placed on the Reserve/Injured list, while wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. were ruled out. A strip-sack on quarterback Jayden Daniels on the Commanders' opening drive of the third period didn't help. Daniels was replaced by veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, who had trouble under center and finished the day completing 4-of-10 passes for 63 yards and throwing an interception.

The Cowboys aren't known for their defense; it's ranked No. 32 in the league, although Dallas' secondary was helped in the first half of the game by dropped passes and throws that missed the mark. Dallas finished the game with two takeaways, four sacks and forced five punts. The Commanders' offense failed to convert on third-down situations to put points on the board, which the Cowboys' No. 1-ranked offense took advantage of.

The Cowboys' offense scored a touchdown on its opening drive, in part due to a defensive pass interference call on Lattimore that moved the ball 37 yards downfield. Washington's defense allowed 409 total yards, which is something that obviously can't happen against a Patrick Mahomes-led offense with pass-catching weapons like tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Although the Chiefs started slow and is currently sitting at third in the AFC West, Kansas City has found its groove and shut out its divisional opponent Raiders 31-0 in Week 7. They're still a contender, and they proved it by putting up 434 total yards of offense against the Raiders. Mahomes finished with a 74.3% pass completion rating for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

Washington, which is 0-5 against Kansas City on the road, has ruled Daniels out for Monday night's matchup at Arrowhead Stadium, which gives Mariota ample time to prepare for the Chiefs as the starting quarterback. On a more positive note, head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that McLaurin and Samuel are expected to practice in full and will likely suit up for Week 8. It will be McLaurin's first game since Week 3, when he exited the field with a quad injury against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The return of both McLaurin and Samuel takes some pressure off younger players such as wide receivers Luke McCaffery and Jaylin Lane, as well as running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who have stepped up in their absences. With defensive tackle Chris Jones at the helm, the Chiefs defense is quietly ranked No. 5 in the league, allowing an average of 280.3 yards per game. Kansas City held Las Vegas to just 95 total yards and 3.2 yards per play.

One of the biggest issues for Washington this season is the team's failure to start fast. The Commanders have started six of their seven games with a punt or turnover and have been outscored 53-22 in the first quarter, according to Commanders’ senior writer Zach Selby. Coming off a strong defensive game, the Chiefs have momentum -- something McLaurin and Samuel will need to offset with big plays early. Expect McLaurin and Samuel to be involved early and often to help the Commanders get that fast start they need and convert on third-down situations.

With a tough three-game stretch facing the Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, the Commanders need to focus on converting in third down situations and limiting penalties. As Washington prepares for Kansas City, let's look at how the rest of the division fared.

New York Giants (2-5-0) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2-0):

The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles meet again for the second time in three weeks, this time at Lincoln Financial Field for their final regular-season matchup. The Week 6 game between the two saw the Giants come out on top and hand the Eagles their second loss of the season.

Philadelphia ended a two-game losing skid with a 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7. Quarterback Jalen Hurts leaned into the passing game, finishing with an 82.6% pass completion rating for 326 yards and a perfect passer rating. Hurts had a perfect passer rating, hitting wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith for a combined three touchdowns. Smith set a career-high with 183 receiving yards that included a 79-yard touchdown.

A strong pass game is important when taking on the Giants, considering the last time the two met, the Giants' defense bottled up running back Saquon Barkley and held him to 58 yards on 12 carries. Against Minnesota, Barkley had 18 carries for 44 yards. Losing starting center Cam Jurgens to injury in the first quarter also doesn't help the Eagles' run game and Barkley hasn't put up nearly the rushing numbers he had last season; however, he's still an immense offensive threat if given the opportunity to get loose.

The Eagles' defense capitalized on the Vikings' offensive mistakes, as quarterback Carson Wentz threw two interceptions. The first interception was returned for a touchdown, although the second ended in a punt. Philadelphia's defense also forced the Vikings to settle for field goals on five of six scoring opportunities inside the 20-yard line. Last time the two met, the Eagles gave up 366 total yards on defense and allowed the Giants to convert on 11-of-16 third down attempts.

Even without wide receivers Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, the Giants' passing attack has been strong thanks to connections on deep passes downfield. Pass catchers in Daniel Bellinger, Theo Johnson and Cam Skattebo each had three catches and a touchdown, with an average of 10-plus yards per reception against the Denver Broncos despite a 33-32 loss. The team's leading receiver in Week 7 was Wan'Dale Robinson, who finished with six receptions for 95 yards.

New York's offensive line held its own against Denver's top pass rush. The Broncos are ranked No. 1 in pass rush win rate (43%), which features NFL sack leader Nik Bonitto. The linebacker didn't add to his eight sacks and was held to two total tackles (one solo, one assisted). Through the first three quarters, the Giants gained 292 total yards of offense and led 19-0.

The Giants' defense forced the Broncos to punt six times on offense through three quarters and also had six possessions go for 21 yards or fewer. Things changed in the fourth quarter, however, when the Broncos put up 33 points. In 37 seconds and down by two points, quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos led a drive that ended in a walk-off field goal. The Giants' defense effectively collapsed, allowing them 227 yards in the fourth quarter. The Broncos got into field goal range with ease to steal the win at home.

New York will need to tighten its pass coverage before facing Philadelphia given its recent prowess through the air.

Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) vs. Denver Broncos (5-2-0):

Dallas' quarterback Dak Prescott had his way against the Commanders, proving why the Cowboys have the No. 1 ranked offense in the league. Prescott finished with a 70% pass completion rating, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The offense averaged 6.6 yards per play and gained a total of 409 yards on offense, beating the team’s average of 390.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was the team's top receiver in his return from injury, putting up 110 yards and a touchdown on five total receptions. George Pickens had 82 yards on four receptions, while tight end Jake Ferguson had 29 yards on seven catches and two touchdowns. The Cowboys have been a pass-first offense all season and currently rank No. 2 in the league in passing offense.

A large reason The Cowboys put up such big numbers was the offensive line, which gave Prescott time to find his guys and connect on the deep ball. Despite injuries to center Cooper Beebe and offensive tackle Tyler Smith, the offensive line allowed just one sack on Prescott against the Commanders. Dallas' offensive line will have its hands full protecting Prescott from the Broncos' No. 3 ranked defense, which allows an average of 273.1 yards per game.

Although the Broncos had a slow start Sunday against the Giants, they ended up winning the game in clutch fashion. Denver has a dynamic offense with threats through both the air and on the ground. Running back J.K. Dobbins became the Broncos' first 100-yard rusher in the Sean Payton era during Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 81 yards on 14 carries against the Giants. The Broncos' leading receiver was Courtland Sutton, who had 87 yards on six catches.

That dual-threat action will be tough for the Cowboys' defense to stop. The Broncos have a strong offensive line, which has a pass block win rate of 73% offensive line and ranks first in the league. It should be able to protect Nix from Dallas' defense, especially given its pass rush win rate is one of the worst in the league at No. 21 (37%). As long as the Broncos don't start slow on offense and sustain a strong defense, they should be able to bring down the Cowboys.