Washington Commanders (4-10) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5):
The Washington Commanders' triumph over the New York Giants 29-21 on Sunday was a big win for the team. The win ended their eight-game losing stretch, as well as marking a season sweep of the Giants. It's the second consecutive year Washington has overcome their divisional rival in New York in both matchups.
On offense, Washington's pass game flourished. Wide receiver Terry hauled in a 51-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota -- his longest of the day. Tight ends Ben Sinnott and John Bates also got involved, each with one reception for 36 and 19 yards, respectively.
Despite ball security issues with two fumbles, Washington's run game got going behind rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. That could, however, be the effect of the Giants' surrendering 153.6 average rush yards and 5.78 yards per carry. The Philadelphia Eagles rush defense will be more of a challenge to penetrate, averaging 125.9 rush yards allowed.
Philadelphia also got back in the win column Sunday, pitching a 31-0 shutout against the Las Vegas Raiders and ending a three-game skid. Quarterback Jalen Hurts bounced back after a rough four-turnover performance in Week 14, with the run game and defense also following suit. Tight end Dallas Goedert had a long reception of 32 yards, with wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combining for 91 yards on four receptions.
The Eagles offensive line (63% pass rush win rate) will go up against the Commanders' 37% pass rush win rate, an area in which both teams have been struggling as of late, in part due to injuries. Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil did intercept Dart, while the unit got one sack. The pass rush needs to put pressure on Hurts, forcing him to throw through the air and make costly mistakes; it's what the Los Angeles Chargers defense did in their Week 14 game, and it got them the overtime win.
Philadelphia's No. 14 defense held Las Vegas scoreless, and allowed backup quarterback Kenny Pickett and the Raiders offense just 74 all-purpose yards. Additionally, the pass rush ravaged the Raiders' offensive line, sacking Pickett four times -- without standout defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The Eagles' No. 20 pass rush (36% win rate) will be a good test for the Commanders' No. 4 (32% win rate) offensive line.
Washington announced Monday that quarterback Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow in the Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, will not play the rest of the season. Daniels will not go on injured reserve and will still participate in practice, which means Mariota will continue to start for the Commanders in the final three games of the season. Wide receiver Noah Brown, who has missed time for groin and ankle issues this season, was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a rib injury. Wide receiver Chris Moore was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
With Washington and New York knocked out of both the playoffs and division crown contention, all eyes turn to Philadelphia and the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles control their own fate, and a victory over the Commanders would seal up the division title as well as a playoff berth. If the Eagles do win, it will be the first time in 21 years that a team has repeated as NFC East champion.
As the Commanders and Eagles work to get ready on a short week, let's take a look and see how the rest of the division is faring.
Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4):
The Cowboys dropped their second in a row to the Minnesota Vikings, 34-26. The Chargers are coming off a huge 16-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs that eliminated their AFC West division rival from the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
The momentum of the win will surely carry over to Sunday, something that will make it even more difficult for Dallas to counter in another do-or-die scenario. Kicker Brandon Aubrey missed two kicks for the Cowboys on Sunday. Before that, he missed just two of 13 kicks this season, sending both his 51- and 59-yard tries wide right.
On the other hand, kicker Cameron Dicker came in clutch for the Chargers, accounting for 10 of Los Angeles' 16 points and knocking his longest kick of 49 yards through the pylons. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his success.
Quarterback Justin Herbert (65.5%, 210 yards, one touchdown, one interception), who was playing with a broken left wrist, was sacked four times. The Cowboys' No. 12 pass rush (39% win rate) should be comparable to the Chiefs, although it doesn't feature a game-wrecker like defensive tackle Chris Jones to be wary of. Jones was quieted Sunday, however, and didn't record a tackle or sack in what he didn't realize was an elimination game until he was asked about it in his postgame press conference.
With rookie running back Omarion Hampton back from injury and paired with Kimani Vidal on the ground, the two are good at gaining yardage on chunk plays. The Cowboys' No. 29 rush defense (374.9 average yards) could make things a bit easier for the Chargers, who put up just 94 yards on the ground. Dallas' rush defense is coming off a particularly strong week, in which they gave up just 77 rush yards to Minnesota, the longest run being a 16-yard scamper by running back Aaron Jones.
What could make things tricky for the Cowboys is the Chargers pass rush, which has been dominant and boasts a 37% pass rush win rate. With linebackers Odafe Oweh, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu on the field at the same time, the pressure rate has averaged 55% this season. Los Angeles also has the No. 3 (174.4 average pass yards allowed), which will be an interesting matchup considering the Cowboys' pass-first offense is ranked No. 1 (276.1 average pass yards). Against Minnesota's No. 5 pass defense (180.4 average pass yards allowed), Dallas put up 285 pass yards through the air -- 100 more pass yards than the Vikings have allowed on average this season.
New York Giants (2-12) vs. Minnesota Vikings (6-8):
With the loss to the Commanders, the Giants now own the longest losing streak in the division, dropping eight consecutive games. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Vikings are riding a two-game win streak against the NFC East. Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, although this game will affect their positions in the 2026 NFL Draft.
What hurt New York a lot in their game loss to Washington was special teams. Following Sunday's loss, the Giants released kicker Younghoe Koo and will move on to their fourth kicker of the season. Koo missed two field goals, leaving six points on the field; with those points, the score should have been 29-27 and could have possibly either changed some earlier offensive decisions by the Giants or put more pressure on the Commanders. They'll elevate undrafted rookie Ben Sauls from the practice squad for Sunday's game.
The Giants special teams unit also allowed Commanders rookie wide receiver/punt returner Jaylin Lane to return to extend Washington's halftime lead with a 63-yard return for a touchdown. Not only did a return like that boost the score to 21-7, it also shifted momentum in the Commanders' direction. Neither the Giants nor the Vikings have had a kick or punt returned for a touchdown this season, Lane's return marks the second time the Giants special teams unit has allowed a punt return.
The Vikings' offense has been inconsistent with McCarthy at the helm. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is having a career-low year despite the Vikings pass offense ranked No. 5 (180.4 average pass yards), and Minnesota is No. 28 (177.1 average offense yards). What tanks the Vikings' offense has been the ground game at No. 28 (177.1) in the league, which is advantageous for the Giants.
The Giants defense has been ranked near the bottom all season coming into Week 16 at No. 30 (382.5 average defense yards allowed). New York has a decent pass rush (39% win rate), the problem arises in the secondary with missed tackles. That is where Minnesota's pass game could flourish, tossing deep balls in an attempt to get a defensive pass interference penalty downfield rather than a completion.
