Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season saw the Washington Commanders head west for Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, while the Dallas Cowboys played the Green Bay Packers in Sunday Night Football. The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants faced off against the New Orleans Saints.
NFC East Standings:
- New York Giants (3-2-1; Point differential:-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-4; Point differential:-31)
- Dallas Cowboys (2-4; Point differential:-8)
- Washington Commanders (1-4-1; Point differential:-40)
Following losses by every team in Week 6, the NFC East is the first division since the merger to go winless in consecutive weeks in which every team has played. That being said, the NFC East is still up for grabs.
Let's look at what worked and what didn't for each team in the NFC East heading into Week 7:
New York Giants
What worked: JJ McCarthy took over under center after Jameis Winston threw his second interception of the game and led a surprisingly valiant comeback effort. McCarthy rebounded from an interception and helped the Giants score 17 unanswered points on three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. McCarthy tied Eli Manning's franchise record for most passing yards in a single fourth quarter and proved himself reliable enough to be named starter for New York in Week 7.
Needs improvement: The Giants' run game hasn't operated as efficiently as it has in recent weeks. Head coach John Harbaugh even remarked that it "was not very good" after the game. New York was held to 84 rushing yards, and Cam Skattebo didn't record a single carry against the Saints, although Harbaugh claims that wasn't by design.
On Tuesday, the Giants released Najee Harris just two days after he started the game. Harbaugh says nobody in the room has stepped up to "be the back" -- an issue that will continue to plague the Giants offense until it is rectified.
Looking ahead to the Houston Texans: The Texans' No. 3 run defense won't do the Giants any favors. Houston is coming off a 34-31 victory against the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in London. It held Jacksonville's top rusher, former Commander Chris Rodriguz Jr., to 55 yards on 11 carries.
The Texans announced Tuesday that Tank Dell will return to action for the first time since Dec. 21, 2024, when he suffered multiple torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap against the Kansas City Chiefs. He'll likely be on a snap count, but the standout receiver will join a room that also now includes Marvin Harrison, Jr., who had three catches for 34 yards in his debut.
Philadelphia Eagles
What worked: The Eagles defense in the first half kept them in the game. Their defense held the Panthers to only 24 rushing yards in the first half but then allowed over 100 in the second. Linebacker Zack Baun finished the game with six total tackles, one stuff and a timely pass breakup when the Carolina offense was backed up on their own 11-yard line in the fourth quarter, leading to a three-and-out and a chance for the Eagles to keep the game alive.
Needs improvement: The offense has been struggling for the past few weeks, but it was overwhelmingly apparent against the Panthers. Tanner McKee made his third career start and first without Philadelphia having already clinched a playoff berth.
McKee wasn't helped by the ground game, which missed Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and Tank Bigsby (abdomen). The Eagles relied solely on Dameon Pierce, who rushed for an average of 2.9 yards per carry and 35 yards. It marks two back-to-back weeks in which the Eagles have been held below 50 rush yards.
Looking ahead to the Dallas Cowboys: The Eagles are riding a four-game losing streak -- their longest streak since Doug Peterson's 4-11-1 season in 2020 and the first in the Nick Sirianni era. Philadelphia will also be without Hurts for the remainder of the season as he recovers from deep blood clots.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during their Week 6 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys
What worked: The Cowboys' second-half defense largely kept them in the game. Green Bay ranked last in the NFL on third-down conversions, finding success just 27.6% of the time but converted nine of 10 third downs in the first half to shut out the Cowboys 17-0. In the second half, however, they were held to just 2-of-8 conversion attempts. Dallas also held the Green Bay offense to six points and 83 total yards, sacking Jordan Love three times after the half.
Needs improvement: Dallas' offense has stalled in the past two weeks, combining for a total of 29 points. The Packers went up 17-0 at halftime and scored their first points on a Javonte Williams one-yard rushing touchdown with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter.
The run game still hasn't found a rhythm. The Cowboys rushed for a season-low 48 yards against the Packers' No. 18 rush defense and averaged 3.2 yards per carry. They opted to pass the ball more, although Dak Prescott was intercepted twice, which cost Dallas 10 points on takeaways. Prescott's 65.2 passer rating marks his second consecutive game with a rating under 70.
Looking ahead to the Philadelphia Eagles: The Cowboys have dropped back-to-back games following their 23-13 Sunday Night Football loss to the Green Bay Packers. Both Philadelphia and Dallas enter the matchup with the same 2-4 record, so a victory would push the Cowboys to 3-4 overall and 2-1 within the NFC East.
Washington Commanders
What worked: The Commanders almost rallied back from a 23-3 deficit to upset the unbeaten 49ers in the second half. They fell by just one score, 23-17, and the comeback was a valiant effort from Jayden Daniels leading two touchdown drives and a defense that forced three consecutive three-and-outs.
Washington contained San Francisco's offensive weapons in the second half, namely by bringing Brock Purdy to the ground three times for a total loss of 15 yards and limiting him to just four passes in the final 30 minutes. The defense stepped up in critical moments; Jeremy Reaves recorded an important pass breakup in the secondary that prevented George Kittle from converting on third-and-11, and he also brought Christian McCaffrey down short on a third-and-8.
Needs improvement: The Commanders continue to have slow starts. The 49ers outgained the Commanders 303-90 and converted on 3-of-3 red zone trips, while Washington failed to reach the red zone and was held to two first downs compared to the 49ers' 17. Part of the momentum shift for the Commanders can be attributed to the loss of top receiving threat Mike Evans, who left the game ahead of the second half with Achilles soreness.
Although they are tied for No. 1 in the NFL in turnover differential at +6, the Commanders still have a point differential of -40. Washington is generating takeaways and putting pressure on offenses, yet the turnovers aren't solving its problems on offense and generating points to win games.
Looking ahead to the bye week: The bye week comes at a good time for the Commanders. Washington needs to reset following an 0-2-1 record over its past three games. It gives Daniels time to get back in the swing of the regular season and the coaching staff time to evaluate the play book.
With Terry McLaurin out for the season following a torn patellar tendon, the offense will need to figure out how to replace his dynamism on the field, but more importantly, as a leader in the locker room.
