NFC East Notebook: Big Week 14 Division Game on Tap

Let’s take a look at each NFC East matchup as we head into Week 14.

Author:
Andrew Parsaud
Publish date:
Dec 9, 2022 1:53 PM EST

In this story:

The NFC East is now a combined 34-13-2. Yes, there are numbers in the tie column after the New York Giants and Washington Commanders tied at 20 last week. In a big divisional game for one of the NFC’s Wild Card seeds, whoever won that meeting could have potentially buried the other.

After their tie last week, the NFL decided to flex the Giants-Washington game in Week 15 to Sunday Night Football. The winner of that game should have an easier path to the playoffs and will likely get an early start on their off-season.

The two other teams in the division dominated in their respective games. The Philadelphia Eagles continue to roll past opponents, dominating the Titans 35-10 at home. The Cowboys wrecked the visiting Colts 54-19, and their primary goal now is to try and take down the Eagles for the number one seed.

There’s another divisional game this week, as the Eagles head to East Rutherford to take on the Giants. The Cowboys have another easy opponent this week at home in, the Houston Texans, in what could potentially be another blowout victory like last week. The Commanders finally have a bye week as they look to prepare for the Giants again immediately after it’s over.

Here’s everything you need to know about each NFC East team in Week 14.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) vs New York Giants (7-4-1)

Spread: Giants +4.5

The New York Giants have been on a concerning path since November began. Since starting 6-2, the team has fallen to 7-4-1 and is facing the best team in the league this week. Their tie against Washington last week was not ideal for a team looking to clinch its first playoff berth in six years.

The main problem with the Giants is their offense. The play calling and personnel showed their true colors against Washington and could not run out the clock in the fourth quarter, allowing the Commanders to come back and tie the game. It certainly felt like the Giants offense played conservatively after vowing to take risks in the offseason.

Star running back Saquon Barkley should still be good to play after being added to the injury report with a neck injury. Barkley hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since his 152-yard performance against Houston. Despite their stout defense, Philadelphia allows over 117 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry.

The key to this game is continuing to run the ball with Barkley and using Daniel Jones’ legs to supplement that. The Giants will also have trouble stopping the Eagles’ explosive offense. Safety Xavier McKinney is not expected to play, and there are doubts he will play again this season. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson still was not practicing, but there’s some hope that he can return this week. Stopping the Eagles entire offense as a whole will be a challenge, especially with key injuries to the secondary.

If the Giants want to win this game, they need to protect the ball, win the time of possession battle and, most importantly, stop the Eagles' offense in any way possible. Simply, this is a bigger game for the Giants than it is for the Eagles. The Giants could come away with their eighth win of the season and tell the rest of the league that they’re still a good team despite recent struggles.

On the other sideline, the Eagles are still the best team in the league, and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has seriously inserted himself into the MVP conversation, arguably had his best game against Tennessee. Hurts threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, two going to AJ Brown and the other to DeVonta Smith, where both receivers eclipsed over 100 yards on the day.

The Eagles aerial attack was so effective that the team only rushed for 67 yards on just 24 attempts. The Eagles defense also came alive, totaling six sacks and nine quarterback hits. Rookie linebacker Nakobe Dean finally received snaps and led the team in tackles with six.

This week, the Eagles face the Giants at MetLife Stadium. This is another interesting matchup for the Eagles. This week, the key to a win is stopping Saquon Barkley and taking advantage of a depleted Giants secondary. The Eagles could reach 12 wins if they stick with what’s working.

Houston Texans (1-10-1) at Dallas Cowboys (9-3)

Spread: Cowboys -17.5

After their rout of the Colts last week, the spread on the Cowboys to beat the Texans is huge. The Cowboys main goal now is trying to catch an Eagles team that has rarely missed a beat all season and still occupies the NFC’s number one seed.

Last week, quarterback Dak Prescott only threw for 170 yards but was effective, tossing three touchdowns and only one interception. The Cowboys seem to be embracing the fact that they have a legit two-man backfield in Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott received more carries with 17, but Pollard had more yards with 91. Pollard ended up rushing for two touchdowns, and Elliott added one as well. Wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup had solid receiving games, and each contributed to Dallas’ 54 points, with Gallup hauling in two touchdowns and Lamb with one.

The Cowboys defense turned up the heat on Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, forcing three interceptions and sacking him three times. Cornerback DaRon Bland had a standout game, totaling eight tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions.

This week it’s more of the same for the Cowboys. The Texans are currently the worst team in football, and Dallas can easily trample them as they did with the Colts. The game plan for the Cowboys is simple: take care of business against a very bad opponent.

Washington Commanders (7-5-1): Bye

The Commanders dropped to 7-5-1 and out of a playoff spot after their 20-20 tie with the Giants on Sunday.

However, they now have two weeks to prepare for the same team. Washington plays the Giants twice in a row, with their bye week conveniently placed in between their matchups.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke started to gain rhythm near the end of the game, throwing for 275 yards and two touchdowns, the last going to wide receiver Jahan Dotson to tie the game. Heinicke was sacked five times in a battle of the trenches on both sides.

Washington also continues to make rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr their workhorse. Robinson had 21 carries on Sunday for 96 yards, a solid 4.6 yards per carry. Washington’s defensive front was causing problems for the Giants all afternoon, totaling four sacks and four quarterback hits. Daron Payne had two of those sacks and continues to be one of the best defensive linemen in football.

The Commanders were hoping to get pass rusher Chase Young back from injury for last Sunday’s game, but they held him out in hopes of his return against the Giants after the bye week. However, there’s still doubt that Chase will play, as the team wants him to be 100% fully healthy before returning.

The Commanders will take this week and next to prepare for their primetime rematch against the Giants.