December 03, 2022
The NFC East is back with a vengeance! It was just two years ago that a 4-11-1 Eagles team was contending for the division title in the penultimate week of the season before a seven-win Washington made the playoffs by default. Now, into December, all four NFC East squads would be playing meaningful January football if the postseason started today (it obviously does not).
I'm not going to make some asinine "Big J" journalist take saying, "The NFL is better when all the NFC East teams are good!" What the hell does that mean? It's a good thing that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have success? Tell that to anyone across the Delaware Valley. Are we supposed to be happy that Commanders owner Daniel Synder gets to watch his team play a postseason game? This is not a just world.
I'm sure Roger Goodell and the execs at NBC, FOX and CBS love when all of these teams are good, as they have some of the most fierce (a.k.a. unhinged) fan bases and largest media markets in the sport, but, I don't know, life is infinitely better when the Cowboys are in that 6-to-8 win range. Not good enough for the postseason so that those 1990s jokes don't stop, but good enough to be on television frequently so everyone can laugh at their downfall.
Anyway, it's an apt time to take stock of the division ahead of a big Week 13 slate. Let's get after it...
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1st | Eagles | 10-1 |
| 2nd | Cowboys | 8-3 |
| 3rd | Giants | 7-4 |
| 4th | Washington | 7-5 |
Since I mentioned all four squads currently holding playoff spots, here's the whole NFC postseason picture:
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Eagles | 10-1 |
| 2 | Vikings | 9-2 |
| 3 | 49ers | 7-4 |
| 4 | Buccaneers | 5-6 |
| 5 | Cowboys | 8-3 |
| 6 | Giants | 7-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | 7-5 |
I have little doubt that 49ers would smoke the Giants and I'd expect Minnesota to comfortably take care of the Commanders. To be honest, however, Eagles fans should swallow their pride and hope Washington and New York win those games. They're both much preferred postseason matchups for the No. 1 seed Eagles in the divisional round.
Is the city prepared for a potential Eagles-Cowboys playoff game at the Linc? I am not (yet). That would be an anxiety-inducing week for fans. For historical reference, the Eagles have played the Cowboys in the postseason just once at home: the iconic 1980 NFC Championship Game where Wilbert Montgomery rushed for 194 yards in a Birds win. Maybe Jalen Hurts can match that mark in this wild hypothetical.
Alright, let's look at what's going on Sunday...
(lines via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m., Titans at Eagles (-4.5)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m., Commanders at Giants (+2.5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m., Colts at Cowboys (-10.5)
I'm thinking both the Eagles and Cowboys cover the spread. I wouldn't be caught dead betting on Daniel Jones (you learn the hard way), but home underdogs in divisional games are always an intriguing bet to me.
• The status for Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis for Sunday is in question as he tries to return to the field following an ankle injury he suffered back in Week 8 against Pittsburgh. The Birds' run defense has been much maligned as of late without Davis and for good reason. Keeping the Eagles' high-flying offense off the field, controlling the clock and pounding the leaky middle of their defense has worked for opponents to a degree. Davis is just seven games into his pro career and is already among the best in the NFL at stopping the run.
On Sunday, the Titans will unleash the game's back in Derrick Henry against this D. Eagles fans should be wearing their lucky shirts inside out to bed Saturday night in the hopes that Davis will be a part of a deep DT rotation that will be tasked with keeping the future Hall fo Famer in check.
Here's what I wrote about the Davis injury situation on Friday:
Davis' immediate impact at the pro level has never been more evident than it has the last several weeks with him sidelined.
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Even if Davis plays against the Titans in a limited role as a part of new, larger defensive tackle rotation that includes newcomers Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, plus starters Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave, it might be enough for the Birds to slow down Henry from his typical torrid pace.
• The Commanders and Giants are going in two opposite directions. Washington has won six of their last seven games with Taylor Heinicke bringing some semblance of stability to the QB spot after Carson Wentz was put on IR. Meanwhile, the Giants have lost back-to-back games after a 7-2 start. New York is 17th in the NFL in point differential at -7. To put it in perspective, the 4-7 Jaguars, coached by Doug Pederson, at 11th at +12. Not a good look for the G-Men. Regression has set in.
The Commanders actually have better odds to make the postseason (-165) than the Giants (+100) and that feels pretty spot on.
Can Heinicke solidify himself as Washington's QB beyond 2022? Can Jones squeeze another year out of the Giants if they fall from that hot start and miss the postseason? We have a good ol' fashioned mediocre-off at the Meadowlands brewing.
• As much as Eagles fans are reluctant to hear it, this Dallas team is legit good and I expect an easy win for them over Indianapolis. They're clearly the second-best team in the NFC. They destroyed Minnesota on the road in November 40-3. Will they prove that on national television against a 4-7-1 team with a novice head coach? For all that talk earlier about TV execs and a potential Birds-Boys playoff game, now that's something I imagine the NFL brass is rooting hard for.
Do you ever feel like you have complete yolk all over your face for those fervent Wentz vs. Dak Prescott debates? Eagles fans may have lost the battle, but they could win win the war if Hurts leads the Eagles to the Super Bowl before Prescott does so with Dallas.
• Titans coach Mike Vrabel gassed up Hurts before Tennessee comes to town, saying that facing the Eagles' QB1 is a "huge challenge" because of his versatility:
Mike Vrabel commended Eagles QB Jalen Hurts for his running ability but also pointed out that he can deliver from the pocket. #Titans pic.twitter.com/YEXBW30jty
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) November 30, 2022
I've been told by some media members that the Eagles can't win with Hurts throwing the ball. Weird!
• Washington edge rusher and 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young has yet to play in a game this year as he recovers from ACL tear he suffered in Week 10 of the 2021 season. He was a limited participant in Washington's practices this week and is questionable for Sunday.
• I'm throwing this together since it concerns both the Giants and the Cowboys: Odell Beckham Jr. is doing his "free agent tour" and both New York and Dallas are seen as the top contenders to land the wide receiver.
I know I'm falling into the trap of writing about it, but how nonsensical is this whole thing for OBJ? The last time he made the Pro Bowl, Wentz was a rookie quarterback in Philly, Eli Manning was three years away from retirement and I didn't have a college degree. It's been a while, Odell! Beckham was undoubtedly a dominant receiver during his first three seasons, but that era has passed by. From 2019-2021, he's averaged 51.1 receiving yards per game. I'm sick of seeing pregame shows focusing on this guy. Enough!
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