Week 8 could bring a major swing in NFC East race
With the Commanders, Cowboys, and Eagles all facing tough matchups, Week 8 of this NFL season feels like it has significant swing potential in the NFC East. Depending on how the trio of rivals respond to their challenges, we may get a good sense of how the division will eventually shake out.
While Dallas sat out last week on a bye, Washington and Philadelphia picked up expected wins against the Panthers and Giants. Both won their games by wide margins, reestablishing some positive momentum but still leaving questions about how they’ll handle stiffer competition.
Current NFC East Standings
This week will go much further in proving everyone’s mettle. Washington hosts the Chicago Bears, currently 4-2 and coming off three straight wins. But the Bears have had it easy lately with the Jaguars and Panthers as opponents, so they also need to prove something in this battle. The Commanders are still waiting to confirm QB Jayden Daniels’ status after a rib injury last Sunday, which could go a long way to deciding how this one goes.
The Eagles have won their last two since an early bye but they came against the Giants and Browns. They’ll now travel to Cincinnati, with the Bengals also having won two straight against those same two teams. Cincy is better than their 3-4 record might indicate, with two narrow losses against the Chiefs and Ravens dragging it down. They’re more than capable of winning this game and putting Philly within the Cowboys’ reach.
The problem for Dallas is that their own Week 8 opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, have been a major issue the last few years. The Niners have won three straight against the Cowboys, two of them playoff games and the last one a 42-10 blowout. With neither Micah Parsons nor DaRon Bland returning this week, even with Frisco’s own injuries, Dallas seems ill-equipped to exercise this particular demon.
We’ll know the divisional stakes before kickoff. If either the Commanders or Eagles fall in their games, let alone both, it sweetens the deal for Dallas if they can get the road win. At the very least, it would provide some cushion against a loss. But if Washington and Philadelphia win their games, it could give a struggling Cowboys team a deeper hole to climb out of.