NFC East update: Potential congestion after Week 6

We find ourselves in a reality where the Washington Commanders are one of the hottest teams in football. It’s a bizarre place, but a return to normalcy may be on the horizon. The Week 6 schedule offers a great chance for Washington to take a backwards step, but will the Dallas Cowboys take advantage?

As most teams have so far this year, the Commanders pummeled the Cleveland Browns last week to improve to 4-1. The Eagles were on a bye week, preserving a 2-2 record, while the Cowboys pulled off an upset against the Steelers. Even the Giants got in on the positive vibes last week with a shocking road victory over Seattle.

Current NFC East Standings

Washington Commanders 4-1 (1-0 in division, 2-1 vs NFC)

Dallas Cowboys 3-2 (1-0, 1-1)

Philadelphia Eagles 2-2 (0-0, 2-2)

New York Giants 2-3 (0-2, 1-3)

The Commanders face their biggest test yet in 2024 with a road game against the Baltimore Ravens. While Washington can come out of the Beltway Bowl with respect even in defeat, depending on how competitive they look, that won’t help them stay on top in the NFC East. A potential loss for the Commanders should have the Cowboys and Eagles salivating in their own matchups.

Philly comes out of its bye week with a gift; a home game against the Browns. It’s their turn to get a win off Cleveland just like the rest of the NFC East has this year. The Eagles went into their bye with some major questions about Jalen Hurts’ performance and team chemistry issues, but the Browns offer a perfect punching bag on which to work things out. Paired with next week’s matchup against the Giants, Philadelphia could quickly be 4-2 and challenging for the division lead again.

Dallas is hoping to be 4-2 going into its own bye week but will need another surprise win to do it, facing the Detroit Lions this Sunday. The Lions may only be the second-best team in the NFC North but they and 5-0 Minnesota just might be the two best teams in the whole NFC right now. The Cowboys have to be feeling better about themselves after the gutsy win in Pittsburgh and will need every bit of that confidence and momentum to withstand Detroit.

If things go Dallas’ way this Sunday, they’ll be all tied up with Washington in overall, division, and conference records. Even if the Eagles beat the Browns they’d still be a half-game back due to their bye week. But if the Cowboys can handle their own business, there’s a great chance for a heavily congested NFC East as we near the midway point of the season.