Week 1 did the NFC East no favors if you were sitting in Dallas or Washington. The Giants and Eagles walked out at 1-0, while the Cowboys and Commanders opened the season trying to climb out of an early hole.
The most lopsided feeling result came in the Giants-Cowboys matchup. New York’s win looked even more comfortable than the final score showed, and it left the Giants feeling good about their coaching changes while Dallas was left to question everything from the top down.
Washington had a shot to steal the spotlight in Philadelphia, but the comeback came up just short. The Eagles carried a 17-9 lead into the fourth quarter before the Commanders’ offense finally found a rhythm.
Jayden Daniels put together two 60-plus-yard drives that ended in touchdowns, but Washington failed on the final two-point try it needed to tie the game. Philadelphia answered with a late score of its own, finishing the job on a 43-yard touchdown from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert.
After one week, the division standings looked like this:
- New York Giants 1-0 (1-0)
- Philadelphia Eagles 1-0 (1-0)
- Washington Commanders 0-1 (0-1)
- Dallas Cowboys 0-1 (0-1)
Dallas sits in last place because of point differential, even though it shares the same record as Washington. That’s where the Cowboys find themselves heading into Week 2, and they get a direct chance to change the picture at home against the Commanders on Sunday afternoon.
That matchup has usually tilted Dallas’ way when Dak Prescott is in the picture. Over his first 10 seasons, the Cowboys have gone 15-5 against Washington, and four of those losses came with backups like Andy Dalton and Trey Lance at quarterback. When Dallas has been healthy and playing for something, Washington has generally had a hard time keeping up.
Still, the mood in Dallas isn’t exactly steady after what happened in New York. The Cowboys have the motivation to respond, but confidence is a tougher sell right now. Sunday will show whether they can stop the bleeding or whether Washington can make the wound deeper.
The Giants, meanwhile, head into Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams with some real momentum. The Rams are dealing with plenty of questions of their own after a blowout loss to the 49ers and the injury that cost them Myles Garrett. If New York can move to 2-0 against two teams viewed as NFC contenders, John Harbaugh would be an early favorite for Coach of the Year.
Philadelphia also gets another test against a team that came into the year with expectations. The Eagles travel to face the New England Patriots, who stumbled in Week 1 when Drake Maye threw three interceptions.
Even so, New England still held the Seahawks to 13 points after Sam Darnold went down early. If the Patriots can shake off that opener, they could make life harder for Philly.
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ESPN Just Reignited An NFL Double Standard Debate Fans Know Well
ESPNs Monday Night Football coverage of the Broncos-Chiefs game briefly shifted away from the action when sideline reporter Laura Rutledge explained why Denver defender Jonathon Cooper was unavailable, noting his placement on the commissioners exempt list after domestic violence charges. The mention instantly turned a routine injury-and-availability update into something much bigger, because it touched on one of the NFLs most sensitive and inconsistently handled issues.
Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons was quick to criticize ESPN for bringing Coopers legal situation into the broadcast, and the reaction rippled well beyond the sideline report. Some former players and fans defended the network, arguing the explanation was relevant context for his absence, while others zeroed in on the broader double standard debate that always seems to follow when similar situations come up with different players and different teams. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Rookie Already Drawing Heat At The Worst Possible Time
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The evaluation was mixed. Pro Football Focus had Barham as the fourth-highest-graded defender on the roster, which is a promising sign for a player making his first appearance, but one missed effort on a crucial play quickly became part of the conversation after it helped set up a touchdown. If Overshown remains out, the Cowboys may have to lean on Barham again soon, which makes the next few games an important test for how quickly he can turn raw opportunity into trust. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Suddenly Have More Than One Problem After Week 1
The Cowboys came out of Week 1 with more than a loss on the ledger. Dallas looked unsettled on both sides of the ball against the Giants, with the offense unable to find much rhythm around Dak Prescott and the defense failing to provide the usual cushion the team expects early in the season. It was the kind of opener that leaves a staff sorting through several different issues at once instead of one clean fix.
DeMarvion Overshowns injury only added to the unease on a defense already trying to regain its footing, and even Brandon Aubreys status as a reliable edge has started to draw more attention after the shaky showing. For a team that entered the season expecting to compete right away, the challenge now is figuring out which problems are temporary and which ones might linger long enough to shape the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]