With Week 8 arriving, the NFC is starting to sort itself out, and the separation between the conference’s best and worst looks a little sharper by the day. Even the teams near the top still have obvious issues hanging over them, which is part of what makes this race feel so open. As the season moves toward November, the real contenders should start pulling away.
At the bottom of the NFC rankings, the Philadelphia Eagles sit at No. 16 after dropping five straight games. The defending Super Bowl champs from February of 2025 are now in a rough spot, and the team will be turning to a backup quarterback for the rest of the season.
Tanner McKee is expected to handle the starts for now, though if the losses keep piling up, that could change. There’s also a feeling that this team could use a longer look at other players as the season continues.
It’s a stark fall for a club that was holding the Lombardi Trophy just a year and a half ago.
Right above them are the Washington Commanders at No. 15, and their problems have been building for a while. They’ve won only six games since the start of the 2025 season, and head coach Dan Quinn is firmly on the hot seat.
The issues go beyond the sideline, too, with the roster construction drawing its own share of blame. The other major concern is Jayden Daniels, who simply has not been able to stay on the field consistently.
At this point, Washington appears to be headed toward another lost season, and a complete reset after 2026 may be the direction it has to take, with the hope of building around Daniels the right way.
In Other News...
Commanders Pass Rush Faces Pressure To Deliver Against The Eagles
Washington spent the offseason trying to bolster its edge rush, bringing in Odafe Oweh and KLavon Chaisson and adding Joshua Josephs in the draft, all with the idea that the front would become a more consistent problem for opposing quarterbacks. So far, the production has been thinner than hoped, even with Oweh emerging as the teams most productive pass rusher and the group still searching for a steadier impact.
Dan Quinn acknowledged the need to get more from that part of the defense as the Commanders come out of the bye week and turn toward Philadelphia. Facing the Eagles tends to stress every weakness in a defense, and for Washington, the pass rush has become one of the clearest areas where a stronger showing could help define the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Secondary Has One Obvious Missing Piece Before Eagles Week
Washington has a prime NFC East test coming up in Week 8, with the Eagles visiting while Philadelphia works through a wave of injuries that has changed the shape of the matchup. Even with the visitors in a difficult spot after the season-ending loss of Jalen Hurts, the Commanders still have a secondary that will be under the microscope against a division rival that can test coverage in a hurry.
The bigger question is whether Washington has enough at corner to match up cleanly with Philadelphias top weapons, especially when one more impact defender would change the look of the unit in an instant. A glance at the Eagles defensive backfield makes it easy to see why this conversation keeps coming up, because one young corner has already done enough in seven games to make a strong case as the kind of piece any secondary would love to add. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Receiver Question Fans Can't Ignore
Terry McLaurins season-ending injury has left Washington looking at wide receiver depth in a very different light, and the lack of proven help behind him is suddenly hard to ignore. Any conversation about the Commanders next move now starts with how they can keep the passing game functional, especially with the offense losing one of its most dependable targets.
Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as a name to watch because his production has dipped since a strong rookie season, and reports from Bleacher Report and ESPNs Jeremy Fowler have linked the Jacksonville wideout to trade discussion. Nothing is official yet, but the fit makes enough sense for Washington that this is the kind of rumor worth tracking closely as the Commanders sift through options. [Read more 🡒]