The NFC East spent Week 5 making the wrong kind of history.
Dallas, Philadelphia, New York and Washington all came up empty, turning the division into just the fourth in the NFL since the 2002 realignment to go winless in a week when its teams were playing a divisional opponent. It has happened only three other times across 418 regular-season weeks, according to CBS Sports Research, which puts this one in rare air - 0.96% rare, to be exact.
The Cowboys were first to stumble, falling 24-16 at home to the previously 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie making his second career start, under center.
Philadelphia had its own gut punch in a 19-17 regulation loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Eagles had nudged ahead with eight seconds left on a go-ahead field goal, only to watch it slip away anyway.
Then came the strangest finish of the bunch. New York and Washington played to a tie after both teams reached field-goal range in the final two minutes of overtime.
That result also added another odd layer to the Giants-Commanders rivalry. Those two clubs now own two of the NFL’s last three ties, with their other one coming against each other in 2022. The Cowboys have the other tie in that stretch, a 40-40 draw at home against the Green Bay Packers last season.
For the Giants, the overtime tie came with another frustrating number attached: they are now winless in their last six overtime games, a stretch that includes four losses and two ties.
Even with all that chaos, New York leaves Week 5 sitting alone atop the division at 3-1-1. Philadelphia and Dallas are right behind at 2-3, while Washington sits at 1-3-1.
In Other News...
Commanders Report Card Reveals What Really Cost Them A Win In New York
A detailed look at Washingtons Week 5 trip to New York makes one thing clear: this was not just a game that slipped away, it was a game the Commanders let get messy in the margins. The report card found bright spots in the rushing offense and along the defensive line, while also showing how the passing game and protection left too much work for the rest of the team to cover.
Special teams and coaching also came under the microscope, because the tie with the Giants felt less like a clean finish and more like a lesson in game management. Washington had built enough of a cushion to control the afternoon, but the final verdict from the breakdown is that the Commanders issues in pass protection, secondary play and late-game decision-making added up at exactly the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Are Still Questioning One Backfield Decision In The Tie
Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt was one of the few bright spots in Washingtons 27-27 tie with the Giants, and the rookies work on the ground stood out even in a game that left plenty to sort through. He led the Commanders in rushing yardage and looked like the kind of back who could help steady an offense that needed a dependable spark as the afternoon wore on.
So it caught the eye when the backfield usage shifted late, with the Commanders leaning away from the runner who had been most effective. Rachaad White handled the rest of the carries while Croskey-Merritt stayed on the sideline, and the decision only added to the questions surrounding a game that already felt strange in the way it unfolded. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Let A Winnable Game Slip Away With Brutal Late Mistake
For much of Sundays Week 5 meeting, Washington looked positioned to leave with a win after building a two-touchdown cushion in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Commanders wound up in a 27-27 tie with the Giants, a result that felt especially painful after New Yorks late surge and Jameis Winstons 326-yard, three-touchdown day kept the pressure on until the final whistle.
Washington still had a path to finish the job in the closing seconds, but a costly clock-management mistake erased the chance to line up a potential game-winning field goal. The Commanders will have to live with the missed opportunity after letting a winnable game slip away in a finish that left plenty of frustration on their sideline. [Read more 🡒]