We've reached the halfway point of the Eagles season, and while the Birds aren't where we thought they would be at this point, they did get a big win in Buffalo that kept them squarely in the mix for the NFC East title. For as long as the team remains in contention (hopefully the rest of the season) we'll take a weekly look at the state of the division to assess where things are at.
Cowboys (4-3)
Dallas enjoyed a bye in Week 8, allowing them to maintain a half-game lead over the Birds without taking the field. The Cowboys have been wildly inconsistent this season, owning a three-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues the rest of the way, and the Eagles certainly hope it will. It's worth noting that they currently hold a major advantage with a 3-0 division record, giving them a leg up in any tiebreaker situations. They'll return to the field to take on the Giants in Week 9.
Eagles (4-4)
As we mentioned, the Eagles got a potentially season-saving win last Sunday, one they desperately needed coming off consecutive horrendous performances and amid a disturbing amount of off-field drama. Winning cures a lot of things, and it has been quieter this week. The Eagles will look to build off last week's win over Buffalo and keep the pressure on the Cowboys when they host the Bears on Sunday.
Giants (2-6)
There's not a whole lot to say other than the Giants aren't very good, and neither are the Redskins. Consequently, we won't be spending a whole lot of time on them in this column, but the move from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones has helped the Giants to at least put a semi-competitive team on the field. Saquon Barkley remains a terrifying opponent, and the Eagles will certainly be hoping that the G-Men can steal one from the Cowboys this week and play the role of spoiler down the stretch.
Redskins (1-7)
Again, this team is not very good. They own the third-worst point differential in the league, ahead of only the winless Dolphins and the 1-6 Jets, who started a third-string quarterback for several weeks. Like the Giants, we won't be paying much attention to Washington other than hoping that they can help the Birds by stealing a couple wins against contenders and that the Eagles can avoid a slip against the Redskins. Washington takes on the Bills in Week 9.
Overview
We have a two-team race on our hands and it's likely that the second Cowboys-Eagles game will loom large in determining the champion. Meanwhile, we'll hope New York and Washington can knock off the Cowboys while proving to be wins for the Eagles.
