Week 5 showed that the NFC East has a lot of talent and depth. The New York Giants impressed with their win over the Seattle Seahawks despite missing their top wideout and running back, and the Dallas Cowboys emerged victorious despite numerous injuries to their defense.

The Washington Commanders are one of the most entertaining teams to watch, led by a dynamic quarterback and an underrated defense. The division lost a lot of talent in free agency and injuries, but that didn’t stop them from winning it all.

Others stepped up in a game where their two best offensive weapons were out. Rookie sensation Malik Nabers and their versatile running back Devin Singletary missed the game with injuries. That led to quarterback Daniel Jones, Tyrone Tracey and wideout Darius Slayton putting in a great performance.

Jones showed the potential the front office saw in him, making quick decisions and finding open receivers. That was especially true against the blitz, completing 13 of 17 passes for 130 yards and two scores. Singletary finished with 130 total yards and 7.2 yards per carry. Slayton had his best game since 2020, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown.

The defensive line emerged again, forcing Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith to move into the pocket, although it led to some major problems. Still, seven sacks and ten quarterback hits represent a successful pass rush game. Seattle couldn’t run the ball, but their receivers found some open space.

This Giants team is pulling it together on both sides of the ball. Their playmakers come up big when called upon, and Daniel Jones is more precise with his throws. How long that will take is something to keep an eye on. That with a late blocked field goal returned for a touchdown was enough for the Giants to beat the Seahawks 29-20.

The Dallas Cowboys are very concerning right now. They came away with a 20-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they didn’t deserve it.

First, a series of injuries have cropped up again. Edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland and left tackle Tyler Guyton went down, raising more questions about who would fit on the defense. The defense played very well, holding the Steelers to just three points in the first half and only 226 total yards in the game.

The attack dried up the defense again. Dak Prescott threw two picks and fumbled the ball once, with two of those turnovers coming in the red zone. Dallas’ misfortunes kept Pittsburgh in the game much longer than necessary, turning to a late great throw to win the game.

According to the 33rd team, the Dak-CeeDee Lamb connection resulted in -0.13 EPA per game, compared to 0.85 for KaVonte Turpin and 0.66 for Jake Ferguson. Lamb and Prescott need to work on their chemistry, the team needs to stay healthy somehow, and Dallas can’t continue to give up bad penalties. It is their third game with more than eleven penalties this season.

This was a bye week for the Eagles, and the Cowboys didn’t do enough to take second place in the division. That leaves the Eagles in the same spot as last week, despite not having played a game.

They took time to let their offensive weapons AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith and other starters heal as they prepared for their Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. With a 2-2 record, they can still compete for a playoff spot with more consistent play.

The Washington franchise, formerly Redskins and now Commanders, has long lacked a reliable starting quarterback. With Jayden Daniels finding a perfect balance between looking for open wideouts and shooting away, NFC Defenses now have their version of Lamar Jackson to worry about.

The Cleveland Browns played aggressive defense, causing Daniels to be ejected, resulting in more incompletions than normal. It’s safe to say he generally got the better of the Browns, converting all four plays in which he faced unblocked pressure into first downs with his legs or arm.

After being considered one of the worst defenses in the NFL, the Commanders have turned it around. Their defense played their best game of the season, sacking Deshaun Watson seven times, making seven tackles for a loss of yards and committing the Browns’ pass catchers.

With the exception of star wideout Amari Cooper (60), no Browns player eclipsed 25 receiving yards. The run defense was questionable at times, giving up big plays to Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman, but their stout pass defense prevented the Browns from mounting a comeback.

With the Giants looking better and the Commanders looking like one of the best teams in the NFC, the Cowboys need to be careful before they fall to the bottom of the standings. The Eagles are also on the decline, but the return of key players after the Week 5 bye gives them an advantage.

The Eagles are the last NFC East team lined up to play the Cleveland Browns. Considering how Cleveland did against the other three teams, this looks like an extended bye week. The Commanders are coming off their win over the Browns to play the Ravens in Baltimore. It’s a battle between arguably the two best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL.

After narrowly sneaking past the Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys return to AT&T Stadium to extend their five-game winning streak against the Detroit Lions. The Giants will play in New York against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that has scored more than 30 points in three straight weeks. Sunday night football.

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