Things certainly change quickly in the NFL, don’t they? In September, we thought the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders might battle all season to claim the NFC East’s throne. By October, we thought the Dallas Cowboys were an afterthought. As November closes, it’s the Cowboys, not the Commanders, who are Philadelphia’s top threat to winning the division.
Washington failed to build on the momentum generated by Jayden Daniels’s phenomenal rookie campaign. Rather than build around him, they put more on his shoulders, seemingly deciding that he’d be the reason why they won (or the reason they lost).
Dallas made some head-scratching decisions early. One of which was parting with all-world pass rusher Micah Parsons, but adding Kenny Clark, draft picks, and eventually Quinnen Williams has paid off royally.
Dallas has caught fire, winning three straight games, including two over the two teams that met in the most recent Super Bowl. Don’t look now, but eyebrows are raising, and Philadelphia’s most bitter rival seems to be catching fire at the right time.
The Cowboys are right back in the hunt as the Eagles‘ biggest threat to win the NFC East.
So, here we are. As these words are being typed, Dallas has improved its record to 6-5-1 with five games remaining. The 8-3 Eagles play the 8-3 Chicago Bears on Black Friday in a possible playoff preview.
As pages on the calendar turn, something has become obvious. The Cowboys are above .500 and nowhere near elimination from postseason contention. After their game vs. the Bears, Philadelphia finishes with games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. They also sandwich a game versus the Buffalo Bills between two against the rival Commanders.
The Cowboys close their season with the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants. Buckle up. There is a ton of football left to play in the 2026-26 regular season, and there are no guarantees that Philadelphia is a shoo-in to win the division.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles most bitter rival closes the gap in race for the NFC East
