Cowboys-Eagles showdown highlights big week in the NFC East

After five weeks of the 2022 NFL season, there are seven teams with a 4-1 record or better. As nobody would have guessed back in August, or even in the aftermath of Week 1, three of those teams reside in the NFC East. The league’s most-discussed division is riding high and enters a significant juncture in Week 6.

All eyes are on the first meeting between the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles and the 4-1 Dallas Cowboys. The matchup is appropriately set in primetime on Sunday Night Football. Even if QB Dak Prescott doesn’t return this week, Dallas’ four-game winning streak with backup Cooper Rush and dominant defense still makes this a must-see event in the football world.

Dallas and Philly did their part to spice up this game with big wins in Week 5. The Eagles stayed perfect in a tough road outing against the Cardinals, avoiding possible overtime when Arizona missed a game-tying field goal in the final minutes of play.

The Cowboys picked up their best win so far of 2022 on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite only scoring one offensive touchdown, Dallas’ defense and special teams came up big in the 22-10 takedown of the defending champs.

Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Giants improved to their own improbable 4-1 record with a win over the Green Bay Packers in London. New York rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and held the Packers to just two points the rest of the game, giving their offense a chance to catch up and eventually take the win.

The imploding Washington Commanders also played football last Sunday. Another Carson Wentz interception killed their hopes for victory and led to some ugliness with coach Ron Rivera over the last few days.

New name, same team. Washington will now head to Chicago this Thursday night for what could be the worst game in history.

• Philadelphia Eagles 5-0 (1-0 in division)
• Dallas Cowboys 4-1 (2-0 in division)
• New York Giants 4-1 (0-1 in division)
• Washington Commanders 1-4 (0-2 in division)

While the Cowboys-Eagles matchup is certainly the big story of Week 6, the Giants have their own critical game coming against the 3-2 Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson’s crew has been an enigma so far this year, losing narrowly to the Bills and Dolphins but also barely getting away with a win over the Bengals last week.

New York has a road trip coming with Jacksonville and Seattle before their bye week. Neither of those teams is a pushover, giving the Giants some added impetus to get the home win this Sunday and maintain their momentum.

As for the main event, plenty has been and will be written about Dallas and Philadelphia this week. If Dak Prescott does suit up it adds even more intrigue to a game that already has loads of it. The question of whether or not the Cowboys should disrupt their rhythm by switching quarterbacks was left wide open after the win in Los Angeles.

Whether it’s Prescott or Rush under center, the real story is how Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense handles Micah Parsons and this stifling Dallas defense. If the Cowboys are going to get their eighth-straight win against an NFC East opponent, the defense will almost assuredly have to dominate so that neither Dallas QB is forced to play the hero.

It promises to be an impactful week in the division as the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants take their combined 13-2 record into some critical matchups. We know at least one of them won’t be coming away as a winner.

Let’s hope it ain’t us.