Three weeks ago, before the NFL trade deadline, the NFC East race looked all but decided. The Giants were 2–7, the Commanders sat at 3–6, the Cowboys were 3–5–1 and appeared defeated, and the Eagles were atop the entire NFC at 6–2.
Since then, now entering Week 13, things have changed quite a bit.
With five weeks remaining before the playoffs, the NFC East race has heated up between the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (8–4) and the Dallas Cowboys (6–5–1).
And the two teams find themselves in very different places right now.
The Cowboys are riding high on a three-game winning streak. They’re still on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, but they have the momentum, and now the talent, to make a late-season push.
However, in Philadelphia, the vibes are as gloomy as the weather has been this past week. A storm has been brewing over the City of Brotherly Love for some time, and it has finally begun to thunder and lightning.
With the season winding down, every game matters even more. Both teams need to step up if they want to secure the division title, or, in the Cowboys’ case, even a playoff berth.
Ironically, a similar situation unfolded in 2023. The Eagles led the division at 10–1, while the Cowboys trailed at 8–3, two games behind.
That’s when a historic collapse occurred, something most media outlets didn’t see coming, though this sports reporter saw it coming from a mile away.
Philadelphia lost five of its final six games, while Dallas went 4–2 down the stretch to snatch the NFC East title.
They say history repeats itself, usually not as quickly as two years, but it looks like another legendary finish may be on the horizon.
Let’s begin with Philadelphia.
The Eagles are an interesting team to watch and cover.
The talent is certainly on the roster; they literally won it all just nine months ago.
But all season long, something has felt off. They’re winning games, but not convincingly, and at some point, that has to raise concerns, right?
For Philly fans, though, the answer is no. They would say, “All that matters is winning. Who cares how it happens? Back-to-back incoming.”
Now, in Week 13, following back-to-back losses to the Cowboys and Bears, there’s finally an uproar, arguably a bit over the top, if I may say so myself.
What most fans and members of the local and national media took issue with was offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
They said, “The play calls are bland. He doesn’t know how to call plays. He is the reason the offense doesn’t look good.”
I won’t completely disagree, but it also reaches a point where your Super Bowl-winning head coach, Nick Sirianni, offensive-minded, mind you, and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts simply aren’t holding up their end of the bargain.
I’ll admit, I’ve held these opinions since Week 3, after the 33–26 win over the Rams, which featured two blocked field goals. I said at the time, “The offense is lackluster and is going to cost them later in the season and in the playoffs. Something has to change.”
But I heard pushback from everyone: “They’ll be fine.”
Fast-forward to early December, and people are finally seeing my vision come to fruition.
First, if the playcalling and physical execution are struggling on offense, Sirianni has to step in.
Whether that means taking over playcalling himself, yes, it hasn’t worked in the past; there are examples, such as Lions coach Dan Campbell, who recently took over playcalling because he knew a change was necessary.
Or he could appoint another coach to handle those duties.
You can’t keep doubling and tripling down on the premature promotion of Patullo.
Making a decisive change would at least assure the fanbase that steps are being taken to improve the offense.
Secondly, Hurts is finally starting to face some criticism for his play on the field.
He struggled against the Bears on Black Friday; there’s no other way to put it.
Missed throws, poor decision-making, a lack of pre-snap adjustments, overall, it was just a bad performance.
And that’s the kind of player he becomes when the running game isn’t working or when he doesn’t have a top-tier offensive coordinator like Kellen Moore, who guided him last season.
There are two common denominators between 2025 and 2023; do the math, folks.
When the offense struggles as much as it has, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL in nearly every major offensive statistic, it puts immense pressure on the defense.
And when the defense struggles or has an off day, the entire team can look lost.
If the offense manages to click, they could certainly be a Super Bowl contender, but that remains to be seen.
Ahead, the Eagles face the Chargers, Raiders, Commanders (twice), and Bills.
If their struggles continue and the losses keep piling up, Philly could not only lose the NFC East lead but also risk falling out of playoff contention entirely, with just 2.5 wins separating the first and tenth seeds.
Could Philadelphia win four of their next five games and enter the playoffs on a hot streak? Yes, certainly, but given how the season has gone so far, we’ll have to wait and see what unfolds.
Now, let’s focus on America’s Team.
After a brutal Monday Night Football loss to the Cardinals, Cowboys fans were already scouring mock drafts for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Not even 24 hours later, Jerry Jones did what he does best: make headlines.
Trading for DT Quinnen Williams turned out to be the best in-season acquisition since WR Amari Cooper in 2018–19.
Sports media across the country initially mocked the move.
“Their season is over. Why would they trade for an interior lineman? They should have kept Micah Parsons.”
Well, it looks like Jones and company may have outsmarted most of the NFL community.
The move completely transformed the Cowboys’ struggling defense, especially with LB DeMarvion Overshown and CB Shavon Revel Jr. returning from IR.
Add in the acquisition of LB Logan Wilson, and four key players can indeed transform an entire unit.
After the blowout win against the Raiders, some skepticism remained about the 2025 Cowboys, but following victories over the Eagles and Chiefs, hope is back.
But will it be too late?
Dallas is currently the ninth seed, trailing the Lions and 49ers for a Wild Card spot and sitting 1.5 games behind the Eagles in the division race.
If Dallas can win out against the Lions, Vikings, Chargers, Commanders, and Giants, they’d lock up the NFC East if Philly loses two games.
If the Eagles were to lose three of their next five games, the Cowboys could afford a loss.
The Wild Card race would then be wide open, with many of the top NFC teams facing each other down the stretch.
But as I’ve always been told as a football player: control what you can control.
The Cowboys need to focus on winning their own games, and everything else will sort itself out.
Let me start by saying I doubted Dallas could make the playoffs, simply because they put themselves in such a hole.
I still believe that losses to Arizona and Carolina, two teams that they are clearly better than, will end up being the most costly when the season concludes.
But if they can beat Detroit on Thursday Night Football, I’ll truly believe they’re a legitimate playoff team capable of winning a couple of games in January.
The offense is as strong as I’ve ever seen it.
Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP level, George Pickens is a legitimate No. 1 receiver, Javonte Williams has exceeded expectations across the board, and Tyler Booker has proven to be a home-run first-round selection.
Defensively, Quinnen Williams has elevated everyone around him and is a dominant force in the middle. Since joining Dallas, he ranks first among defensive tackles in both total pressures (21) and pressure rate (21.9%).
With the defense’s improvement, Matt Eberflus looks like he just needed the right personnel and talent to keep and thrive at his job.
The vibes are high in Dallas, and even if they somehow fall short of the playoffs, this gives me a lot of hope that the team will be a contender next year, assuming the roster remains largely intact and they re-sign Pickens and J. Williams.
For the rest of the season, the biggest game for Dallas will always be the next one.
Final Thoughts
The final weeks of the season are sure to be entertaining, no doubt about it.
It will be interesting to see how each team responds to the challenges ahead.
My predictions are that Philadelphia will drop at least two of their remaining five games.
The offense will continue to struggle, and panic will likely set in.
I believe they’re a lock to make the playoffs, but I see a first-round exit in their future. It’s hard to imagine a team suddenly finding its footing in Week 13 and convincing fans they’re a legitimate contender again.
As for Dallas, I predict they’ll drop one of their final five games, most likely against Detroit. A loss there would be the worst-case scenario given the current seeding, with the Lions just ahead by one spot.
The Cowboys’ playoff odds would fall from 23% to 9% with a loss, but rise to 41% with a win tomorrow.
But with the Lions banged up and struggling themselves, the Cowboys could certainly turn this game into a blowout, given how strong they’ve looked recently.
Will the Eagles collapse and the Cowboys capitalize, or will Philly bounce back and crush Dallas’ playoff hopes?
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