NFL Notebook: Early Check-In – NFC East

J.P. Flynn Blog

This is the eighth and final installment of our NFL division check-ins as the 2025 season hits the one-third mark. Catch up with our reviews from earlier this week:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West

The NFC East is either the easiest-to-read division in the NFL or the hardest. It’s either the least interesting or it’s the most. And at the six-week point of the schedule, one-third of the way through, it’s hard to tell which one.

On the surface, everything looks normal. As expected, the Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) are in first, as they pursue a repeat Super Bowl title. As expected, the Washington Commanders (3-3) are in second and a playoff hopeful. As expected, the Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1) are in third, and while they’ve had their moments, they aren’t really expected to be playing deep into January. And, as expected, the New York Giants (2-4) are bringing up the rear and have made the move to a rookie quarterback.

So, with everything going as expected, what’s the conundrum? We can start with the fact that while the standings may line up as expected, it’s still tight and the Giants have a head-to-head win over the Eagles. Even more important at this stage as that there are some things bubbling beneath the surface that suggest things could get more chaotic.

To get a handle on everything, let’s walk through each team, one by one.

EAGLES SET THE TONE WHILE SHOWING CRACKS

The champs have issues, and it comes down to big plays. Jalen Hurts plays efficient football, but he’s not getting anything down the field, even though A.J. Brown is more than capable of stretching a defense. Even more disturbing is Saquon Barkley averaging a meager 3.4 yards per carry. The defense isn’t making game-changing plays. Even though the Eagles are 4-2, it took a blocked field goal against the Los Angeles Rams to keep them above .500 at this stage. And they rank a mediocre 15^th in the league for points scored and 19^th for points allowed.

What’s interesting is that the offense’s problem is not on the line. This unit, so vital to Philly’s championship run last year, is playing well and getting exceptional play from the tackles, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. This is just about playmakers not coming through and it’s not any more complicated than that.

The defensive side of the ball is a different story. Here, the Eagle front—another signature strength in 2024—isn’t playing particularly well and Jalen Carter is the primary culprit. The secondary has issues at the safety spots, so Philadelphia’s defensive success hinges on Carter and the rest of the front getting into form.

If you’re a Philadelphia fan, the good news is that if you’re biggest problem is Saquon Barkley not playing up to form, that’s something that will probably work itself out. But for now, the Eagles are showing some cracks.

IMPROVED DEFENSE IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL

The Commander defense needed to be better this year, and they have been. An improved front seven, led by outside linebacker Dorance Armstrong and his 5 ½ sacks is the key reason why. Bobby Wagner is still going strong at inside linebacker, continuing a career that will almost certainly lead him to Canton.

Offensively, Washington’s gotten some improvement on the offensive line. A unit that was a problem a year ago is now at least good on the left side. With running back Jacony Crosby-Merritt having rushed for 344 yards at almost six yards a carry, Jayden Daniels doesn’t have to carry the load by himself anymore.

Daniels, coming off his dazzling Offensive Rookie Year of the Year season a year ago, needs to play more efficiently and lift that 62 percent completion rate. But he’s staying clear of mistakes, and his team is lurking.

FIREPOWER ON OFFENSE, FRAGILE ON DEFENSE: THE COWBOY STORY

The Cowboys have been the most predictable of the four teams in this division. They looked like a team that would score a lot of points and give up a lot of points. With team ranks of 3^rd in the NFL for points scored and 31^st in points allowed, they’ve played to expectations.

Nor is there reason to expect anything to change. Trading Chandler Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before the season started signaled that the Cowboys would rebuild the defense this year. Second-round draft pick Donovan Ezeiruaka, a defensive end out of Boston College, is the only notable player on this side of the ball.

Dak Prescott has played well, completing 72 percent of his passes and playing reasonably mistake-free. But with a 7.1 yards-per-attempt that tracks closely to the league average, I’m not sure if it’s MVP-caliber, as is being circulated in some media circles. Dallas is better than I thought they would be, but I still can’t see them as a playoff team, much less winning this division.

DART’S DEBUT BREATHES LIFE INTO A FLATLINING FRANCHISE

Head coach Brian Daboll pulled the trigger on the quarterback change, benching Russell Wilson and going with rookie Jaxon Dart. If you just look at the numbers, there’s no notable change. Dart completes a higher percentage of his throws, but for fewer yards per attempt. It’s a trade-off.

But to watch the change in action on their recent home win on a Thursday Night against the Eagles was to wonder if something might be brewing here. Dart’s entry into the game seemed to immediately energize the offense and New York took over from there. This is an offense that’s already getting quality play from another rookie in running back Cam Skattebo. Is this going to be a situation where the Giants catch some magic in a bottle?

They have a lot of weaknesses. Save for Andrew Thomas, their excellent left tackle, the offensive line is spotty. There are a lot of flaws in the secondary. But they’ve got some pieces—nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and outside linebacker Brian Burns are legitimate. If rookie OLB Abdul Carter can get healthy and play up to expectations, the Giants could have another fresh face making a major impact. And this season could get interesting.

THE DIVISION THAT COULD FLIP THE SCRIPT

Going into Week 7, the NFC East isn’t the best division race in the league. It isn’t the most surprising. What the NFC East is, however, is the one division that offers the promise of a surprise upending of the applecart in midseason. As such, I would submit that between now and Thanksgiving, when this space does our next check-in, the NFC East is the most worth keeping an eye on. Either Philadelphia will lock in and put this to bed early. Or the unlikely stories that emerge every year will come out of this corner of the league.

This wraps up our early NFL division tour — a snapshot of where every race stands one-third through the season.

FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE DIAMOND (AND HARDWOOD)

With our early check-ins on each NFL division complete, this space will be focused on baseball next week. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the World Series and we’re waiting to find out if the Seattle Mariners or Toronto Blue Jays will join them. That will happen either Sunday night or Monday night, and when that happens, we’ll review both League Championship Series and assess why they went down as they did. Next Friday, the World Series begins, and we’ll have a preview posted that morning.

And the NBA gets rolling next week too. In addition to our baseball postseason coverage, we’ll lean into some early basketball commentary.

Be sure and check back! And don’t miss the chance to travel into MLB’s great past. Our free download, The LCS Chronicles, Vol. 1 (1969–80), a 20-page companion celebrating the early years of the League Championship Series, is available. Click here to learn more and download today.