Pennsylvania teams were not kind to the Washington Commanders over the past few days. First, Washington dropped a Week 10 one-point loss at home, 28-27, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was the team's first loss at Northwest Stadium this season.

After a quick turnaround, the Commanders then dropped their Week 11 Thursday Night Football matchup to the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-18. The two-game slide is Washington's first consecutive loss this season and moves them into second place behind Philadelphia in the division.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels opted for short throws to tight ends rather than deep shots to his wide receivers; Terry McLaurin didn't see his first target until the third quarter. Daniels also threw his third interception of the season late in the game.

The Commanders' defense also had a rough go in the second half of both games. The defense started out dominant against Pittsburgh before letting up a 10-point lead. Against Philadelphia, the defense held their own until the fourth quarter, when running back Saquon Barkley ripped through for two touchdowns -- one a 23-yard run and the other a 39-yard run. The 10-day break before facing another divisional opponent when the Dallas Cowboys come to town will likely offer much-needed rest on both sides of the ball.

As the Commanders soak in their extended break before suiting up for Week 12, let's take a look around the rest of the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)

Philadelphia finished their short week against divisional opponents 2-2, first beating the Dallas Cowboys, 34-6, and then the Commanders, 26-18.

Against the Commanders, the Eagles faltered early, with quarterback Jalen Hurts completing less than half of his passes for 42 yards. Hurts also took a hard sack on the pass rush from linebacker Frankie Luvu which prompted him to be evaluated for a concussion before halftime. Hurts returned to the game, however, and took control of the offense. He completed his next 14 passes, finishing the night with a 64.2 completion percentage for 221 yards.

The Eagles' defense rebounded from an early Commanders' touchdown drive and seemed to be finding their footing in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme. Their most impressive play came midway through the fourth quarter when the defense put a stop to a Commanders' fourth-and-two yard try at their own 26-yard line. The play allowed Philadelphia to keep a two-point lead with possession and ultimately helped the Eagles win the game.

Despite their offensive and defensive prowess, Philadelphia might have an unexpected problem on their hands -- kicker Jake Elliot missed his first two field goal attempts wide right and later missed an extra point try. With those mishaps, the Eagles left seven points on the field and a chance to take the lead in the game earlier than the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia now holds a 1 ½-game lead over the Commanders for first place in the division. The two will meet again, this time in Landover, on Dec. 22.

Dallas Cowboys (3-6)

With quarterback Dak Prescott out due to season-ending surgery on his hamstring's partial tendon avulsion, Cooper Rush took the helm of the Cowboys' offense for the first time against the Eagles. Rush didn't have his best outing, throwing for 45 yards with a 56.5 completion percentage and two costly fumbles which added to the team's offensive woes.

Rush appeared on this week's injury report with a neck strain, although he practiced in full and will likely be good to go for Monday Night's bout with the Houston Texans. Star edge rusher Micah Parsons returned from injury against the Eagles, adding much-needed strength to their defense. Houston will need a plan to keep Parsons in check, or he'll wreak havoc.

On Thursday, Dallas officially named running back Rico Dowdle the lead back which ends the team's by-committee approach. Dowdle has led the Cowboys in carries in six of the eight matchups he has played in this season and had three receptions for 53 yards against the Eagles. In contrast, the Texans' offense is injury-riddled with wide receiver Stefon Diggs out for the season with an ACL injury and top-rated running back Nico Collins recently activated off injured reserve. The Cowboys' run defense ranks as one of the lowest in the league, so the Texans will likely try to exploit that as much as possible, especially with running back Joe Mixon catching fire.

Dallas has yet to win at home this season and hosting the in-state rival Texans might not feel like home field advantage. Both teams are coming into Monday Night Football with losing streaks, albeit Dallas' is double Houston's. For the Cowboys' to get back in the win column, they'll need to utilize Parsons as much as possible to put pressure on quarterback CJ Stroud and minimize the use of their running backs.

New York Giants (2-8)

New York dropped their fifth-straight game to the Carolina Panthers in overtime, 20-17. The loss sets the Giants up to have the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and puts a damper on their playoff hopes this season.

Things don't look good for quarterback Daniel Jones, who didn't have the best showing in Germany. Jones threw for 190 yards for a completion percentage of 59.5 with two turnovers. In a Monday press conference, Head Coach Brian Daboll didn't commit to Jones starting Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which possibly opens the door for the return of quarterback Tommy Devito after the Giants' Week 11 bye.

Tampa Bay also has a Week 11 bye, meaning they will also be rested when they head to MetLife Stadium. The Buccaneers dropped a close three-point game to the San Francisco 49ers, who welcomed back running back Christian McCaffrey, in Week 10. The Buccaneers claimed safety Mike Edwards off waivers on Thursday, bolstering their defense for a playoff push.

It is unlikely, however, that the Buccaneers will get star wide receiver Mike Evans back after the break. Evans was put on IR after a hamstring injury in Week 7 and Head Coach Todd Bowles still considers him to be week to week. The Giants' defense has been one of its stronger assets this season, which could be good news for New York against Tampa Bay. They'll need to exploit the Buccaneers' offensive injuries if the Giants want to have a chance at winning the game.