Despite the Washington Commanders' Week 6 loss to the Ravens, there are still many bright spots to be noted. First, Washington still sits atop the division with one win separating it from Philadelphia. Additionally, rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil recorded his first interception, which also marked the team's first of the season. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin continued to connect with quarterback Jayden Daniels and prove the duo to be a threat downfield, recording his third touchdown in four consecutive weeks for the first time since 2021.
Above all, Washington kept the final score to 30-23, losing by seven points to a team that was one game from going to a Super Bowl last year. It's an impressive feat for a team in the middle of a rebuild and continues the hope for what's to come in the future.
The Commanders will shake off the loss and come back home to face the struggling Panthers on Sunday. Losing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste are big blows to Washington's secondary. It's important that the Commanders not overlook the Panthers' record or struggles with personnel to avoid a trap game and keep their spot at the top of the division.
As Washington prepares to take on Carolina at home Sunday, let's take a look around the rest of the division.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
Coming off a bye week and into one of the NFL's most storied rivalry games, Philadelphia is looking to keep their momentum with a win in New York. While former Giants running back Saquon Barkley says he has no ill-will toward his former team, he's not going to let up on them either. His return to MetLife adds more fuel to both sides, as each team wants to show they got the better end of the deal.
The Eagles are one of the few teams in the league who don't operate with a backfield by committee, and Barkley has been used consistently as the lone back. The bitter atmosphere created by Giants' fans is something he'll have to contend with each time he touches the ball, although Barkley might see a lighter share of the load thanks to the return of top receiving threats A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Philadelphia will be without starting left tackle Jordan Mailata, which is a blow to their revamped offensive line, as well as tight end Dallas Goedert. The Eagles defense has been struggling under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, with one of the worst run-defenses in the league allowing 4.8 yards per carry with 3.39 of those yards coming after contact. With Devin Singletary likely back in the lineup for New York, the Eagles will need to tighten up their run defense if they want to keep him in check.
Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
In Week 6, Dallas was blown out at home 47-9 by the well-rested Lions. The game marked the fourth loss in a row at AT&T Stadium, with the Cowboys last win at home posted on Dec. 30 against none other than Detroit.
Luckily for the Cowboys, they have a bye week to think things over and figure out how to proceed before their Week 8 game at San Francisco. The offense has been stunted, with both star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott admitting to being disjointed earlier this week. Lamb connected with Prescott on just seven of his 14 targets in the loss, one of which turned into a costly red zone interception.
The off week will be most helpful to the Cowboys' defense, who have been injury riddled for the past couple of weeks. Missing both linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence for the second consecutive week didn't do Dallas' defense any favors, as the 47 points allowed to the Lions was the most given up since 2020, when they allowed Cleveland to score 49 points.
With the trade deadline looming on Nov. 5, Cowboys' Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones has been candid that he will not make a move ahead of the deadline. With new personnel likely off the table, the Cowboys will have to get over their offensive woes to defeat the 49ers, who have a dominant defense led by linebacker Fred Warner.
New York Giants (2-4)
Even without offensive stars Malik Nabers and Singletary, the Giants kept a close game with the Bengals thanks to the work of nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. The defensive menace got to Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow for a sack, as well as recording two solo tackles and an assisted tackle. Lawrence, along with edge rusher Brian Burns, didn't practice Wednesday but both immediately squashed the notion they wouldn't face the Eagles Sunday.
It will be the first time New York hosts Barkley since he signed with the division rival in the offseason. HBO's Hard Knocks: Offseason heavily publicized the Giants' desire to keep Barkley, although no deal was reached. It will likely be a prove it-type game on both sides of the ball.
With Nabers, Singletary and wide receiver Darius Slayton all practicing, albeit on a limited basis, there is hope for the Giants that their offense could be back to 100% by Sunday's game. As previously noted, the Eagles' run defense is struggling, and the Giants have no problem exploiting it with Singletary. Playing at MetLife, the home-game atmosphere is also in New York's favor. Not in the Giants favor, however, is that Philadelphia is well rested coming off a bye and is riding a Week 4 win over the Browns.
