Last season, the NFC South was the NFL's worst division. Their division leader, the Carolina Panthers, went to the playoffs despite having a losing record. The NFC South is not great this year; in fact, only one team in the division has a winning record. However, they are still better than the NFC East this season.
With the Washington Commanders’ 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, every team in the NFC East lost their Week 6 game. That cemented their place in NFL history after none of the teams in the division won a game in Week 5, despite the Commanders playing the Giants. It was the first time every team in a division went two weeks winless.
NFC East made history, going two straight weeks without a win. https://t.co/xMtbduIJio
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 20, 2026
It is possible this trend could continue into Week 7, but it most likely will not. Washington has a bye while the Giants face the Houston Texans, who are on a two-game win streak after starting the year 0-4.
The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Philadelphia Eagles. But with how poorly both teams have been performing, and given the fact that the last game between two NFC East opponents ended in a tie, it is possible this game could also end in a tie. However, that's unlikely, since these teams have never tied against each other in 134 games.
It's surprising that the NFC East is really surprising, considering that two NFC East teams, the Commanders and the Eagles, met in the NFC Championship Game in 2024. Philadelphia also won the Super Bowl that year, and they have been in the playoffs every year since 2021 and played in the Super Bowl in 2022.
For three of these teams, the main reason is injuries. The Giants lost quarterback Jaxson Dart back in Week 2, leaving them with Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy. Philadelphia has been decimated by injuries, most recently losing quarterback Jalen Hurts for the rest of the season due to blood clots in his lungs. Washington has also dealt with many injuries, including losing quarterback Jayden Daniels for a few weeks. Their top wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, is also feared to be out for the season.
But for Dallas, they do not have any excuses. All of their top playmakers are available on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Dak Prescott has not dealt with any injuries, nor have receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Nevertheless, their offense has been completely stagnant the past two weeks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers.
One of these teams will make the playoffs. Right now, it looks like whoever plays the NFC East champion won't face a very good team, and that team may also have a backup quarterback.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFC East makes wrong kind of history with Commanders MNF loss to 49ers
