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Giants Have Two-Game Lead With Five to Go

The formula for the Giants to win the NFC East is simple the rest of the way: win four of the next five and they’re in. They probably won’t do that, and may not have to. The Cowboys and Redskins are both two games back with five to go, and they would both have to basically win all five the way to have a chance at the title.

That is why this game between the Giants and Redskins this week is so important. If the Giants win, they sweep the Redskins and put them three games back in the division with four games to go. The Redskins effectively fall four games back, because the Giants would have the tiebreaker over them. A victory also raises the Giants’ division record to 3-2 with only the decimated Eagles left on their schedule.

If the Redskins beat the Giants, that all changes dramatically. They pull one game behind the Giants in the standings and would be 3-1 in the division, guaranteeing them no worse than a tie with New York. The Skins last four games are vs Baltimore, Cleveland, Philly and Dallas. If they beat the Giants and win only three of those games they are still only 9-7. May not be enough.

Enter the Cowboys, who split their games with the Giants this season. They are also 2-2 in the division. Should the Giants beat the Redskins this week, they can only keep pace by beating the Eagles at home. Both teams would be 3-2 in the NFC East. Dallas does not have much wiggle room and they face Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Washington in their final four games. If anyone sees them doing any better than splitting those games, they are dreaming, plain and simple. Cincinnati is tough, as we know. Pittsburgh will have Ben back by then. The Saints are a nightmare for any defense, and didn’t we just watch the Redskins beat the Cowboys in Dallas…?

They best Dallas can finish is 10-6, but would need the Giants to go 3-2 to tie. The Boys can win the division if one of those Giants losses are to Washington or Philadelphia. They can also win the division if they finish with the same record as the Giants in the standings and vs the division and a better record vs common opponents. There’s too much football to be played yet, so fleshing out those scenarios right now would be a bit premature. An 8-8 or 9-7 finish is probably what they’re looking at.

NFC EAST

TEAM NEW YORK GIANTS (7-4) DALLAS (5-6) WASHINGTON (5-6)
OPP. RECORD 32-23 (.582) 25-30 (.455) 27-28 (.491)
WEEK 13 at Washington (5-6) Philadelphia (3-8) New York Giants (7-4)
WEEK 14 New Orleans (5-6) at Cincinnati (6-5) Baltimore (9-2)
WEEK 15 at Atlanta (10-1) Pittsburgh (6-5) at Cleveland (3-8)
WEEK 16 at Baltimore (9-2) New Orleans (5-6) at Philadelphia (3-8)
WEEK 17 Philadelphia (3-8) at Washington (5-6) Dallas (5-6)