The NFC East goes through Washington, but the Giants will be rooting for the Eagles on Sunday night.
The Giants held a 20-9 lead at half, but it looked like Dallas would complete the second-half comeback. Trailing by four points, Andy Dalton led the Cowboys to the red zone with under two minutes left, but an interception in the end zone closed the door, giving New York the 23-19 win.
A Wayne Gallman fumble with under a minute remaining was recovered by New York, proving as just false hope for Dallas.
Now New York waits.
If Washington loses, the 6-10 Giants are the NFC East champions and host a playoff game against … Tom Brady.
Editor's note: Everything below this point was written before kickoff on Sunday.
NFC East Odds
NFC East Scenarios
The way Sunday is set up, it will feel like there are two NFC East championship games on the slate.
In the early window, the Giants and Cowboys meet in an elimination game. The loser has no chance at winning the division. The winner takes the East if Washington loses on Sunday Night Football.
That makes the primetime game the actual NFC East championship.
Washington controls its own destiny. A win over the Eagles is enough to win the division even with a 7-9 record.
Dallas is the favorite in the first game, giving New York anywhere from 1.5 to 3 points. The Cowboys already own a win over the Giants this year, but Dak Prescott was the starter. Andy Dalton is running the show on Sunday for Dallas.
The Cowboys have won three games in a row to get to this point. New York is going backward, entering on a three-game losing streak.
From a betting angle, it's a prime buy-low/sell-high spot, as noted on The Favorites Podcast by Chad Millman and Simon Hunter.
Dallas doesn't have to cover. A win will do just fine.
As for Washington, the return of quarterback Alex Smith will be a boost, assuming he's healthy enough to really contribute. Smith has been battling a calf injury, and the team would turn to Taylor Heinicke if he can't go after Dwayne Haskins was released.
With news of Smith's return, Washington is a 4-point favorite against the Eagles. The Football Team is 4-1 in games started by Smith.
According to our model, Washington has a 57.3% shot at winning the division. The Giants, despite being an underdog, have the second-best projection at 23.3%. The Cowboys have a 19.4% chance.
