NFC East

It's looking increasingly like Odell Beckham Jr. will not be a Dallas Cowboy.

Owner Jerry Jones made his weekly appearance Tuesday on Shan & RJ on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan, saying the chances of Beckham signing in Dallas diminish every day.

"I don't have an assessment of that, but as of this morning we don't have anything," Jones said. "I don't have an assessment. The reality is, though, that time is moving down the road relative to playing in the playoffs, and so every day diminishes our chances of going forward."

Beckham met with the Cowboys, New York Giants and Buffalo Bills this month as he explored his options for a return from a torn ACL. The three-time Pro Bowler said he does not plan to play during the regular season.

"I haven't made a decision, and for me, I would like to be in a stable environment, get up at 6 a.m., leave at 6 p.m. for four weeks, and then let's talk about it," Beckham said this month on TNF in the Shop. "I've played football for a long time. I'm not saying that I couldn't step in and play regular season, but I don't see the point. I really don't. I would rather play when the pressure is on."

The longer the situation plays out, the more likely it is Beckham sits out the entire 2022 season and reenters the free-agency pool this offseason. Sitting out would allow Beckham to be fully recovered from the ACL tear suffered in Super Bowl LVI—his second in as many seasons—while increasing the suitor pool and driving up his potential asking price.

Still, Beckham is a 30-year-old who has not made a Pro Bowl since 2016 and has a questionable knee. His name value is much higher than his expected production value.

With the Cowboys signing T.Y. Hilton last week as well, there's no real reason for urgency in Dallas.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is dealing with a sprained shoulder that could jeopardize his status for a Week 16 clash against the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter added the team doesn't expect this to be a long-term issue for its starting signal-caller, though Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported he could be out for Philly's next two games.

John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia added that the injury is "not serious" and that Hurts is expected to be ready for the playoffs.

PhillyVoice.com's Jimmy Kempski initially reported Hurts underwent X-rays for an undisclosed injury following Sunday's 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears.

The Eagles handed Hurts the keys to the offense when they traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. Hurts proceeded to guide Philadelphia into the playoffs, while Wentz's Week 18 performance helped cost Indianapolis a postseason berth.

In his first full season as the starter, Hurts threw for 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 784 yards and 10 scores.

The 2020 second-round pick proved Philadelphia right in moving on from Wentz and looked like he might be a long-term solution at quarterback.

Hurts' performance in the Wild Card Round (23-of-43 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) showed he still has some improvements to make, though, in order to take the next step up.

He appears to have done just that with 3,472 passing yards and 747 rushing yards through 14 games.

The Eagles acquired Gardner Minshew from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 to serve as Hurts' backup, and he was pressed into duty twice a season ago.

Minshew has a clear ceiling, hence Jacksonville's decision to select Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, but the fourth-year signal-caller if needed is a solid stopgap who has performed well enough when given starting opportunities.

Playoff spots will be on the line during Week 16 of the NFL season.

The league released the various playoff-clinching scenarios for the upcoming slate Monday:

AFC

• Buffalo Bills: Clinch AFC East with win over Chicago Bears OR Miami Dolphins loss (to Green Bay Packers)
• Cincinnati Bengals: Clinch playoff berth with win over New England Patriots OR New York Jets loss (to Jacksonville Jaguars)
• Baltimore Ravens: Clinch playoff berth with either 1. win over Atlanta Falcons paired with losses by the Jets and Patriots OR 2. win over Falcons paired with losses by the Jets and Dolphins OR 3. win over Falcons paired with losses by the Patriots and Dolphins
• Los Angeles Chargers: Clinch playoff berth with win over Indianapolis Colts paired with losses by the Jets, Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders (to Pittsburgh Steelers)

NFC

• Philadelphia Eagles: Clinch NFC East and NFC's No. 1 seed with win over Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants: Clinch playoff berth with either 1. win over Minnesota Vikings paired with losses by the Detroit Lions (to the Carolina Panthers) and Seattle Seahawks (to Kansas City Chiefs) OR 2. win over Vikings paired with losses by Lions and Washington Commanders (to San Francisco 49ers) OR 3. win over Vikings paired with losses by Seahawks and Commanders

There are a number of games with playoff implications that stand out, but the headliner is the showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

It is a marquee matchup whenever these two rivals square off, and Philadelphia can send a message by clinching the top seed with a head-to-head victory. Fortunately for the Eagles, they will likely end up with the No. 1 seed even with a loss since they would still be two games ahead of the Cowboys and at least one game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings.

As if the rivalry and playoff stakes weren't enough, Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons added another layer to this contest with comments he made during a discussion with Von Miller on The Voncast:

Parsons suggested Philadelphia's "system and team" is more responsible for Jalen Hurts' MVP candidacy than the quarterback's individual talents.

There is something to be said about Hurts benefiting from a strong offensive line while throwing to the likes of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but the comments will be framed as bulletin-board material for Hurts and the Eagles as they look to clinch a division crown.

And Parsons will be under plenty of pressure to perform well for a Cowboys team looking to bounce back from a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Monday the team will not bench Taylor Heinicke after Sunday's 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.

"The biggest thing more than anything else is sticking with Taylor and what we're trying to accomplish," Rivera told reporters.

The coach indicated a quarterback change could still come if things don't improve for the 7-6-1 squad.

"It is something to be quite frank, I do have to think about at some point," Rivera added. "But if we get back on track and play the way we've played and do the things we've done, then we'll stick where we are."

Carson Wentz, who started the first six games of the season, was activated from injured reserve last week after dealing with a finger injury.

The Commanders acquired Wentz in an offseason trade with the Indianapolis Colts, although he struggled in the new location with 10 passing touchdowns and six interceptions in six games, producing an 84.1 passer rating.

Washington was just 2-4 in his starts.

The team has fared better with Heinicke under center, going 5-2-1 in his eight eight games, although the last two starts resulted in a tie and loss to the New York Giants.

Heinicke also hasn't been much better on an individual level, totaling 10 touchdowns with five interceptions and an 87.7 rating.

He ranks 27th in the NFL in Total QBR, while Wentz is 31st of 33 qualified players.

The Commanders have been good enough to overcome mediocre quarterback play this year, ranking fourth in the NFL in total yards allowed and ninth in points allowed. It's kept them in playoff position entering Week 16, half a game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions for the last wild-card spot.

Heinicke will keep his starting job ahead of next Saturday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, but he might have a short leash if he continues to struggle.

While plenty of notable quarterbacks rarely shy away from showing their frustration on the sideline, the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts looks to keep an even keel.

"I want those guys to look me in the eyes and know there's not a doubt," he said, per the Delaware News Journal's Martin Frank. "And to know that with the preparation we put in together that we'll find a way. I want them to have that trust in me."

That approach contrasts with Tom Brady's demeanor on the sideline. No tablet is safe when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trailing, and his teammates will hear about it if he doesn't think they're performing well enough:

The same goes for Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers, who isn't above throwing his teammates under the bus, either.

No two players are the same. While Brady and Rodgers' success speaks for itself, not every quarterback has to mirror their demeanor.

Hurts' more measured attitude is serving him well, too. The Eagles own the NFL's best record at 13-1, and their starting quarterback is a candidate for MVP with 3,472 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to go along with 747 yards and 13 scores on the ground.

The battle for NFL MVP is increasingly a two-player race.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts remains the odds-on favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, coming in at -150 ($150 bet wins $100). Patrick Mahomes is in second place at +165, and no other player sits better than +1000.

NFL MVP Odds

1. Jalen Hurts (-150)
2. Patrick Mahomes (+165)
3. Josh Allen (+1000)
4. Joe Burrow (+1000)

The quarterbacks are the only players with odds lower than 100-1, so we can be reasonably certain one of these four stars will walk away with the trophy.

Hurts, Allen and Burrow would all be first-time MVP winners. Hurts has the Eagles at 13-1 as he's emerged as one of the most dynamic dual threats in football. He's thrown for 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns against five interceptions while adding 747 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

While Sunday's 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field was by far not his best performance of the season, he came through with three rushing scores to keep Philly undefeated on the road.

Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (4,496), touchdowns (35) and QBR (79.8) to spearhead the Kansas City Chiefs' 11-3 record. He threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 30-24 overtime win over the Houston Texans in a near-flawless effort to clinch the AFC West for Kansas City.

Peter King of NBC Sports still gave Hurts the nod on his ballot but noted he would also be fine with Mahomes or Allen winning the award. Allen threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns while adding 77 yards on the ground to earn a 32-29 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday in a Game of the Year candidate.

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The Washington Commanders had the chance to complete an improbable comeback against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, but they were doomed by some questionable officiating.

Trailing by eight with under two minutes left in the game, Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke drove the team down to the Giants goal line. When it looked like rookie running back Brian Robinson punched in a touchdown, the referees threw a flag for illegal formation because star receiver Terry McLaurin was deemed to be not lined up properly.

While that call felt egregious since McLaurin told reporters after the game that he had confirmed the legality of his pre-snap alignment with the referee, fans at FedEx Field were even more incensed after Heinicke's fourth-down throw to the end zone.

The ball bounced off the hand of receiver Curtis Samuel, but a closer look showed a clear and obvious pass interference by Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes. Only this time, the referees swallowed their whistle, sealing a 20-12 loss for Washington in front of its home crowd.

The inconsistent officiating in the crucial moments of Sunday night's game drew the ire of NFL Twitter, as many unloaded on the referees after the game:

Officiating in the NFL has been the subject of controversy throughout the 2022 season. Along with roughing the passer calls, pass interference penalties have fallen under a microscope because of the inconsistencies in how the rules are being enforced.

Washington had overcome an 11-point halftime deficit to make it a one-score game. Heinicke has proven to be able to come up clutch when needed, but he wasn't given a chance this time because the referees took over the spotlight.

The Commanders (7-6-1) are still hoping to make a push for the playoffs, so they will have to regroup quickly and turn the page to next week's game against the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) on Christmas Eve.

The Cowboys entered the 2022 season with the same goal as every season in Dallas—win the franchise's first Super Bowl since 1995. And for much of the season, the team appeared to have at least a decent chance of doing just that.

Despite quarterback Dak Prescott missing a chunk of the season, the Cowboys headed into Week 15 as a 10-win team that needed just one more victory to lock up a playoff spot.

However, for the second time in as many weeks, Dallas didn't play especially well against a sub-.500 team. While the Cowboys were able survive a spotty performance against the Houston Texans last week, a second-half collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars led to an overtime loss on Sunday that essentially eliminated any chance Dallas had of repeating as NFC East champions.

This mini-slump has raised legitimate questions about the viability of the Cowboys as a contender. The offense is committing mistakes at critical points in the games. A defense that was among the best in league for much of the season has struggled and is now banged up.

The Cowboys are still going to make the playoffs. But Dallas will all but certainly spend the 2022 playoffs on the road. And given how the team has recently fared away from AT&T Stadium, it's hard to see Dallas winning three straight road playoff games to advance to Super Bowl LVII.

For a good portion of Sunday's game, it appeared Dallas was going to shake off the funk from last week's spotty outing against the Texans. Dallas built a 21-7 lead at the half and led 27-10 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. The offense was moving the ball consistently, scoring points on five of its first seven drives. The defense was winning at the line of scrimmage, harassing Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and causing turnovers.

The Cowboys appeared to be cruising toward a postseason berth. Then the wheels fell off.

Even while the Cowboys were winning, there were warning signs that all was not well. Prescott has been turning the ball over with alarming frequency, including interceptions in four of his past five games entering Sunday. He threw multiple interceptions in three of those contests. Prescott's interception percentage of 3.6 percent was the second-worst in the league, and Prescott himself admitted to reporters that he has to cut down on the giveaways.

"I don't like throwing interceptions," Prescott said. "That's what bothers me. It has nothing to do with what other people say or how other people feel. It's something that I've never enjoyed, never liked, never had that accepted as a standard for myself. ... I've just got to dial that in a little bit [and] heighten that focus. But as far as the decision-making and all that, it's tough because I'm not going to change that. I'm going to continue to stay aggressive. … I've just got to stop throwing interceptions. Whether they're picked, deflected, whatever. It just can't happen anymore."

Well, it happened anymore—twice.

After the Jaguars scored a touchdown to close the gap to 27-17, Prescott's first pass attempt of the following drive was intercepted by Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins. The Jags quickly scored another touchdown, and just like that, it was a new ballgame.

In overtime, Prescott threw another pick to Jenkins—and this time it was returned for the game-sealing score.

After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy chalked it up as just a bad break.

"Unlucky bounce for us," McCarthy said. "Great play by them."

Prescott wasn't solely to blame to the Cowboys' collapse. The same Dallas defense that was dominant in the first half had no answers for the Jaguars after intermission. By the time Jenkins high-stepped into the end zone to end the game, the Cowboys had allowed a whopping 503 yards of offense. Lawrence topped 300 passing yards and tossed four touchdowns. Travis Etienne topped 100 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Zay Jones went over 100 yards and found the end zone three times.

The Cowboys also suffered a pair of potentially significant injuries in the game. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (the team's leading tackler entering Week 15) and edge-rusher Dorance Armstrong (second on the team with eight sacks) both left against the Jaguars and did not return.

It was not a performance on either side of the ball that inspired confidence in Dallas' viability as a Super Bowl contender. While speaking with reporters after the loss, Prescott said there's nothing to do but put the loss behind them.

"We've got to move on, just like any other week," Prescot said. "… It's about, at this point, building and trying to clean up and learn from our mistakes to make sure we're carrying momentum—week after week—as we move forward and get into the postseason."

McCarthy agreed that the Cowboys need to have a short memory, in part because of the team coming to Dallas on Christmas Eve.

"Definitely disappointed," said McCarthy. "... We'll take a look at this on the buses and on the [flight] home because when we touch down, we've gotta turn the page [to the Eagles on Christmas Eve]. We'll keep working, and we'll react properly to this."

Given how the Cowboys have played the past two weeks, it's not easy to imagine Dallas beating a one-loss Eagles team. Beating Dallas on Saturday would seal the NFC East in favor of Philadelphia. Things don't get any easier for the Cowboys from there, either.

In Week 17, the Cowboys head to Nashville to face a desperate Titans team trying to cling to first place in the AFC South. Then it's on to Washington to face the Commanders, which are desperate to remain in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

Now, neither the Titans nor the Commanders are unbeatable by any stretch. But given that the Cowboys have lost three of four on the road, a skid to end the season can't be ruled out.

In any event, the Cowboys will be hitting the road once the postseason starts. If they can hold on to the No. 4 seed, Dallas would be favored against the NFC South "champion." The Cowboys have a blowout win over the second-seeded Vikings as well. To be fair, when Dallas is playing at the top of its game, it can beat anyone—including the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

But it's been awhile since we saw the Cowboys at anything near their best. Instead, it has been sloppy, turnover-filled offense and distressingly porous defense. At a time in the season when teams are trying to build momentum for the playoffs, the Cowboys are barreling in the wrong direction.

That nearly three-decade Super Bowl drought appears to be on the verge of getting one year longer.