NFC East

If there is a silver lining for the Philadelphia Eagles following Monday's shocking loss to the Washington Commanders, it is the removal of the pressure to go undefeated as the season progresses.

"I know guys got long faces, but me personally—of course I want to win—but now all this 17-0 s--t is over with," wide receiver A.J. Brown said, per Tim McManus and Josh Keim of ESPN.

"Now we're going to wake up—how are you going to respond? This is a game that we all love to play and sometimes you get hit in the mouth. How do you respond? ... I hope we get up and start fighting back and I feel like we will."

Brown had just one catch for seven yards, and a potential deep connection bounced off his hands and into the air for a Washington interception.

It would have been a difficult catch, but it was part of the theme for a team that ended with four turnovers after posting just three in the previous eight games combined.

One of the turnovers came after Quez Watkins caught a deep ball going to the ground, got up to run and then fumbled as he was tackled. Another came on the final play in a desperation lateral attempt, and Washington recovered for a touchdown that clinched the 32-21 victory and made the final score seem worse than it was throughout the game.

There was even a mistake in the final two minutes, as Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was whistled for unnecessary roughness for hitting Taylor Heinicke after the quarterback had given himself up on a critical third down.

The officials also made a costly mistake against Philadelphia.

Tight end Dallas Goedert lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, but only as his facemask was grabbed and pulled to the side. There was no whistle, and Washington took over possession and eventually parlayed the turnover into a field goal.

It was a glaring mistake but wasn't the ultimate difference in the game.

In addition to the turnovers, the Eagles struggled defensively to stop Terry McLaurin (eight catches for 128 yards) and gave up two touchdowns on the ground. They were in comeback mode throughout the second half as a result and were never able to get back on track.

The NFC East leaders are still 8-1 and will have a chance to bounce back in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts without the potential distraction of undefeated talk.

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their first loss of the season when they fell to the Washington Commanders 32-21 on Monday Night Football. However, the chatter coming out of the game didn't have much to do with the players on the field.

The Eagles were on the wrong end of some questionable officiating on Monday night. There were key calls that directly affected the momentum of this game.

Early in the fourth quarter, Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert caught a pass from star quarterback Jalen Hurts and proceeded to cough up the ball. However, the referees missed an obvious facemask penalty on Washington before the fumble that would have negated the turnover. Nonetheless, the Commanders kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive for a 26-21 lead.

With the game still in reach, the Eagles were poised to get the ball back with under two minutes left if they got a stop on third down. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke gave himself up behind the line of scrimmage, and Philadelphia linebacker Brandon Graham made enough contact with him that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty and effectively sealed the victory for the Commanders (5-5).

Fans on social media were not happy with how the officiating played a part in the outcome of Monday's game, and they let their feelings be known (some tweets may contain profanity):

The Eagles still have the best record in the NFL at 8-1, but Monday's loss will not sit right with the team. If a few calls had gone their way, there's a strong chance the Eagles would still be undefeated heading into Week 11.

Instead, Philadelphia will be looking to bounce back when it visits the Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1) next Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles' dream of an undefeated season is over.

Philadelphia lost 32-21 to the Washington Commanders in an NFC East stunner at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday. Washington improved to 5-5 and is still very much alive in the wild-card race after winning its fourth game in the last five tries.

Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin and the backfield combination of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson set the tone in the first half, while the defense closed the door with a strong showing in the second half.

The offense drew plenty of praise on social media for the effort:

The Commanders must have missed the memo that they were supposed to lose without putting up a fight, as Gibson and Robinson each found the end zone with one-yard touchdown runs in the first half. Joey Slye also impressed with four field goals, including a 58-yarder to end the half, while McLaurin torched the Philadelphia secondary.

It wasn't easy, though, as Heinicke overcame multiple mistakes that nearly cost the visitors the game.

His lost fumble on a strip-sack led to the Eagles' first touchdown, and he inexplicably threw a ball up for grabs with the Commanders leading 23-21 early in the fourth quarter for a C.J. Gardner-Johnson interception.

But the defense held Jalen Hurts and Co. to seven points after the first quarter. Philadelphia turned it over four times—one of which came on a Dallas Goedert fumble on a missed facemask call—which included getting in its own way when the game was on the line.

It felt fitting that the Commanders clinched the win with a defensive touchdown, as Casey Toohill recovered a fumble as the Eagles desperately lateraled the ball on the final snap of the contest.

On Sunday, they will look to keep things rolling in a road game against the Houston Texans.

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 6-3 on the season following a 31-28 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Dallas couldn't seal the deal after carrying a 28-14 lead into the fourth quarter.

The fact the Cowboys got dragged into overtime in the first place was enough to leave fans frustrated. Head coach Mike McCarthy didn't help his cause by turning down the opportunity to kick a go-ahead field goal in the extra frame.

The Cowboys went for it on 4th-and-3 at Green Bay's 35-yard line, and Dak Prescott's pass to Tony Pollard fell incomplete. That allowed Mason Crosby to win the game with a 28-yard field goal after the Packers got the ball and drove it down the field.

Many thought McCarthy was unnecessarily aggressive and cost his team the game.

CeeDee Lamb at least gave Dallas something to take away from this loss. He may have been reading all of those rumors linking the Cowboys with free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Lamb hasn't taken the step up many were expecting after the team traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. On Sunday, though, he eclipsed 100 receiving yards—11 receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns—for the first time this season, and he may have turned the corner.

The Cowboys stay in the NFC North in Week 11 with the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings on tap. It's a game that could generate extreme reactions.

Beating Minnesota would be the perfect palate cleanser for the Cowboys, and it would allow McCarthy to assert all is well. A defeat, on the other hand, would send the fanbase into a state of panic as all of the excitement created by the team's 6-2 start would go out the window.

The New York Giants returned from their bye week and put up a 24-16 win against the Houston Texans on Sunday, and it appears star running back Saquon Barkley had a little extra motivation entering the game.

Barkley told reporters after the win that he was "happy" the Giants discussed a new contract with him during the bye and that he wants to be a "Giant for life":

“I’m just happy that we were able to at least have a conversation. I know how they feel about me. They spoke very highly of me, but we weren’t able to get anything done during the bye week. And I agree with Joe: just lock it up for the rest of the season and make sure no distractions come out of it.”

Barkley totaled a career-high 35 carries in Sunday's win and rushed for 152 yards and one touchdown. It was his fourth game of the season with 100-plus rushing yards.

The 25-year-old entered Sunday's contest having rushed for 779 yards and five touchdowns on 163 carries in eight games. He now leads the NFL with 931 rushing yards and has also caught 29 passes for 197 yards.

Barkley has reemerged as one of the NFL's premier running backs following three injury-riddled seasons.

After posting two 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career, Barkley appeared in just two games during the 2020 campaign before suffering a torn ACL. He was the limited to 13 games in 2021 because of injuries.

The Penn State product, who was selected second overall in the 2018 NFL draft, is playing the 2022 campaign on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and is set to become a free agent during the offseason.

Despite his injury history, Barkley will look to become one of the NFL's highest-paid running backs if and when he hits the open market.

Christian McCaffrey is currently the league's highest-paid running back, making $16 million per year. Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott each make $15 million annually, Dalvin Cook makes $12.6 million per year, and Derrick Henry makes $12.5 million per year.

With Barkley and the Giants tabling contract discussions until the end of the season, the team can fully focus on finishing with a winning record and making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign.

Barkley will continue to be a major part of the team's success, and the Giants almost certainly will make him a competitive offer come the end of the season.

New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay is reportedly set to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported he will receive "significant" playing time.

Golladay has been out since early October with an MCL sprain.

The 2019 Pro Bowler failed to meet expectations in his first year with the Giants in 2021, catching 37 passes for 521 yards in 14 games.

This season, he has just two receptions for 22 yards in four games, and his general effort level has come under criticism. He hasn't exactly taken advantage of the clean slate afforded to him with the hiring of head coach Brian Daboll.

At this point, New York might be counting down the days until it can get out from under his four-year, $72 million contract.

Golladay's injury trouble has meant little for the Giants offense. His return, however, will bolster a passing game that lost Sterling Shepard for the season after he tore his ACL in late September.

In the midst of a fantastic comeback season for the surprising New York Giants, Saquon Barkley won't get a contract extension before the offseason.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Barkley and the Giants have agreed to pause any contract talks until after the campaign ends after the two sides "did not come close" to terms on a new deal during the team's bye last week.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters during the Week 9 bye the team would be open to extending both Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones, but a deal would have to be reached at that time to avoid potentially having an impact on games:

"We'll talk about it if we want to, we had to get through the trade deadline today and those conversations, then we'll kind of circle up with some strategy meetings as we move forward on contract extensions and if we may or may not do anybody. If I did, this would be the week. I would want to entertain it during the bye week and then I probably won't do anything after that. I don't want anything to be a distraction to the players or the organization. So, if we do something, it would be probably before Monday with any of our guys, I'm not saying him, but when we have those conversations."

It's unclear what sort of compensation Barkley will be seeking in a new deal, but Schefter noted he will likely seek a contract that makes him one of the league's highest-paid running backs.

Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys currently has the richest running back contract by total value ($90 million over six years). Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers leads all running backs in average annual salary ($16.02 million).

Barkley would seem to be in a prime negotiating position based on his performance this season. The Penn State alum ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards (779) and third in yards from scrimmage (968).

This has been a fantastic bounce-back campaign for Barkley. He had 950 yards from scrimmage in the previous two years combined. His 2020 season was limited to two games because of a torn ACL.

The Giants originally selected Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage. He followed that up with 1,441 scrimmage yards in 2019.

Investing in running backs isn't always a smart strategy for teams. But Barkley has made himself an invaluable part of the Giants offense, so he could be an exception to the rule.

New York is currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 6-2 record. Its six wins are tied for its most in a single season since 2017.

The Dallas Cowboys have already made their interest in free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. clear, and that trend continued Friday.

Executive vice president and COO Stephen Jones discussed the team's interest in Beckham with SiriusXM Radio (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk):

"But, certainly, we’re always open to making our team better. To have a guy like Odell Beckham if he’s recovered from his knee, which it sounds like he has, is a great way to make your team better. So it’s natural that we would have interest in that. And certainly, like any free agent, he can go anywhere he wants in terms of all 32. But we want to make our compelling case. And certainly at the end of the day it’s about business as well. So we’ll just roll up our sleeves and see if there’s an opportunity for us to put a star on Odell’s helmet."

Multiple Cowboys players have expressed their desire to be teammates with Beckham, including linebacker Micah Parsons, running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Team owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer) that OBJ "is someone we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor and know that the Cowboys star on the helmet when he puts it on could look pretty good."

Head coach Mike McCarthy raved about Beckham as well.

Dallas is a good landing spot for Beckham, who would help form a deep wide receiver quartet with Lamb, Michael Gallup and Noah Brown.

The Cowboys are also Super Bowl contenders after getting off to a hot start at 6-2, matching the NFL's third-best record thus far.

The problem is that Beckham has plenty of suitors and potential teammates vying for his services, including Von Miller with the Buffalo Bills and Saquon Barkley with the New York Giants. The Kansas City Chiefs also appear to be in the mix.

Beckham has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in last year's Super Bowl when he played for the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Sunday that Beckham would be cleared this week.

The 30-year-old Beckham is a three-time Pro Bowler with five 1,000-yard seasons under his belt.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, but he's trending toward making a return.

Fantasy managers who may be considering trading Dotson might want to hold onto him instead. He had a solid start to the season before being sidelined, catching 12 passes for 152 yards and four touchdowns in four games.

When Dotson returns to the lineup, he figures to be one of Taylor Heinicke's top targets alongside Terry McLaurin, who is having a solid season with 38 catches for 609 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.

At Penn State, Dotson caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games as a junior in 2020 and caught 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns during his 2021 senior season. That production helped make him the 16th pick of the 2022 draft.

Any manager looking to offload Dotson should seek good value in return.

Gabe Davis is an explosive downfield threat for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, catching 18 passes for 451 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. He is a good buy-low candidate after recording just 68 receiving yards in his last two games combined.

Amari Cooper has put together a solid season with the Cleveland Browns, catching 39 passes for 553 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. However, he could be difficult to acquire in exchange for only Dotson. Another piece may have to be added.

Christian Kirk, meanwhile, has caught 43 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns in nine games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He figures to see a higher target share than Dotson and thus would be a great get.

Assuming a must-accept trade offer never comes, holding onto Dotson is a reasonable choice, as he'll have plenty of value down the stretch.