The Giants have the strongest claim to being the best team in the NFC East after four games, but they have not established a comfortable lead over the competition. New York is winning tight finishes, Dallas can produce explosive offense, Philadelphia is struggling to sustain drives, and Washington faces mounting uncertainty at quarterback.

That makes this a division with a leader, but without a convincing favorite. The useful question is which team can repeat its strengths while fixing the problems that nearly cost it or already cost it a win.

NFC East standings 2026: Where the race stands

After the division’s games on October 4, New York leads by one game over Philadelphia and Dallas. Washington sits two games behind the Giants.

Team Record Week 4 result
New York Giants 3–1 Beat Arizona, 36–24
Philadelphia Eagles 2–2 Lost to Los Angeles Rams, 24–20
Dallas Cowboys 2–2 Beat Houston, 34–30
Washington Commanders 1–3 Lost to Indianapolis, 30–13

Philadelphia and Dallas have identical records; this table is a standings snapshot, not a prediction of their finishing order.

Deciding on the best team in the NFC East requires looking beyond those final scores. New York’s 12-point victory, for example, was still in doubt on Arizona’s last offensive play. Dallas also needed a late touchdown to secure its win.

Giants: First place, with a warning beneath the score

The New York Giants’ Week 4 performance offered both a reason to believe and a reason for caution.

Deonte Banks intercepted Jacoby Brissett on fourth-and-goal and returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown as time expired. Before that play, Arizona was threatening to erase a six-point deficit. The Giants’ official recap makes clear how narrow the escape really was.

New York also got meaningful offensive production. Jameis Winston threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, while Malik Nabers caught six passes for 112 yards and a score. However, Winston also threw two interceptions, and the Giants lost a fumble.

The argument that New York is the best team in the NFC East starts with results. The concern is how much pressure those turnovers placed on the defense.

A late interception is valuable. Repeatedly needing one is uncomfortable. The next step is to protect possessions well enough that a productive offensive afternoon does not still require a goal-line rescue.

Eagles: Third down is the immediate problem

Philadelphia Eagles offensive struggles became impossible to dismiss against the Rams. The Eagles finished 0-for-12 on third down and failed to score on their final six possessions in a 24–20 loss.

Philadelphia produced only 172 net yards, compared with Los Angeles’ 415. Darius Cooper caught two touchdown passes, but those scoring moments did not translate into consistent movement downfield.

That matters when assessing the best team in the NFC East. Third down is often the offense’s last opportunity to earn another set of downs before punting or attempting a fourth-down conversion. Failing every time makes protecting a lead much harder.

Saquon Barkley also left with a hamstring injury and was ruled out during the game. His availability needs a fresh check before Philadelphia’s next matchup.

The recovery standard should be practical: fewer stalled possessions, manageable third downs, and enough protection to let passing plays develop. Until those improvements appear, calling Philadelphia the best team in the NFC East requires more faith than its latest performance supports.

Cowboys: An offense that can rescue a difficult afternoon

Dallas supplied the strongest offensive highlight of the division’s Sunday.

CeeDee Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and delivered the go-ahead touchdown in a 34–30 victory over Houston. Dak Prescott finished with 335 passing yards, while Javonte Williams scored three rushing touchdowns.

Those performances explain why Dallas belongs in the conversation about the best team in the NFC East. The Cowboys can recover from a poor stretch because their passing game can create an answer late.

Dallas Cowboys defensive struggles remain the counterargument. C.J. Stroud threw for 347 yards, and Nico Collins finished with 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Houston gained 397 total yards, just two fewer than Dallas.

There was progress: Dallas held its opponent below 100 rushing yards for the first time this season. Still, slowing the ground game cannot be the whole solution.

To become the best team in the NFC East with a convincing case, Dallas needs wins that do not demand such exceptional offensive production. Limiting damaging pass plays is the clearest place to start.

Commanders: Quarterback uncertainty complicates the comeback

The Washington Commanders’ slow start now includes an immediate personnel problem.

Marcus Mariota left the 30–13 loss to Indianapolis with a knee injury. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis took over and completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Washington’s postgame report said Mariota’s status for the following week was undetermined and Jayden Daniels was expected at Wednesday’s practice. An expected practice return does not establish game availability.

That uncertainty makes Washington the hardest team to project as the best team in the NFC East. Before evaluating a turnaround, readers need to know who will lead the offense and what that quarterback can do physically.

At 1–3, the Commanders have ground to recover. Their immediate task is smaller than proving championship potential: establish a workable offensive plan, avoid wasted possessions, and keep the next game within reach.

NFC East power rankings: Results versus repeatable performance

These are editorial rankings after Week 4, not official NFL rankings or calculated playoff probabilities:

  1. New York Giants: First place earns the top spot, although turnovers make the position vulnerable.

  2. Dallas Cowboys: Offensive production gives Dallas the edge in this assessment over Philadelphia.

  3. Philadelphia Eagles: The third-down failure and stalled possessions require a convincing response.

  4. Washington Commanders: Quarterback uncertainty adds another obstacle to a difficult start.

The best team in the NFC East should eventually combine results with a reliable way to produce them. For now, each contender is missing part of that equation.

Roster depth also shapes how teams respond to injuries. For background on the financial rules behind those roster decisions, see Daily US Wire’s guide to how the NFL salary cap works.

Who will win the NFC East in 2026?

New York is the provisional choice for the best team in the NFC East based on its lead, but four games do not justify a confident season-long prediction. Dallas has a credible offensive case, while Philadelphia needs to show that its scoring opportunities can become sustained production.

Rather than changing your choice for the best team in the NFC East after every highlight, track three things over the next several games:

  • Possession quality: Can the offense move the ball without repeatedly relying on short fields or desperate finishes?

  • Defensive stability: Can the defense force stops without needing a last-play turnover?

  • Player availability: Are key contributors actually cleared to play, rather than merely expected to practice?

Those checks help separate a memorable Sunday from a durable contender.

The Giants’ next game is at Washington, giving the division an immediate head-to-head test. Watch whether New York can reduce its mistakes and whether Washington can stabilize its offense. That will tell us more about the best team in the NFC East than the apparent comfort of a final score.