The NFC East just etched its name into NFL history books, and not in a good way, after all four teams went winless in Week 5. This division pulled off something that’s happened only four times since the 2002 realignment, making it a truly bizarre turn of events that’s got everyone scratching their heads.
Week 5 Was an Absolute Trainwreck for the Entire NFC East
You gotta be kidding me, right? It was a disaster from top to bottom. The Dallas Cowboys, at home, lost 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that was previously 0-4! And get this, the Bucs were led by Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie making only his second career start. Yikes. Then you had the Philadelphia Eagles, who somehow managed to lose 19-17 in regulation against the Jacksonville Jaguars, even after they kicked a go-ahead field goal with a mere eight seconds left on the clock. But the ugliest finish? That has to go to the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, who tied each other. Both teams were actually in field-goal range during the last two minutes of overtime and still couldn’t seal the deal. Just wild.
The Numbers Are So Bad, They’re Historic
This collective flop isn’t just a bad week, it’s a historical anomaly. The 2026 NFC East going winless despite having a divisional matchup is only the fourth time that has happened in the 418 NFL regular-season weeks since the 2002 divisional realignment. Think about that: it’s only occurred in a miniscule 0.96% of all regular season action since 2002! The other times this dubious feat happened were the AFC South in Week 1 of 2022, the NFC West in Week 7 of 2016, and the NFC North way back in Week 12 of 2013.
And if you thought that was rough, get a load of these stats. The Giants and Commanders now account for two of the last three ties in the entire NFL, having also tied each other in 2022. The Cowboys grabbed the other tie in that span with a crazy 40-40 home tie against the Green Bay Packers last season. Oh, and for the Giants specifically? They’re now winless in their last six overtime games, with four losses and two ties. Oof.
What This Means For the Standings
Despite this epic, collective faceplant, Week 5’s events have somehow created an even tighter NFC East division race. The Giants are somehow in first place with a 3-1-1 record. But right on their heels are both the Eagles and the Cowboys, tied at 2-3. The Commanders are bringing up the rear, but still very much in it at 1-3-1.
So, what’s next for this bonkers division? We’re only five weeks in, and these standings are tighter than ever. You gotta watch how the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys bounce back after this collective mess. The Commanders need a serious W to get back in it. Every game is gonna be a dogfight if this is how things are shaping up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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