Though the lead in the NFC East may be thin, and they're coming off an ugly loss, the New York Giants (7-5) still have possession of first place by a game ahead of the Washington Redskins (6-6) and Dallas Cowboys (6-6). When I last looked at the schedules, I thought the Cowboys would pose quite a threat, but now they and the Redskins are just steps behind the Giants in the race for the NFC East title.
The Cowboys defeated the Cleveland Browns in overtime, lost to the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day, and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the final minutes on Sunday night. Next week they have the Cincinnati Bengals away. The Bengals have been on a run since they stomped on the Giants two weeks ago and they show no signs of slowing down as they continue to chase a playoff berth. Given the way the Cowboys have struggled in their last few games, including the ones they won, I wouldn't be shocked if Andy Dalton leads the Bengals to a victory next week.
Following the Bengals, the Cowboys have the Steelers at home, the Saints at home, and the Redskins away. I can see the Cowboys losing at least one of those games and going 8-8 to end the season.
The Redskins also have two road games and two home games down the stretch. They have the Ravens at home, Browns and Eagles away, and Dallas at home. I don't see the Redskins winning out and they will finish the season 9-7.
The Giants have New Orleans next week, the Falcons and Ravens away, and the Eagles at home. We all know what the Giants are capable of. They can dominate teams like Green Bay and San Francisco, but struggle against easier teams. We've seen what they can do with their backs against the wall. It's a matter of going through the motions again for the second year in a row. Until the standings officially say it's over, they can win the division.
If there's one thing all three teams have in common, they can easily win or lose all of their remaining games.
On another note...
After last night's game, Redskins' owner Dan Snyder made a comment to one of his staffers referring to the Giants saying, "I hate those mother-------." After years of losing season, Snyder officially had his moment of glee. I understand an owner having passion for his team and wanting to see them win. I also understand being overly excited about your team having a relevant year after many losing seasons. I'll just end with this...I thank the football gods for John Mara and Steve Tisch. There are no other families I would want running the New York Giants' organization.
You can follow Kelsey O'Donnell on Twitter @KelsODonnell