NFC East Notebook, Nov. 26: Redskins smacked by the 49ers on MNF

Finally, some clarity in the NFC East race.

The Cowboys swept the season series against the New York Giants for the first time since 2007 and now share the division lead with the Eagles. The Giants dropped to 4-7, two games back of first place, and will need to win out -- and get some early Christmas magic -- in order to make the playoffs.

The Cowboys will have a short week as they prepare for the Oakland Raiders on Thanksgiving, while Philly had to prepare for a red-hot Arizona Cardinals team. The Skins lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, dropping to 3-8, and stirring the pot about how to proceed next in the nation's capital.

Here's the latest from around the NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas' second win over the Giants is a testament to Jason Garrett's message -- prepare, don't talk -- something Jason Pierre-Paul failed to do in the days leading up to the game.

JPP called for blood in the two rivals' showdown, and while the Giants had been riding a four-game win streak while the Cowboys were facing questions about which coaches were going to lose their jobs, the team that kept their mouths closed wounded up winning.

The 31st-ranked pass defense just got more bad news. Morris Claiborne re-injured his hip against the Giants Sunday, forcing the team to sign Sterling Moore off the street.

Moore played with the Cowboys at the end of last season and was considered a safe bet to make the roster during training camp. The team released tight end Andre Smith to make room for Moore.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles sat idly Sunday as the Cowboys tied them atop the NFC East standings. And now they're set to take on one of the league's hottest teams in the Arizona Cardinals, winners of four straight.

In comparing the schedules of both Dallas and Philadelphia, Bleeding Green Nation predicts the Eagles go 3-2 and the Cowboys go 2-3, with, of course, the difference being the regular-season finale in which the two rivals face one another.

There's the playoff race, and then there's the race for the NFL rushing title this season. Eagles back LeSean McCoy had led the league in rushing since Week 1, but now faces stark competition from none other than Minnesota Vikings back Adrian Peterson.

Shady currently leads AP by 12 yards, but the Eagles face a much easier bunch of rush defenses going forward. While the Cardinals and Lions rank in the top four, their final three foes -- Minnesota, Chicago and Dallas -- all rank 25th or worse. AP faces the Bears in Week 13 (ranked 32nd), but gets Baltimore, Bengals and Lions, all of which are in the top 11.

Of course, the two backs will face off against one another Week 13.

Washington Redskins

The lowly Redskins were featured in prime time yet again, this time getting shellacked by the 49ers. The 'Skins fell to 3-8, which inevitably will (and probably should) lead to questions about Mike Shanahan's future with the organization.

Not everybody agrees with that notion, though. For one, Cris Collinsworth.

The NBC analyst told CNSWashington the Skins should let Shanahan remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Collinsworth cited the team's inability to be active in free agency -- not only being strapped in terms of signing major free agents but also being unable to add depth to the roster.