Around the NFC East: Cowboys Talk Big, Giants Change QBs, Eagles Battle Injuries, Commanders Regroup

The Washington Commanders have the weekend off. Their division rivals have plenty to sort out.

The first-place New York Giants are changing quarterbacks, while the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles head into Monday night with matching 2-4 records. Dallas still believes it has the roster to win the division. Philadelphia would probably settle for getting more of its roster healthy. Here’s the latest NFC East news as Washington works through its bye.

America’s highest-profile cheerleading squad has won a victory of its own: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have formed a union.

The union is believed to be the first in the nation among all pro-sports cheerleading squads, outside of a short-lived effort by the Buffalo Bills’ “Buffalo Jills” in the mid-1990s.

The Dallas cheerleaders’ bargaining unit has already been recognized by the Dallas Cowboys, according to a brief joint press release issued Friday by the team and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association. The agreement came after “meaningful discussion” between the two sides, the release said.

The next step will be bargaining for an official contract for the cheerleaders. The squad currently consists of 36 active members, though it is not clear how many will be officially represented by the union. “The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for their talent and dedication they exhibit,” the two groups said in the release.

"No one likes it. I block out most of it; some of it gets to me, but at the same time, I've got strong shoulders," Schottenheimer said. "I know what a great coach I am, and I know what this team is capable of. That's what I focus on."

The Cowboys' next opponent is the Eagles, who are just as desperate and will most likely start Tanner McKee. That doesn't mean the Cowboys won't get to see quarterback Joe Milton, who remained on Dallas' practice squad until last week.

This includes the return of cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, both of whom have missed multiple weeks due to hamstring injuries. Durant has been out since getting injured in Week 2's win over the Washington Commanders while Overshown suffered his injury in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

Overshown's return had been anticipated during the week, his healthy status is now official on Saturday's injury report. It comes an ideal time for a Dallas defense that will be without starting linebacker Dee Winters due to an Achilles strain. His status will be one to watch headed into Week 8.

After two weeks of mixed offensive performances and disappointing results, John Harbaugh and the

are switching things up at quarterback, with J.J. McCarthy taking over for Jameis Winston ahead of a pivotal matchup with the Houston Texans.

The Giants are hoping McCarthy’s presence will spark an offense that lost some of its luster when Jaxson Dart went down and became too one-dimensional in its previous two games against the Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints, behind Winston’s inconsistent decision-making and an unestablished running game.

That said, New York will need more than its new starter’s efforts to leave Houston with a huge win. Here are the three key matchups the Giants must dominate to stun the Texans and improve to 4-2-1 before their bye week.

J.J. McCarthy, fresh off his 243-yard fourth quarter effort, will make his first start as a member of the Giants, taking over for veteran Jameis Winston. McCarthy led the Giants to 17 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes of the game and came one completion short of completing the comeback. Despite arriving in East Rutherford less than a month ago, McCarthy has been able to pick up the offense quickly, giving the coaching staff confidence in him as they head to Houston.

"His operation is really, really good," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy told reporters Thursday. "When I say operation, what does that mean? It starts with listening to the play call in your headset, being able to say it and or read it on the wristband, get to the line of scrimmage, and then be a quarterback, see the formation, motion shifts, see the play clock, make your ID checks or whatever you do with the center, and then make a play. The operation right now, what he's doing is amazing. Then you throw in some of the throws that he made, not just when we're 70 yards away, but when we're in that red zone or when we're in a situation where you've got to make a throw. He did that, too. His demeanor has been really good for all four weeks. He's very eager to learn. He wants as much as he can get to digest within our offense."

Cam Skattebo leads the Giants in rushing yards with 294 yards on 81 carries, but in last week's 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints, he wasn't given a single rushing attempt. It marked the first time in his two-year NFL career that he didn't touch the ball once in a game he played in. His limited snaps and lack of opportunities were a response to his costly fumble during overtime in the team's Week 5 27-27 tie against the Washington Commanders.

The running back room also saw the departure of Najee Harris, . Harris drew headlines for his criticism of the New York run game, expressing confusion over the game plan. Harris finished his short Giants tenure with 31 rushing attempts for 99 yards in five games.

“Just focusing on one day at a time is the biggest thing,” Winston said about the quarterback change following the team’s practice on Wednesday.

“I’m extremely grateful that I still get to do what I love, and that’s play football at a high level for the New York Football Giants. And being able to accept roles and understand what your significant role is, and how you can be the best at your role with this team, is one of the things that you have to adjust to in this league.”

“I believe that last game, it wasn’t what it was capable of being,” Winston said of the team's performance against the New Orleans Saints last week. “I think every single week, as a football team, you’re defined by the last time you stepped foot on the field.

“So, I believe that based on the last game, my job is to lead the New York Football Giants to a win, and that didn’t happen. So that being said, I understand where I’m at now.”

"I just had a little bit of inflammation in there," Goedert said. "I had to let that settle down. But I felt really good running out there today."

Out: WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring), WR Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), OLB Nolan Smith (concussion), DB Michael Carter II (abdomen)

Questionable: RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring), OLB Jonathan Greenard (ankle), OLB Jalyx Hunt (knee/ankle), OG Landon Dickerson (knee/pec), TE Eli Stowers (quad), TE Grant Calcaterra (back), CB Jakorian Bennett (knee)

"Obviously I'm wearing another color now and that's a rival, but hey, can't wear blue this week. I'm totally fine on that," Milton said after practice on Thursday.

The Eagles announced last Friday that the team signed Milton from the Cowboys' practice squad. Selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Patriots, the 6-foot-5 quarterback out of Tennessee was heralded for his athleticism and big arm. After all, Milton ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and tied with Josh Allen for the fastest-recorded throw speed in NFL Combine history, reaching 62 miles an hour.

After leading the Patriots to a Week 18 victory at the end of his rookie year in place of an injured Drake Maye, the Cowboys traded for Milton during the 2025 offseason to serve as the backup to Dak Prescott. Milton would appear in four games for Dallas in his sophomore NFL season.

"I definitely learned a lot over there," Milton said. "Development-wise, it's going great. It's amazing. I love to learn. Taking notes again and learning the new offense."

"Just because it is a rivalry and it was just like, 'Dang, no way.' My agent called me and mentioned it to me. ... I went to practice like it was a normal day and tried to operate under a Dallas Cowboy at the time," Milton said.

"I went home, but really when I got in my car, everything's just changed. I was just like, 'What am I going to do? Am I going to stay on the practice squad or should I show up for my opportunity?' I'm here."

PHILADELPHIA, P.A. — Rookie Keyshawn James-Newby doesn’t have to look very far to see the success a seventh-round draft pick can make. All the Eagles' outside linebacker needs to do is walk a few stalls deeper into the locker room where Moro Ojomo stows his gear.

Further toward the back of the locker room is another former seventh-rounder—left tackle Jordan Mailata from 2018, who is already on his third contract with the Eagles. Ojomo was a seventh-round pick in 2023 and is playing himself into a second contract that should pay him handsomely, either back in Philly or in another city.

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of a disastrous four-game losing streak. Injuries have been piling up, with star players like quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley missing action. The next-man-up mentality that comes with playing in the NFL is certainly being put to work.

The roster depth general manager Howie Roseman has built through the NFL Draft is being tested on a weekly basis. There are opportunities for young rookies to take over starting roles, much like linebacker Jihaad Campbell and safety Andrew Mukuba did last year. It's all about taking advantage.

Mike Sainristil opened the season atop the Washington Commanders’ cornerback depth chart alongside Amik Robertson, then played 54 of 55 defensive snaps against Philadelphia. Six games into the season, finding a place for him has become a much different conversation.

Sainristil played seven defensive snaps against San Francisco. Robertson played all 62, while Rasul Douglas and Trey Amos played 36 apiece. That leaves Washington entering its bye with three corners getting considerably more work than a player it drafted in the second round just two years ago.

The Washington Commanders played their last game on Monday, October 19, and will return to action against Philadelphia on Sunday, November 1, 13 days later. The Eagles, meanwhile, will host the Dallas Cowboys this coming Monday night, then will travel to visit Washington six days later.

These aren't the same teams that met in Week 1, with Washington losing 24-22. The Eagles have gone through several things, including the retirement of long-time right tackle Lane Johnson and blood clots that put Jalen Hurts on injured reserve. The Commanders have had injury issues since training camp started and lost the face of their franchise last Monday night when Terry McLaurin went down.

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