Week 1 is officially in the books, which can only mean it’s time to debut our NFC East power rankings as we head into Week 2.
There was a lot to like coming out of the division, especially the New York Giants putting on a 60-minute clinic against the Dallas Cowboys in a 28-20 Sunday Night Football win. The score suggests the game was closer than it was, but if you watched it, Big Blue was the better team from start to finish.
The league clearly wanted to lean into the rivalry content for its season-opening weekend (drama, am I right?), pairing the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders in the late-afternoon slate, meaning it was an NFC East-fest in Week 1.
With the dust officially settled, here’s how the division shakes out in our first NFC East power rankings of 2026.
NFC East power rankings entering Week 2 of the 2026 season
The results:
- Giants beat the Cowboys 28-20
- Eagles beat the Commanders 24-22
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Consider this the obligatory “the Eagles still have the most talented roster on paper, so they get the top spot” ranking. It was hard to put them above the Giants, especially after both teams fared well, but they claim the top spot heading into Week 2.
The offense without A.J. Brown looked uninspiring -- shocking. Jalen Hurts made a couple of nice throws to Dontayvion Wicks and DeVonta Smith, but outside of a 42-yard run from Saquon Barkley and a 22-yard scramble from Hurts, the rushing attack was borderline anemic, averaging just over three yards per carry.
They might’ve come away with a win, but make no mistake about it, the G-Men are right on their tails.
Next game: Sunday, Sep. 20 @ Titans
2. New York Giants
I wanted to put the G-Men first. After all, they looked like the best team in the division in Week 1, beating the Cowboys 28-20 in a game they controlled for most of the night.
Jaxson Dart looked awesome. John Harbaugh had his team ready to play from the opening drive, and the physical style of football he’s been preaching all offseason showed up immediately.
The only thing keeping them from the top spot is that one game isn’t enough to erase the benefit of the doubt Philadelphia has earned over the past few years. Gross, I know.
That could change pretty quickly. The Giants head to LA for another primetime matchup against the Rams, and another performance like Sunday night’s would make it pretty damn difficult to keep them at No. 2.
Next game: Monday, Sep. 21 @ Rams
3. Washington Commanders
Both Washington and Dallas lost in Week 1, but the way the Commanders lost was considerably less embarrassing than whatever the Cowboys were doing at MetLife Stadium.
If it weren't for a strong fourth-quarter finish, the Commies would likely find their way to the bottom spot, but because they put themselves in a position to win late, they clear the Cowboys... for now.
Jayden Daniels struggled to do much of anything for most of the game, but caught fire late, hitting Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams for touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Their defense played well enough to keep them in the game, but a failed two-point conversion with a minute to go was the nail in the coffin.
They get a perfect opportunity to fix things in Week 2 against the only team currently looking up at them.
Next game: Sunday, Sep. 20 @ Cowboys
4. Dallas Cowboys
Every year, it’s the same. Football fans are force-fed Dallas Cowboys propaganda, only for them to never follow through with anything other than underwhelming play. It’s a tale as old as time, and Sunday night’s meltdown at MetLife was just another chapter in the same tired story.
Dallas was out-coached and out-physicaled and just didn’t have an answer for the Giants. They couldn’t control the clock and only had two drives in the entire second half. Not even 10 penalties and 114 penalty yards on the Giants could help them.
This was supposed to be the year Dallas took a leap in Year 2 under Brian Schottenheimer. Week 1 looked a whole lot more like the same old Cowboys.
Fortunately for them, someone has to win when they play Washington next week.
Next game: Sunday, Sep. 20 vs. Commanders
Add us as a preferred source on Google