Washington Football Team fan's Week 12 NFC East rooting guide originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
So, you root for the Washington Football Team. And after a satisfying Thanksgiving meal that probably included turkey and some mouth-watering sides to go along with a Dallas Cowboys beat down, your team is in first place in the NFC East entering Sunday’s slate of games.
But at 4-7, the work isn’t done for you, old faithful fan. Washington’s spot at the top of the division was only guaranteed for two days after Thursday’s 41-16 victory. With the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 12 games on the horizon, the NFC East leader can change not once, but twice between now and Monday.
Here’s the Washington Football Team fan’s guide to rooting this weekend while their team is off.
New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Of Washington’s two division foes with games remaining this week, the Giants have the easiest matchup. Ironically, New York's game against a 2-7-1 Bengals team was made easier by the Football Team, who ended star rookie quarterback Joe Burrow’s season in their Week 11 matchup with the Bengals. Burrow's injury may have helped Washington come out on top in that game, but it also may end up helping the Giants claim first place in the division. The Giants enter Sunday at 3-7 and in third place in the division, but would tie Washington with a win and jump to the top of the standings because of their season sweep of the Football Team.
Washington fans will need to root for Bengals backup quarterback Ryan Finley to have a much better showing than he did against their team, when he went 3-for-10 with 30 yards and one interception after being thrust into the game. It’s very possible he improves on that performance, as the Giants pass defense is far from the dominant unit Washington possesses.
Fans should also root for Bengals running backs Samaje Perine and Giovani Bernard to do much better than the combined 37 yards on 14 carries they had against Washington. With Joe Mixon still sidelined, Finley will need all the help he can get from his running game in order to keep the Giants defense honest.
The Bengals’ defense is a mess, allowing over 390 yards per game, among the NFL’s bottom seven teams. But Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has proven to be a turnover machine in the past, so Washington fans should root for him to revert to his old ways. During the Giants’ current two-game winning streak, he doesn’t have a single turnover, but he has nine interceptions and four fumbles lost of seven total on the season.
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (Monday, 8:15 p.m.)
If Washing… err, Cincinnati comes through with a win on Sunday, all eyes turn to Monday’s matchup between the Seahawks and Eagles. Because of their tie with the Bengals in Week 3, the Eagles at 3-6-1 are even closer to the top than the Giants and can jump ahead of New York and Washington on account of winning percentage. While the Eagles do have home-field advantage against Seattle, that’s about the only advantage they have. The 7-3 Seahawks should be favored in this one, as they boast one of the NFL’s best offenses. Washington fans should simply root for the most likely outcome.
However, the saying is “any given Sunday” -- or Monday in this case -- for a reason, so there’s always a chance the Eagles come out on top. Seattle has one of the worst pass defenses in the league, and it's going against an Eagles quarterback who at one point in his career had the look of a future MVP. But Carson Wentz hasn’t looked nearly as promising this season, and Washington fans need that to continue if they want to hold on to first place in the NFC East.
Despite how bad the Seahawks’ defense has been, it's a top three unit in QB pressures, according to Pro Football Reference, meaning Wentz could be in for another long outing. If that happens and Seattle’s top-five rated offense led by MVP candidate Russell Wilson plays to the best of its abilities -- something that hasn’t been a given the last few weeks -- then the Eagles could be facing their third straight loss, with games against the Packers, Saints and Cardinals coming up. No doubt, Philly will be fighting to avoid that but it would be very much-welcomed for those with a rooting interest in the burgundy and gold.
