The madness of the NFC East continues Monday night with a showdown between the reigning national champion Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) and the visiting Washington Redskins (6-5). 

Eagles Host Redskins In NFC East Showdown

The two teams are too close to irrelevancy for comfort, as the Dallas Cowboys now lead the division by a full game at 7-5. The entirety of Washington’s season rests on the shoulders of backup quarterback Colt McCoy, who is now the starter and in complete control of the playoff fate of the team. For both, the game is an absolute must-win, and a win for either significantly improves its chances of winning the division or making the playoffs. 

McCoy struggled mightily on Thanksgiving, where he slung picks at crucial times to the quick Dallas defense. He’ll face a similar opposition on Monday as his team will enter the numbing Philadelphia environment. 

On the other hand, the Eagles (just barely) beat the Giants (4-8) last week after New York helped Philly by only giving running back Saquon Barkley four carries in the second half. Somehow, this doesn’t bode well for Philly, as they have yet to string together two consecutive wins this season. The Eagles especially haven’t accomplished that against a winning team, as they haven’t beat an above .500 team all season.

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 The Eagles have been ravaged on defense, and remain inconsistent due to several injuries. The offense has also continued that trend, failing to live up to any expectations from the 2017 season. The team’s offensive line has been exceptionally poor, and quarterback Carson Wentz can’t be the hero against the Washington defense that has stumped several good offenses this season. 

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The matchup, although in Philadelphia, signals positively for Washington. If McCoy can minimize his mistakes and maintain a steady offensive attack, the Redskins should be fine, especially if running back Adrian Peterson gets on a tear. 

It’s all up to the backup, who will get his chance at redemption when the game kicks off at 8:15 p.m EST on ESPN.

“They’re going to have to match our intensity,” Dallas Cowboys (6-5) defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said ahead of the pivotal Thursday night matchup against the New Orleans Saints (10-1) in Dallas. The two teams are rolling at the right times and are in comfortable control of their respective division leads, although the Saints look like the NFL’s most unstoppable offense. Lawrence is assured that the Saints’ coveted offense is going to have to go through him and the rest of the Cowboys’ defense.

Cowboys want to stun Saints’ dynamic Offense on tnf

“S—, for 60 minutes straight. If you hit a m—f— in the mouth and then they ain’t doing what they’re regularly doing, putting up 50 points, they start to get a little distressed,” said Lawrence after a question about the Saints’ offensive line. “Now you got them where you want them at, and then you f—ing choke their a— out.” Other players weren’t as impassioned, but remained realistic about what lay ahead.

“We’re getting an opportunity to show what we’re about on a really big stage,” linebacker Jaylon Smith said. “Make sure we stay true to ourselves, know who we are.”

The intensity Lawrence referred to is a mainstay of a revamped Cowboys defense, headlined by rookie sensation linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who was named NFL Rookie of the Month for November. Cowboys defensive coordinator Todd Marinelli knows the challenge ahead is the most formidable of the season, but is taking a more minimal approach with his scheme.

“We’ve got to make the complex simple for them,” Marinelli said of the game plan for the 11 defenders. “The irregular regular, and once that happens they can play with speed. Because that’s our weapon — our speed and our athleticism.”

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The speed and athleticism will certainly meet its match with the Saints’ all-time collective. No team averages more points than the Saints (37.2), and they are fifth in yards per game at 416.6, all due in part to the excellence of 39-year-old Drew Brees, his go-to wideout Michael Thomas and the league’s best running back duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II. 

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Brees ranks third in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes, while his 76.4 completion percentage ranks first. It’s a luxury Brees can enjoy due to the dominant pass catching and play-making abilities of Thomas, who ranks fifth in the NFL in receptions with 86, raking up 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns in the process. Meanwhile, Kamara has 57 catches for 519 yards and four touchdowns.

Kamarra is also 11th in the league in the rushing category with 706 yards, and second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 11. Ingram, his counterpart, has 440 rushing yards and four touchdowns to support after missing the first four games of the season. These gaudy, almost video game-like numbers are all elements that the Cowboys defense will struggle to regulate, no matter how rabid its intensity might be.

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The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. EST at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will air on Amazon Prime, FOX and NFL Network.

Rob Gronkowski has lost the appeal of his one-game suspension, which was dealt for a late hit on Tre’Davious White.

Rob Gronkowski suspension news

The New England Patriots (10-2, 1st in AFC East) tight end tackled the Buffalo Bills cornerback on Sunday after an interception thrown in his direction. Gronkowski later apologized for the hit, and he was penalized but not ejected from the contest. The Patriots won the game 23-3.

Gronkowski will miss this Monday’s game against the Dolphins in Miami. His appeal was heard by Derrick Brooks, the appeals officer assigned to the hearing jointly by the NFL and NFL Players Association.

After White took the hit, he lay on the ground face-down and Gronkowski jumped on top of him and put his elbow/forearm into the back of White’s head/neck area.

It is the first NFL suspension for Gronkowski, 28, since he entered the league as a second-round draft pick with the Patriots in 2010.

According to ESPN, this suspension will cost the veteran approximately $281,250, ($250,000 of his base salary plus a per-game roster $31,250 bonus) and also hurts his chances to earn extra money in incentives as part of the deal he signed in May to become one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL.

Gronkowski currently has 55 catches for 849 yards and seven touchdowns, as he has played 83.4 percent of the offensive snaps.

DENVER, CO – JANUARY 24: Tight end Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots after a reception during the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Patriots 20-18. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Ryan Shazier won’t be needing back surgery after all.

Ryan Shazier Injury News Week 13

The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker suffered a back injury in the first quarter of Monday’s 23-20 road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, general manager Kevin Colbert said Shazier underwent a CT scan and an MRI, and that he will not require surgery.

Shazier — a Pro Bowler whom the Steelers drafted as a first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2014 — was carted off the field after he rammed his helmet into receiver Josh Malone’s thigh. He seemed incapable of moving after the hit.

After the game, Shazier’s teammate Antonio Brown shared this photo:

The linebacker was initially taken to the locker room for a back injury evaluation before being transported by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“This is a tough game, a tough business,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “5-0 is our brother. Our thoughts and prayers out to him. … We care about that man, we care about all the men. But that’s just a tough element of our game, one that we all understand.”

 Tyler Matakevich, a 2016 seventh-round draft pick, entered the game as Shazier’s replacement next to Vince Williams at linebacker.

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was also carted off the field later in the night following an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was also penalized for taunting Burfict on the play. Smith-Schuster apologized after the game.

Burfict was ruled out with a head injury, although he later seemed fine, as he ran into the locker room.

The Steelers (10-2, 1st in AFC North) have won seven straight games. They next host Baltimore on Sunday, when the Bengals (5-7) host Chicago.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 08: Ryan Shazier #50 of the Pittsburgh Steelers intercepts a pass thrown by Matt Moore #8 of the Miami Dolphins in the third quarter during the Wild Card Playoff game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field on January 8, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

The New York Giants are doing some major cleaning just four weeks before the end of the regular season.

Giants fire Ben McAdoo, Jerry Reese news

The team announced Monday morning they are firing head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese.

McAdoo’s dismissal comes less than a week after he decided to bench quarterback Eli Manning — who had made 210 consecutive starts dating back 13 years — and replace him with backup Geno Smith for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders in Oakland. The move provoked outrage among several former Giants and fans of the team alike, and all of those people seemed to be justified after the G-Men lost to Oakland 24-17 on Sunday to drop to 2-10 this season.

Although Reese and owner John Mara had recently stated the team would not make any major coaching changes until after the regular season was over, rumors had already begun circulating prior to the contest against the Raiders that 40-year-old McAdoo’s job could lose his job should the Giants lose.

“I understand where the fans are coming from,” McAdoo said after Sunday’s defeat. “If I was on the outside looking in, I’d feel the same way they feel.”

McAdoo — who is in his second season as Giants head coach after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator for two years under former coach Tom Coughlin — also said this following the loss, however: “I’m going to coach this team as long as my key card works.”

In 2016, McAdoo led the Giants to a 11-5 record (and second in the NFC East) and a postseason appearance before the team lost to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs. The run tied a franchise record for the best regular-season finish by a first-year head coach.

Manning mentored Smith before Sunday’s game after the Giants announced they were looking to give more playing time to the former Jets quarterback and to rookie Davis Webb.

The Giants’ offense has particularly struggled this season. McAdoo even said in September that “no part of [the Giants’] offense was functional.”

Smith struggled in Sunday’s loss. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 212 yards with a touchdown and two fumbles. The fifth-year quarterback also slammed his former coach Rex Ryan — who is now an ESPN analyst — after he learned Ryan had no interest in working with him again.

“But I did see one of my ex-coaches say he didn’t want me to be his quarterback, and that really upset me, you know? A guy that we saved his job in 2013, and we fought our ass for him both years, and for him to come out and say that just shows you how much of a coward he is.”

Smith signed with the Giants in March after playing his first four seasons with the Jets. He was Ryan’s starting quarterback his first two seasons. Smith also said he was very fond of McAdoo, and that he hoped to play for him longer.

The 27-year-old QB later apologized for his comments about Ryan on Twitter:

The Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, then the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 17. They then visit the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve before hosting the Washington Redskins on Dec. 31.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 08: Head coach Ben McAdoo of the New York Giants complains to the official during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers during an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on October 8, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the New York Giants 27-22. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks earned a second consecutive victory Sunday with a 24-10 home win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Seahawks vs. Eagles Game Score

Seattle (8-4) has now surpassed the Carolina Panthers as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff standings, which means the Seahawks would be the first wild-card team if the season ended today.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said his squad holds the Eagles in very high esteem.

“I thought it was really a terrific night of football because of the respect we have for the Eagles,” said Carroll. “This is an excellent football team. There isn’t anything that they’re doing that isn’t at the top of the mark across the board, so for us to play our game and really be in command of the game throughout, it was really a great step forward for us.”

The Seahawks took an early lead, forcing the Eagles (10-2) to play from behind for most of the game.

Entering the week, the Eagles were the NFL’s most efficient scoring team in the red zone. They scored touchdowns on 71.8 percent of their red zone trips.

Seattle held Philadelphia to just a field goal in the first half, which is particularly impressive given that the Seahawks were missing Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor in their secondary.

Nearly all of the hosts’ defense was strong. Frank Clark had two of the team’s three sacks, and Bobby Wagner led Seattle with 13 tackles.

“We were tired of people sleeping on us, tired of people doubting us. We understand that we’ve got huge losses,” Wagner said, referring to the season-ending injuries to Sherman, Chancellor and Cliff Avril. “But we’ve got a lot of dogs in this room still, and we’re going to keep coming out, keep playing and putting our best foot forward and keep silencing the doubters.”

The Seahawks next visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, when the Eagles will visit the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), who currently lead the NFC West.

SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 03: Wide receiver Doug Baldwin #89 of the Seattle Seahawks makes a reception against the Philadelphia Eagles at CenturyLink Field on December 3, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Jay Cutler will return as a starter this week for the Miami Dolphins.

Jay Cutler Concussion News

The veteran quarterback has cleared concussion protocol and can thus start against the Denver Broncos at home Sunday, coach Adam Gase told reporters Wednesday.

Cutler, 34, missed the Dolphins’ (4-7, 4th in AFC East) 35-17 loss to the New England Patriots last week due to a concussion he sustained in the prior week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He has thrown for 1,602 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. Cutler practiced on Wednesday.

“He’ll be all right,” Gase said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “We’ll get a good week of practice. We need to make sure we get the ball out on time.”

Cutler will replace Matt Moore, who struggled against the Patriots offense last week. The Dolphins — who have lost five straight games — rank 30th in total offense and has the NFL’s 31st-ranked passing attack.

In other injury news, running backs Damien Williams (shoulder) and Senorise Perry (concussion protocol) will not practice Wednesday.

Both players are expected to miss Sunday’s game against Denver, leaving Miami with one healthy running back. The Dolphins promoted running back De’Veon Smith from the practice squad later Wednesday.

The Broncos (3-8), meanwhile, have lost seven straight contests.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 31: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears throws a pass during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on October 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

New York Giants fans have been accustomed to seeing Eli Manning start every game since nearly the beginning of his NFL career, but he has now been replaced.

Eli Manning Benched by Giants News

The team announced Tuesday that Geno Smith will replace Manning — who has played his entire 13-year career for the Giants — as starting quarterback for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders in Oakland. Smith, 27, played his first four seasons with the Jets before signing with the Giants last offseason.

Rookie Davis Webb — a third-round pick out of California — will also receive a few snaps before the end of the season, the Giants added.

Manning — the top overall pick out of Ole Miss in 2004 — has started every Giants game since Nov. 21, 2004, a streak of 210 straight regular-season contests that ranks second on the quarterback career list behind only Brett Favre’s 297. He took over for veteran Kurt Warner just ten games into the season.

Manning has won two national championships (after the 2007 and 2011 seasons) with the Giants, and was named the MVP of both those Super Bowls. He is also a four-time Pro Bowler and was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2016.

The Giants (2-9) have endured an atrocious season — that has included a string of injuries and short suspensions — under second-year head coach Ben McAdoo. New York’s only two victories this year have come against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 and against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11. The team’s offense has been especially terrible: it ranks second-to-last in the league in scoring.

In Thursday’s Thanksgiving 20-10 loss to the Washington Redskins, Manning struggled. He finished 13 of 27 for 113 yards and an interception. This has not been the 36-year-old quarterback’s worst season statistically, although it remains clear the Giants are pursuing as many options as possible.

Several former Giants stars voiced their disdain of McAdoo’s decision. McAdoo’s predecessor, Tom Coughlin, said he was devastated but not shocked.

“Surprised is not the word,” Coughlin, the executive VP of football operations for the Jaguars, told WJXL-AM. “My sentiments are totally with Eli Manning. I love the kid. He is a class act. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion. He is the finest, most humblest young man in that locker room.”

Added Coughlin: “I haven’t followed the Giants. I know it’s a disappointing year, but my thoughts are strictly with Eli. I was very upset … when I heard that.”

Coughlin coached Manning from 2004 to 2015. Among the other ex-Giants who weighed in on the QB’s benching were CBS analyst David Diehl, Justin Tuck, Tiki Barber, Osi Umenyiora and Plaxico Burress. Diehl even noted a classy move that Manning made following the news.

“Just the way that this is going down is very disheartening from Giants fan’s perspective and as a former teammate of his, and all the great things he achieved in his career,” said Barber. “You don’t want to see it end like this. It’s disappointing. I feel like it’s premature.”

All of these players’ sentiments are perfectly understandable, particularly as everything appears to show that most of the Giants’ blunders this season are nearly everyone’s fault except Manning’s.

Manning reportedly was offered to start against Oakland, but declined. In the Giant’s press conference on Tuesday, McAdoo stated he wanted to rotate the squad and assess the depth chart now that the team won’t be advancing to the playoffs. They suggested starting Smith the second half against the Raiders, but Manning said he didn’t feel comfortable starting merely to keep his 13-year streak alive. So he surrendered his starting position to Smith and potentially Webb.

“Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play,” Manning told CBS Sports. “My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them. Starting just to keep the streak going and knowing you won’t finish the game and have a chance to win it is pointless to me, and it tarnishes the streak. Like I always have, I will be ready to play if and when I am needed. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can.”

Coughlin and Diehl’s compliments for Manning seem accurate given this quote. The quarterback truly speaks and acts like a humble and selfless man.

Webb, selected in the third round from California, called Manning the “best teammate I’ve ever had in my life” as part of his effusive praise for the veteran.

“Today was pretty big,” Webb said Tuesday. “The way [Manning] handled himself, the way he handled himself in front of teammates, myself and Geno included, he was first class.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 22: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants looks to throw a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Martellus Bennett’s return to Gillette Stadium has been marred after just two games and 24 snaps.

Patriots Injured Reserve News

The New England Patriots announced Monday that the veteran tight end was placed on reserve with a shoulder injury. Bennett — who helped lead the Patriots to the their historic come-from-behind Super Bowl LI victory in February — had the injury when New England claimed him off waivers from the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 9. He had intended to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery when the Packers waived him, but he signed with the Patriots instead.

Bennett, 30, played through the injury in a Nov. 12 victory over the Denver Broncos, playing seven snaps and recording three catches for 38 yards. A hamstring injury for Bennett was disclosed on the team’s participation report after that game, and he attempted to play through that as well. He was on the field for 17 snaps in a Nov. 19 win over the Oakland Raiders (3 catches for 15 yards).

The tight end was then limited in practice the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and then didn’t train the next two days and was inactive for Sunday’s victory over Miami.

“It was like one of those things, I talked to six or seven doctors about it and it could go either way,” Bennett said in his first interview after joining the Patriots. “It was one of those things I felt I should get fixed. And then after trying to get it fixed and getting waived, you just get that vengeance in your heart. It’s just like, ‘That’s how you’re going to do it? Then f— it. Let’s go ball.'”

Bennett — who has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Chicago Bears — is due a $2 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2018 league year. If the Patriots don’t pick that up, however, he would become a free agent. Bennett once said the 2017 season could be his last, although he later retracted that statement.

New England also placed leading special-teams tackler Nate Ebner (knee) on injured reserve. Ebner injured his knee Sunday while being tackled on a 14-yard run on a successful fake punt. He was a second-team All-Pro selection for his special teams work lasts season.

The Patriots (9-2) next visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Caption:SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 09: Martellus Bennett #83 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on November 9, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)