The Eagles (3-6) look like they are out of the NFC East race after losing at home to Arizona. The Redskins (3-6) lost to lowly Miami. And suddenly the Giants (6-3) are just one game ahead of the Cowboys (5-4) after their loss to now-8-1 San Francisco (remember which team handed the 49ers their only loss?)
Here are recaps of Sunday's three other games involving NFC East teams:
49ers 27, Giants 20
SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Smith batted down Eli Manning's pass in the waning seconds of the New York quarterback's comeback try, stopping the Giants for a 27-20 victory Sunday in a matchup of NFC division leaders.
With his team trailing, Manning completed a pair of long fourth-down passes and got his team to the red zone with 1:53 to go. Unlike last week's rally by New York (6-3) at New England, Smith made a leaping right-handed smack of the ball on fourth-and-2 from the 10.
The 49ers (8-1) won their seventh straight and didn't rely on Frank Gore, whose franchise-record streak of five straight games with 100 yards rushing ended with a knee injury.
Cardinals 21, Eagles 17
PHILADELPHIA — With John Skelton leading the way, the Arizona Cardinals sure look like a different team.
Skelton threw a 5-yard TD pass to Early Doucet with 1:53 left and the Cardinals rallied for a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Michael Vick had another so-so performance and the Eagles (3-6) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season.
Starting for the injured Kevin Kolb, Skelton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Cardinals (3-6) to their second straight win. He threw a tying TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 overtime win against St. Louis last week that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Fitzgerald had two TD catches and made a sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch to set up the go-ahead score on Sunday.
The defending NFC East champion Eagles were expected to be Super Bowl contenders after a slew of big-name acquisitions in the offseason. Instead, they've struggled miserably and have lost seven of their past eight home games.
Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining after Nnamdi Asomugha's interception to put the Eagles up 17-14.
But the Cardinals answered.
Skelton completed a 30-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 32 to keep the winning drive going. On third-and-10 from the Eagles 38, Fitzgerald made an incredible catch to the 1.
Beanie Wells was stopped for no gain and lost 4 yards on the next run. But Skelton hit Doucet coming out of the backfield for a go-ahead TD to cap an 87-yard drive and give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.
Vick's desperation deep pass on third-and-20 was intercepted by A.J. Jefferson to seal Arizona's win.
Asante Samuel returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy had a 1-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
Vick was 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. He's hardly resembled the guy who was an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl starter last season.
Dolphins 20, Redskins 9
MIAMI — Reggie Bush scored the clinching touchdown, then happily heaved the ball into the stands, and the cluster of fans scrambling for the souvenir included a man in a Miami Dolphins jersey holding a baby.
The scrum was understandable, because victory keepsakes have been a rarity lately for Dolphins fans.
Bush scored two TDs and the Dolphins twice intercepted Rex Grossman to earn their first home victory in nearly a year by beating the Washington Redskins 20-9 Sunday.
The Dolphins ended a franchise-record streak of seven consecutive losses in Miami since last Nov. 14.
Grossman was a surprise starter, replacing John Beck four weeks after being benched. Grossman threw for 215 yards but was sacked three times and had a passer rating of 58.7, lower than his NFC-worst season figure.
Possessions by Washington reached the Miami 20, 26, 5 and 10-yard lines, but those threats produced only three field goals.
Miami (2-7) won for the second week in a row after starting 0-7. The Redskins (3-6) dropped their fifth consecutive game, the longest losing streak of Mike Shanahan's career as a head coach.
The Redskins haven't held a lead since Oct. 2, when they beat St. Louis.
Here are recaps of Sunday's three other games involving NFC East teams:
49ers 27, Giants 20
SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Smith batted down Eli Manning's pass in the waning seconds of the New York quarterback's comeback try, stopping the Giants for a 27-20 victory Sunday in a matchup of NFC division leaders.
With his team trailing, Manning completed a pair of long fourth-down passes and got his team to the red zone with 1:53 to go. Unlike last week's rally by New York (6-3) at New England, Smith made a leaping right-handed smack of the ball on fourth-and-2 from the 10.
The 49ers (8-1) won their seventh straight and didn't rely on Frank Gore, whose franchise-record streak of five straight games with 100 yards rushing ended with a knee injury.
Cardinals 21, Eagles 17
PHILADELPHIA — With John Skelton leading the way, the Arizona Cardinals sure look like a different team.
Skelton threw a 5-yard TD pass to Early Doucet with 1:53 left and the Cardinals rallied for a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Michael Vick had another so-so performance and the Eagles (3-6) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season.
Starting for the injured Kevin Kolb, Skelton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Cardinals (3-6) to their second straight win. He threw a tying TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 overtime win against St. Louis last week that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Fitzgerald had two TD catches and made a sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch to set up the go-ahead score on Sunday.
The defending NFC East champion Eagles were expected to be Super Bowl contenders after a slew of big-name acquisitions in the offseason. Instead, they've struggled miserably and have lost seven of their past eight home games.
Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining after Nnamdi Asomugha's interception to put the Eagles up 17-14.
But the Cardinals answered.
Skelton completed a 30-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 32 to keep the winning drive going. On third-and-10 from the Eagles 38, Fitzgerald made an incredible catch to the 1.
Beanie Wells was stopped for no gain and lost 4 yards on the next run. But Skelton hit Doucet coming out of the backfield for a go-ahead TD to cap an 87-yard drive and give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.
Vick's desperation deep pass on third-and-20 was intercepted by A.J. Jefferson to seal Arizona's win.
Asante Samuel returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy had a 1-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
Vick was 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. He's hardly resembled the guy who was an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl starter last season.
Dolphins 20, Redskins 9
MIAMI — Reggie Bush scored the clinching touchdown, then happily heaved the ball into the stands, and the cluster of fans scrambling for the souvenir included a man in a Miami Dolphins jersey holding a baby.
The scrum was understandable, because victory keepsakes have been a rarity lately for Dolphins fans.
Bush scored two TDs and the Dolphins twice intercepted Rex Grossman to earn their first home victory in nearly a year by beating the Washington Redskins 20-9 Sunday.
The Dolphins ended a franchise-record streak of seven consecutive losses in Miami since last Nov. 14.
Grossman was a surprise starter, replacing John Beck four weeks after being benched. Grossman threw for 215 yards but was sacked three times and had a passer rating of 58.7, lower than his NFC-worst season figure.
Possessions by Washington reached the Miami 20, 26, 5 and 10-yard lines, but those threats produced only three field goals.
Miami (2-7) won for the second week in a row after starting 0-7. The Redskins (3-6) dropped their fifth consecutive game, the longest losing streak of Mike Shanahan's career as a head coach.
The Redskins haven't held a lead since Oct. 2, when they beat St. Louis.