The NFC East hasn't had a repeat champion in more than two decades. That streak appeared certain to end this season until the Dallas Cowboys' second half comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12, keeping hope alive for a surprise Dallas run to the division title.
With the Cowboys knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving and the Eagles losing to the Chicago Bears in an upset on Friday, Dallas' hopes are suddenly more realistic than ever.
The Eagles' grip on the NFC East has started to slip, and an intense race could be underway even without any remaining matchups between Philadelphia and Dallas on the docket.
Here's a look at the updated NFC East standings after the Eagles' loss on Friday.
MORE: Updated NFC North standings after Bears' win
NFC East standings
| Rank | Team | Record | GB |
| 1 | Eagles | 8-4 | -- |
| 2 | Cowboys | 6-5-1 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Commanders | 3-8 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Giants | 2-10 | ELIM |
The Eagles still lead the NFC East by more than a game, holding a 1.5-game advantage over the Cowboys with five games remaining. The Giants are already eliminated from both NFC East and playoff contention, while the Commanders are staring down elimination in the division.
The Cowboys and Eagles split their season series, but fans won’t have to worry about complicated tiebreakers unless one of Philadelphia’s final five games ends in a tie. Because the Cowboys already have a tie on their record, their path forward is simple: outperform the Eagles by two games over the final five weeks to win the division.
For example, if Dallas finishes 5-0, the Eagles would need to finish better than 3-2 to hold onto the NFC East lead. If the Cowboys finish 4-1, the Eagles would need to finish 2-3 or worse, and so on.
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Eagles remaining schedule
Here are the Eagles' final five games of the regular season:
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 8 | at Chargers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Dec. 14 | vs. Raiders | 1 p.m. |
| Dec. 20 | at Commanders | TBD |
| Dec. 28 | at Bills | 4:25 p.m. |
| Jan. 4 | vs. Commanders | TBD |
The Eagles face two winning teams on the road down the stretch in the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, but their home matchups coming against the flailing Las Vegas Raiders once and Washington Commanders twice.
MORE: Examining what has gone wrong with the Eagles' offense
Cowboys remaining schedule
Here are the Cowboys final five games of the regular season:
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 4 | at Lions | 8:15 p.m. |
| Dec. 14 | vs. Vikings | 8:20 p.m. |
| Dec. 21 | vs. Chargers | 1 p.m. |
| Dec. 25 | at Commanders | 1 p.m. |
| Jan. 4 | at Giants | TBD |
The Cowboys are in prime-time in back-to-back weeks after Thanksgiving, facing the Detroit Lions on the road on "Thursday Night Football" before hosting the Minnesota Vikings on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 15.
Still, only two of Dallas' final five opponents have a winning record.