NFL Standings: New York Giants Take Over First Place in NFC East Ahead of Cowboys and Eagles

By Damon Salvadore Oct 27 2015, 12:07 PM EDT

The wild and crazy NFC East continues to surprise everyone.

The New York Giants are on top of the division after beating the Dallas Cowboys this previous weekend. The Giants are now 4-3, and they are the only team in the division that even has a winning record. The Giants are 2-1 in divisional play with wins over the Washington Redskins and Cowboys, but they did lose to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Many fans are comparing this Giants squad to the 2011 team. The 2011 Giants didn't look great either with a 6-6 record and a four game losing streak heading into Week 14. However, Tom Coughlin's team stole the division with a 9-7 record and went on to win the Super Bowl. It looks like once again the NFC East winner will finish 9-7.

The Giants defense has looked absolutely atrocious so far ranking 29th overall, 30th against the pass, and 21st against the run. Still, the Giants have won four of their last five games and sit atop the division. By far the biggest advantage that the Giants have this year has been the quarterback position. Manning has 11 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.

Speaking of quarterbacks, that's been the Cowboys biggest weakness this season. The Cowboys haven't shown that they can play at a competitive level without Tony Romo. Brandon Weeden threw two interceptions in four games, but he was benched for Matt Cassel. Cassel went on to throw three interceptions in last week's game against the Giants, making Weeden look like a quality starter. Greg Hardy made news for his altercation on the sidelines, but no further action will take place.

Tony Romo can start practicing, but he is not eligible to return until Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins. Now in the midst of a four-game losing streak, Jason Garrett hasn't proven he can adapt and build around the Cowboys offense with any other quarterbacks. Regardless, the Cowboys are still in this. Their defense is improving dramatically, and they still have the best offensive line in the division. The Cowboys just have to put together three or four wins before Romo comes back and they may have a chance to win this division.

Getting Dez Bryant back is crucial as well.

And then, there's the team that plays in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles had one of the most confusing offseason's in NFL history, and it doesn't appear to be paying off much. Sam Bradford is playing terrible with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and it just may be time to give Mark Sanchez a shot at starting. The Eagles receivers are dropping passes, and DeMarco Murray still isn't quite fitting the system. Chip Kelly the general manager appears to be hurting Chip Kelly the head coach. Releasing DeSean Jackson and not re-signing Jeremy Maclin haven't paid off for the Eagles. Still, like the Cowboys, the Eagles are very much in this because the division just isn't very good this year.

The Eagles are 1-2 against divisional teams this year. They have a bye week this week and then face the Cowboys in Week 9.

Even the Redskins are still alive in this division. Kirk Cousins completed another game-winning drive, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jay Gruden is sticking with Cousins over Robert Griffin III. The Redskins have yet to win consecutive games this year, and they get a bye week this weekend as well. They will take on the New England Patriots in their next game.