Week 6 NFC East predictions: It's all about the quarterbacks

All four NFC East teams are on the road for their Week 6 matchups. As usual, quarterback play will  rule the day.

Washington Commanders (2-3) at Atlanta Falcons (3-2): Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder just had his best game of the season against the Texans. Ridder completed over 75.7% of his passes for a career-high 329 yards with one touchdown and, more importantly, no sacks. 

Meanwhile, Washington quarterback Sam Howell took five sacks for the second week in a row. No quarterback has been sacked more than Howell (29) this year. Luckily for him, no team has fewer sacks than the Falcons.

Atlanta may be a slight favorite, but if Washington can find a way to keep its quarterback upright, history could be on its side. The Commanders are 17-10-1 all time against Atlanta, with wins in their last two meetings. 

With 10 days to prepare after a Thursday night game, Washington head coach Ron Rivera must find a way to win after three straight losses. If not, new ownership could sack him sooner than expected. 

PREDICTION: Commanders 28-21

Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) at New York Jets (2-3): Among current starters, only the Giants’ Daniel Jones has a lower quarterback rating than New York’s Zach Wilson. While he led his team to a win over the hapless Broncos last week, his 6.1 yards per attempt ranks 29th in the NFL, and his 182.2 yards per game are third-fewest among Week 6 starters.

On the other hand, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is coming off his best performance of 2023. His season-high 72 rushing yards and 303 passing yards helped Philadelphia hold the ball for nearly 38 minutes against the Rams on Sunday. According to lineups.com, only the Bills and Browns have better time of possession numbers than the Eagles.

Thanks to Wilson’s uneven play, the Jets are averaging a league-worst 24 minutes with the ball this year. Jets running back Breece Hall led the NFL with 177 yards rushing last week, but without sustained drives, his opportunities will be limited if New York falls behind early.

Philadelphia is a perfect 12-0 against the Jets all time and will have no problem getting another win at MetLife Field on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Eagles 38-17

New York Giants (1-4) at Buffalo Bills (3-2): After losing cornerback Tre'Davious White for the season in Week 4, the Bills' 25-20 loss to the Jaguars proved costly as the team lost linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones for the season.  

With Daniel Jones at quarterback, New York’s offense remains one of the NFL’s worst units. After five games, no starting quarterback has fewer yards per game (176.8) than Jones, who’s now dealing with a neck injury suffered against the Dolphins.

Jones should be good for the Bills game, but his offense has been anything but. Only New England has scored fewer points than the Giants, who’ve averaged 12.4 points per game this year. He'd love to have injured running back Saquon Barkley back on the field, but head coach Brian Daboll said the running back’s status (ankle) for Sunday's game against the Bills is "yet to be determined," according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

Ultimately, as long as Bills quarterback Josh Allen stays healthy, Buffalo’s potent offense should have no trouble moving the ball against a Giants team giving up the fourth-most points (30.6) per game this season. 

PREDICTION: Bills 32-21

Dallas Cowboys (3-2) at L.A. Chargers (2-2): Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains high on quarterback Dak Prescott after a 42-10 beating from the 49ers. 

"I believe Dak is a quarterback that can get us to the Super Bowl,” Jones told Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan, “and that's the way that's going to be."

The Cowboys' Super Bowl chances won’t improve with a loss to the Chargers, and the team’s odds of beating L.A. aren’t good if Prescott plays like he did against San Francisco. Prescott had three interceptions on Sunday, which enabled the 49ers to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes.

Give opposing quarterback Justin Herbert that much time and Dallas could be in for a long night in L.A.  Herbert’s passer rating of 106.3 is third-best in the league, Keenan Allen’s 108.5 yards per game are fifth-best among wide receivers and running back Austin Ekeler is 99% sure he’ll be back for the game after missing the last three games with an ankle injury.

The Chargers have had two weeks to prepare (with former Cowboys coordinator Kellen Moore in the building) thanks to a Week 4 bye. Their defense hasn’t been great, but if they turn over Prescott early, they’ll win the game.

PREDICTION: Chargers 28-24