How Strength of Remaining Schedule Could Determine the NFC East Champion

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the NFC East is still up for grabs between the Dallas Cowboys (8-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-4), and New York Giants (7-5). Each of the three teams has as good of a chance of hosting a home play-off game as the other, and this division may not be determined until the final week of the regular season.

While each team seems to beat up on each other in this fierce division, the strength of remaining schedule for could have a major impact on who is crowned NFC East Champions in 2009.

Dallas Cowboys

Out of the three teams, the Cowboys may have the most difficult remaining schedule of all. As of now, they have the most control considering their head-to-head win over the Eagles from Week Nine.

Three of their remaining four games are against teams that would be in the play-offs if the season ended today and have a combined 29-7 record. With the AFC West leading San Diego Chargers coming to town this weekend, they finish out the season with a home matchup against the Eagles—which could end up determining which teams is crowned NFC East Champion.

Along with two difficult home games, the Cowboys must travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints, who are flirting with a perfect record, and FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

While the Redskins sit at 3-9 and are officially eliminated from winning the NFC East, they have played better than their record indicates the last three weeks. They have lost three games in a row by a combined 10 points, including a 7-6 loss against the Cowboys in Week 11.

Philadelphia Eagles

With the success in the month of December during the Andy Reid era, there is every reason to believe the Eagles will make another strong run to claim their first NFC East title since 2006.

Not only have the Eagles won 12 of their last 15 December games, but they are 29-13 in that month since Reid's second season as head coach.

However, just because they have recent success doesn't mean the Eagles will fly through the month of December—especially with the type of schedule that lays ahead of them.

The Eagles travel to the Meadowlands Sunday to take on a Giants squad, looking for revenge after being embarrassed 40-17 in Philadelphia earlier this season, before two home games against the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. They end the season on the road in a crucial game at Cowboys Stadium that could end up determining their play-off fate.

Back in Week 11, the Eagles recorded their first win on Sunday Night Football after losing their first seven games since NBC took over broadcasting rights in 2006. With the upcoming Week 14 matchup against the Giants on NBC, it should be interesting to see whether or not Philadelphia can increase their record to 2-7 on Sunday Night Football.

New York Giants

After a 5-0 start, the Giants appeared to be on their way to a second-straight NFC East title. Since then, they have lost five of seven and are back in the division hunt after a 31-24 win over the Cowboys last weekend.

Out of the three teams fighting for the NFC East title, the Giants may have the best advantage when it comes to their remaining schedule. Other than this week's matchup against the Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings are the only team on their remaining schedule with a record above .500.

After a matchup against the Redskins on Monday Night Football in Week 15, the Giants welcome the 5-7 Carolina Panthers to the Meadowlands for their final regular season game at Giants Stadium. While their remaining schedule may be more favorable, New York still has the disadvantage being one-game back of Dallas and Philadelphia in the NFC East standings.

However, a win over Philadelphia Sunday night would at least move New York up in the Wild Card standings. The Giants have made late-season runs before and they could easily do it again in the final stretch of the 2009 regular season.

Dan Parzych is the founder of the new NFCEastFootball.com