🏈 NFC Least No More

It's possible, even likely, that the NFC East could see three teams in the playoffs. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The rise of the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys have made the NFC East the hottest division in football … How the Astros and Phillies stack up in the World Series … and more! You’ve resurrected a season that looked to be doomed in Week 1, you say? Unearthed one of the most likable backup quarterbacks of this or any other season? Boasted the kind of ferocious defensive playmaking that any head coach would delight in? Wait, what, all of the above? Yeah, sorry Dallas Cowboys, not good enough. All those things are great, but it’s the bronze medal for you and nothing more, for now anyway. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Who’s next? You’ve put together your franchise’s best start to a season in 14 years? Lifted the spirits of your long-suffering fan base to unthinkable levels? Beaten up some fine teams and happened upon a guy who seems to be an unexpected coaching genius? Huh, all of the above, again? Yeah, sorry New York Giants, not good enough from you either. All that fun and optimism, and still it’s just the silver medal, until you prove otherwise. Welcome to the wacky world of the NFC East, home of the hottest teams in professional football, and where a scarcely conceivable turnaround has taken place. Worst-to-first truly applies when it comes to taking the present quality level of the division formerly known as the NFC Least, and matching it up with the rather dire stuff it produced through the past several years. Right now the division is being fronted, of course, by the indomitable Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL’s only undefeated team as they emerge from a well-deserved bye week. The Eagles’ surge behind QB Jalen Hurts is why the 5-2 Cowboys, heading into Sunday’s home clash against the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET on FOX and FOX Sports App), need to win to avoid getting cut loose, never mind the warm feelings generated by Cooper Rush’s admirable deputization and Dak Prescott’s welcome return. It is also why the Giants carry some pressure into their road tilt with the Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App), regardless of being in the heady sphere of a 6-1 start, the kind of thing not experienced since the days when Michael Strahan and Eli Manning got paid for donning football uniforms instead of hosting TV shows. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - With the World Series beginning Friday, Rowan Kavner looks at how the Phillies and Astros got here and [how they might fare against each other](. - By gushing praise, Penn State coach James Franklin [puts the focus on Ohio State's C.J. Stroud]( Michael Cohen writes. - Dusty Baker has won 2,093 regular-season games, but not a World Series. Deesha Thosar explores how [the beloved manager has another shot]( to change that with these Astros. - Can Penn State stop Ohio State? Will Michigan earn vengeance vs. Sparty? RJ Young and Michael Cohen [preview Week 9 of the college football season](. - The Phillies have not only dominated competitors during the playoffs but absolutely [committed to having loads of fun]( with each other, Jake Mintz writes. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (FOX, 8:03 p.m. ET) Aaron Nola gets the start for Philly in Game 1 of the World Series against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions (Saturday, FOX, noon ET) The Buckeyes have lost just one Big Ten game during Ryan Day’s three-plus seasons as head coach, knocking off three ranked Nittany Lions teams in the process. Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (Saturday, FOX, 8:03 p.m. ET) Game 2 of the Fall Classic features Phillies ace Zack Wheeler presumptively squaring off with the Astros’ Framber Valdez. No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys at No. 22 Kansas State Wildcats (Saturday, FOX, 3:30 p.m. ET) The two Big 12 contenders have one loss apiece, both of which involved blowing double-digit, second-half leads to TCU in October. Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, FOX, 1 p.m. ET) Justin Fields is coming off perhaps the best game of his young career, while Dak Prescott will make his second start since returning from a broken thumb. San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET) The Niners (3-4) have won seven straight in the regular season against their NFC West rivals, but the Rams (3-3) claimed the most important recent meeting in the series — last season’s conference title game. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks: Seahawks (-3) to win by more than 3 points From FOX Sports NFL Writer Warren Sharp: Geno Smith versus Giants DC “Wink” Martindale will be the biggest story of this game, but on that side of the ball, it’s also going to be the Seahawks run game against the Giants’ terrible run defense. After playing three league-average defenses, the Seahawks get the No. 30 Giants defense which also ranks bottom-five versus the run. And that’s where the Seahawks rushing attack can take advantage. The Giants run defense allows an insane 2.5 yards before contact on early down RB runs. In fact, it’s the NFL’s worst rate for any team since 2015. Last week the Giants played the Jaguars. Before the game, the Jaguars RBs averaged 1.6 yards before contact per early down rush, which ranked No.11 in the NFL. Against the Giants, they gained an insane 5.6 yards before contact per early down rush. Now, they have to go up against the fourth-best RB corps of the Seahawks. Seattle ranks fourth in yards before contact for RBs on early-down runs and fourth in EPA on these runs. This will be the best rushing attack the Giants will have faced this season. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2022 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. 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