As the season closes in, no division is hungrier than the NFC East. The Eagles just won their first Super Bowl and the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants are all hungry to claim the top spot.
The NFC East is the most entertaining division in the NFL. The teams hate each other, the fans hate each other, and matchups are nothing but ruthless, blood thirsty games each and every time these teams line across from each other.
This offseason has been has been a hectic one, the Eagles added to they’re already stacked defensive line. The Giants added the most polarizing running back prospect to come out in the past decade. The Redskins let Cousins walk and brought in Alex Smith to replace him. The Cowboys had their top two receiving options leave while injecting an assortment of youth to the roster.
Every team has a chance to win the division. But at the same time, each team has a glaring weakness that needs to be fixed before the season if they want to be competitive.
Each NFC East team will have to play all four teams from the NFC South and the AFC South, which are arguably the two best divisions in all of football. They will also play a team from each NFC division depending on where they finished in the respective divisions. And, of course, they will play each other a total of six times.
No team has an easy schedule, no team has an easy path to the top. What are the strengths of each team, the weaknesses? We’ll take a look at what each teams best and worst case scenarios along with how I think the division standings will shake up at the end of the season.
New York Giants
The Giants have a very underrated roster. People who believe they’ll finish as a bottom-tier team haven’t done their research.
With an above average defense and an explosive offense, the biggest thing that held the Giants back last season were injuries. Their entire starting receiving corps was out for most of the season. The offensive line was also a monumental weakness, which they helped a little by adding Nate Solder and Patrick Omameh in free agency and UTEP guard Will Hernandez in the second round of the draft. This automatically improves three positions along the offensive line from last season.
If the team can stay healthy, the only thing really holding them back would be Eli Manning. However, if the veteran signal caller can have a resurgent year, the the big blue have a legit Super Bowl chance.
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The Giants offense has an assortment of weapons that play off each other extremely well. Odell Beckham is one of the three best receivers in all of football. He can run any route, and can make any catch. He’s explosive will be the primary deep threat will also serving as the focal point of the offense. Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram are both excellent secondary options controlling the short to intermediate parts of the field. Engram proved last year to be a great young tight-end that Eli Manning will sure to use as a security blanket.
Then, check out the running game. You add Saquon Barkley, who has a chance to score every time he touches the football. Jonathan Stewart will help take a little pressure off Barkley by taking some of the short yardage and goal line snaps. This offense will be the most improved from last season thanks to a combination of health to the receiving corpse, and improvements to the offensive line and running back room.
The Giants defense had a down year, but the year before, they were on of the leagues best units. They possess an excellent edge defender in Olivier Vernon, while also boasting some run stopping monster in Damon “Snacks” Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson. Their secondary is no joke either. Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple are a good boundary corner duo, while Landon Collins is one of the top safeties in the league. The Giants defense has talent, and should improve by getting more help from the offense.
The Giants have just as much talent as the other teams in the NFC East. However, they have the worst quarterback and offensive line in the division. So, that’s why I still predict them to finish last. However, I wouldn’t be very surprised if the Giants have a strong season and end up making it to the postseason as a wildcard team.
Best Case Scenario: 10-6, NFC East 2nd Place, Wildcard
Worst Case Scenario: 4-12, NFC East 4th Place
My Prediction: 6-10, NFC East 4th Place
Washington Redskins
The Redskins were hit by injuries harder than any other team last season. This season hasn’t started any better. They’ve lost rookie running back Derrius Guice and sophomore wide-out Robert Davis who both figured to make an impact on the offense this season.
The Redskins will struggle to run the football at an elite level, but to assume that the running game will completely struggle due to the loss of Guice is misinformed. As long as the Redskins offensive line is healthy, who ever runs behind it will find some level of success. We saw it last season when Robert Kelley was healthy, I still expect Kelley to have a strong season and the Redskins offense to elevate from the injury riddled season.
The Redskins passing offense will also reveal a new weapon. Josh Doctson is going into his third season, but this is the year I believe he puts it together. He’s now viewed as the undisputed No. 1 receiver will get looks on screen passes, intermediate routes, and deep throws. Alex Smith and Doctson is the combo I’m most excited for this upcoming season. Add Paul Richardson, Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed, and Vernon Davis to the equation, and this passing game could be one of the NFL’s best.
The Redskins defense is expected to be improved this season, specifically the run defense. They drafted two defensive tackles in the draft and brought in Pernell McPhee, one of the leagues elite run edge defenders. The passing defense was quietly excellent, but I don’t expect it to be as strong as last season. They lost starting outside corner back Bashaud Breeland along with star slot corner Kendall Fuller. The defense as a unit will improve with a much stronger run defense, but the pass defense will be slightly weaker.
The Redskins have a strong roster, with few weaknesses, but the schedule the Redskins face is one of the toughest in the NFL, so they’re going to need to play their best football and have a little bit of luck. I expect the Redskins winning anywhere from 7-to-10 wins. Alex Smith is a proven winner, and has a solid roster around him. The team won’t be terrible, but they will have their fair share of struggles this season.
Best Case Scenario: 11-5, NFC East 2nd Place, Wildcard
Worst Case Scenario: 5-11, NFC East 4th Place
My Prediction: 8-8, NFC East 3rd Place
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys enter the season with more questions then they ended last year with. Travis Frederick has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and is sidelined indefinitely. Their first round pick Leighton Vander Esch has missed substantial time this offseason. With the departure of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, they’ll need to rely on an unproven receiving corpse to balance the offense. If the Cowboys want to make the playoffs, Dak Prescott will need to lead the team. He’s gonna need to bring back some of his rookie season magic, and then some.
Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams, Michael Gallup, and Geoff Swaim/Blake Jarwin are not an elite group of pass catchers. They’re not even an average one. The Cowboys may very well have the worst receiving corpse not only in the division, but the entire NFL. I’ve been a very vocal fan of Dak Prescott, but it’s going to take a miracle for him to turn this passing offense into a positive. Luckily, with a stellar offensive line, he should have all day to throw.
The Cowboys want to run the ball. That’s completely obvious. The absence of Frederick will hurt the interior a little bit, but I don’t expect a massive drop off. The Cowboys will lead the division in rushing, and will finish the season a top three rushing team once again. Ezekiel Elliott is a top tier back, and they’ve added tons of talent throughout the years. The success of the rushing offense will dictate the success of the team as a whole.
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The Cowboys have finally put together a defense that I believe could be a competent group. They have a lot of young talent in the secondary, if the linebacker group can stay healthy it should be a top unit in the NFL, and they have a go to pass rusher in DeMarcus Lawrence. Add in pieces along the defensive line like David Irving, Taco Charlton, and Randy Gregory and they could be a strong group. All the defense needs to do is hold the opposition close enough that the offense can continue to run the ball.
The Cowboys success hinges on their success to run the football, their defensive development, and a serviceable passing offense. The run game will be elite, but how can the young defense gel together, and will the pass catchers be able to succeed when called upon? These are the three things the Cowboys must do to be competitive.
Best Case Scenario: 12-4, NFC East Champs, Playoff Bye
Worst Case Scenario: 6-10, NFC East 4th Place
My Prediction: 10-6, NFC East 2nd Place
Philadelphia Eagles
Coming of their first Super Bowl win, the Eagles are rightfully the favorite to win the NFC East. They got better through the offseason, but a there is one glaring story line that will impact the Eagles success. The return of Carson Wentz.
Nick Foles is not going to lead the team to a division title. I understand he played well in the playoffs last season, but Foles isn’t a franchise quarterback. Wentz will need to return to form after the ACL injury he suffered last season. He’ll need to be as explosive as ever, the Eagles have a tough schedule, and the entire NFL views them as the number one target.
The offense is led by a strong running back group headlined by Jay Ajayi as the early down back, and Corey Clement as the primary pass catcher. Darren Sproles returns this year, but I don’t expect the Eagles to overwork the 35-year-old who is coming off a nasty knee injury.
The offensive line is among one of the best in the NFL with the return of future Hall of Fame left tackle Jason Peters. I don’t expect the passing offense to have the same success it did last year, but it will still prove sufficient enough. The offense will thrive on consistency, they won’t be a top-five passing or rushing attack, but have all the tools needed to finish top 10 in total offense.
The defense is headlined by a daunting defensive line that thrives on getting after the passer. It’s depth did take a hit with the likes of Beau Allen and Vinny Curry leaving in free agency, but the Eagles subsidized it a bit by acquiring Micheal Bennett from the Seahawks. The secondary is in a little unknown. They have veterans Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod holding down the safety spots, but at corner is the competition of Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas, Sidney Jones fighting for the outside corner opposite of Ronald Darby. It should be an interesting competition as Jones has the highest upside, but Mills has the most experience and Douglas has the best physical traits.
The Eagles are the team to beat in the division, and I don’t expect them to replicate their dominance from last season. That said, I do believe they’re still the best team in the division, and are the best bet to win it. That being said, all four teams are hungry, and all four teams are 0-0 as of right now. Each team has it’s own strengths and weaknesses and we won’t know who the best team is until it’s all said and done. No team has won the NFC East in back to back years since the Eagles in 2003-2004.