How the Washington Football Team ranks in NFC East confidence picks

Every year, fans spend the offseason trying to figure out who is going to win their division the coming year. Will the previous winner — the Washington Football Team, in the NFC East’s case — repeat? Will they stumble and get passed by the runner-up from last year? Will the basement dweller take a massive leap forward? We argue, we theorize, we make bets, we argue some more, and eventually, the time comes for them to actually play the games.

The NFC East is notoriously difficult to predict, as repeat winners of the most competitive division in football don’t come easily. And while the division has borne the brunt of an endless stream of jokes over the last year while posting the least wins a division has amassed in the 16-game era, there’s no question that, once again, it’s extremely likely all four teams are “in the hunt” for a division title by Halloween or even Thanksgiving.

That’s not because they’re all good. It might be because of just the opposite. But it should make for some compelling games late in the season, which, if we’re honest, is what most NFC East fans have been relegated to hoping for in most seasons over the last 25 years. Here’s what Dan Graziano had to say about the division in 2013:

And here’s what PFF says about the division this year:

Washington Football Team: NFC East confidence picks

So how do we figure out who will win the NFC East this season…and why?

As always, I’ll try to bring some reality to the discussion, and now that rosters are relatively set, I’ll try to differentiate between the four historic franchises for some 2021 Preseason Reality Checks for the NFC East….confidence picks style. I’ll work through some key categories, rank the teams, and try to come up with a conclusion about which team has the edge in the division…

First off, let’s look at each coaching staff.