Without a doubt, one of the most intriguing and best divisions in the NFL this year is the NFC East.
It features last year’s NFC champions the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the much-improved New York Giants and the ultra-competitive Washington Commanders.
As often is the case, it has been an off-season of much change across the division but all four teams will feel that they have what it takes to have a successful season, which will hopefully culminate in a Super Bowl appearance for one of the franchises.
Can the Eagles go one step further than last season? Can the Cowboys finally get over their play-off hoodoo? Can Daniel Jones prove that he was worth the huge contract that he has been given? Is Sam Howell good enough to be a starter in the NFL for the Commanders?
There are many questions to be answered, but as we are just a week away from the opening snap of the season, it should not be too long before we begin to understand what these teams have to offer.
Last season
Helped by the off-season acquisition of wide receiver AJ Brown in April 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense went up to a new level last year. An impressive offensive line and an outstanding quarterback in Jalen Hurts took the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl, where they were ultimately defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs. They won the division with a 14-3 record, with their sole losses coming to the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and the New Orleans Saints.
When the Cowboys lost their opening game 19-3 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was looking like it may be a long season for the side from Texas. But they responded well to make the post-season with a 12-5 record. The highlights of the Cowboys’ regular season were the 40-3 victory against the Minnesota Vikings and a 40-34 win over the Eagles. They beat the Buccaneers 31-14 in the Wild Card round, before ultimately succumbing to the San Francisco 49ers in a tight affair.
The New York Giants were one of the biggest surprises to come out of the most recent season. Under new head coach and former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, the Giants made the play-offs. A 27-22 win over the Green Bay Packers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium alerted the UK audience to what they were capable of. They stunned the Vikings in the first round of the play-offs, before they were beaten by the Eagles in the Divisional round.
For the Commanders to finish bottom of their division with an 8-8-1 record, shows just how competitive the NFC East was last year. They managed to beat all their divisional rivals throughout the year, but they were badly hampered by their quarterback issues. Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell were all given their opportunity but they all struggled to nail down the position. It was an encouraging year for the franchise, though, who recovered from losing four of their opening five games, to only just miss out on the off-season.
Incomings/Outgoings
There have been multiple changes on the Eagles roster for the 2023 season. On defence, they have lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers. Linebackers TJ Edwards and Kyzir White left in free agency, as did starting safeties CJ Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps. Running back Miles Sanders also departed as he joined the Carolina Panthers. D’Andre Swift, who previously plied his trade on the Detroit Lions, is an able replacement. They have also drafted defensive duo Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith from Georgia in the first round – which makes an already fearsome defence, even better.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks were the biggest names to come through the door in Dallas. Veteran running back Ronald Jones replaced Ezekiel Elliott, and he will look to back-up the exciting Tony Pollard. Trey Lance, who was a former third overall pick in 2021 by the 49ers, was traded for by the Cowboys front office after he had fallen out of favour in San Francisco. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith, tight end Luke Schoonmaker and running back Deuce Vaughn were among the rookies selected in the draft.
The biggest name added to the New York Giants roster over the off-season has to be Darren Waller, who has arrived from the Las Vegas Raiders. The tight end is known as being one of the best players in his position in the whole of the NFL and if he is able to stay healthy in New York, then he will be a superb signing for the Giants. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons may turn out to be another solid pick-up, while the draft picks of cornerback Deonte Banks and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt will excite the fans in the Big Apple. Left guard Jon Feliciano and receiver Richie James departed the franchise to join the 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs respectively.
The Commanders selected cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and defensive back Jartavius Martin in the opening two rounds of the draft, as they set about trying to improve their secondary. Right tackle Andrew Wylie and linebacker Cody Barton were the biggest off-season signings in Washington, while they had to let centre Wes Schweitzer, right guard Trai Turner and safety Bobby McCain leave the franchise. There will be no more Taylor Heinicke in Washington though, as he has joined the Atlanta Falcons.
Schedule difficulty
The teams in the NFC East will all face their divisional opponents twice, as is always the case, while this year they will also have games against the whole of the NFC West and AFC East. That means the three teams will play the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
Due to the Eagles winning the division last year, they will then face the winners of the two other divisions in the NFC. That means they face the NFC South champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFC North winners, the Minnesota Vikings. A daunting trip to the Kansas City Chiefs is also on their schedule, due to the yearly rotation where teams from a division face a counterpart who finished in the same divisional position as themselves. This year, the NFC East sides are against their AFC West equivalents.
The Dallas Cowboys will have games against the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers, who all finished second in their respective divisions.
The Giants will face the third-placed Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, while the Washington Commanders will take on the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos – as they all finished fourth in their divisions.
Best player
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is possibly the best and most improved player on last season’s NFC champions. In 2022, Hurts put up some impressive numbers, as he threw for 3701 yards and 22 touchdowns – only six interceptions were thrown. He can also beat defences with his legs. He showed that with his 760 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, behind an impressive offensive line.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has been one of the most feared defensive players in the whole of the NFL, ever since he entered the league in 2021. Parsons has a combined 26.5 sacks in his first two seasons and he has been named first team All-Pro in both of those years. If the 23-year-old keeps up those kinds of numbers throughout the rest of his career, the Cowboys will have every chance to add to their five Super Bowl titles in the near-future.
It is much tougher to choose who the best player on the New York Giants is. That is not because they have a lack of talent on their roster, but it is due to the fact that they have some players who do not get some of the same recognition that other players in the NFL are used too. If it is exhilarating offensive players that can get you up out of your seat that your are interested in, then running back Saquon Barkley is perhaps the Giants star man. He had one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, as he rushed for 1,312 years – scoring 10 touchdowns. A special mention should also go to left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is playing at an immense level in one of the least glamorous positions on the field.
Ever since, Kirk Cousins departed the Washington Commanders in 2018, the franchise has struggled to find a starting quarterback that they can rely on. Alex Smith, Heinicke and Carson Wentz have all had a go – but they have failed to impress. Luckily for the Commanders, they have had a defence that has kept them in games over the last few years. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is a big reason for that. He had 64 combined tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2022. Allen has only missed one game in the last two years and has been a crucial cog in the Commanders engine.
Prediction
No team has retained their NFC East title since the Eagles managed to do it over the 2001-2004 period, when they won the division in four straight years.
That being said, the team from Philadelphia are the clear front-runners in the division and they should, unless there is a serious bout of injuries, win the division again.
Expect the Cowboys to run them close, and there is a distinct possibility that three or possibly even four teams from the division make the post-season.
