The Week 1 NFC East Report- Previewing The Season
It has now been 20 years since an NFC East team repeated as division champs. The Eagles won it 4 times in a row from 2001 to 2004. Since then, the 4 NFC East have passed the baton between each other 19 times.
6 for the Eagles, 7 for the Cowboys, 3 for the Giants, and 3 for the Washington (insert name here). In that same time, Washington has 3 winning seasons, the Giants have 7, and the Eagles and the Cowboys each have 12. It is usually either the most competitive or the least competitive, without much wiggle room in between. The Giants and Washington have been pretty irrelevant for the last 10 years now, though Washington ditching Dan Synder could change that.
The point is that it is a hard division to predict. So what will we get this year?
Here Is Your Week 1 NFC East Report:
New York Giants Vs Minnesota Vikings
The Giants are expected to be the punching bag of the NFC East. A role they are used to. They took a break to be decent in Brian Daboll’s first year. It looked like after years of complete disasters they had a competent GM and Coach combo. But as we learned from Hard Knocks, Joe Schoen is not the savior Giants fans hoped for.
They still have Daniel Jones. With a top 5 pick, people thought maybe they could get the franchise QB they severely lack. But 3 QBs went off the board before they picked at 5. Instead, they got Malik Nabers, who seems like an incredible talent at WR. Too bad the guy throwing to him sucks.
Their offseason was a disaster, with talent fleeing from the organization. Their GM made a fool of himself. And they look like competitors for the 1st overall pick, which could help solve their biggest problem.
The one thing they have going for themselves is an impressive D-Line. They added Brian Burns to go with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Expect them to get after the QB. But they may not do much else right this season.
They get the Vikings to open the season. The Vikings did get who they hope will be their franchise QB. Too bad he injured himself in the Pre-Season and will have to wait until 2025 to debut. But they scrapped by a bit after Cousins got hurt last year. Sam Darnold isn’t good, but neither is Jones.
The Vikings enter the game as 1.5-point road favorites. That line tells you more about the Giants than it does the Vikings. Expect them to lose. Not just this week, but all season long.
Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Bucs
The Commanders (still a dumb name) have reason for hope for the 1st time in a while. A new owner, a whole new group of people in charge, and a promising young QB. Things might get better for them very soon.
I still think 2024 is too soon for the full turnaround though. Messes as big as Dan Synder made don’t get fixed overnight. Even Marie Condo couldn’t clean that up that fast. They are on the right track, but it might be another year until they are competitive.
The O-line is still very shaky. As we saw with Bryce Young last year, bad O-lines and rookie O-lines are not a great combo. They also just got rid of one of Daniels’ weapons, Jahan Dotson.
Daniels will have brilliant moments this season. I think he will pan out well. But there will be growing pains and a Todd Bowles defense that loves to get after the QB feels like a place where those growing pains will happen.
The Bucs are 3-point home favorites, and that feels like a good bet.
Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns
The Cowboys got worse this off-season. They had some talent to spare, but there is no denying it. Longtime LT Tryon Smith left for the Jets. Tony Pollard replaced Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Center Tyler Biadasz is in Washington. They also lost Dante Fowler (Commanders), Neville Gallimore (Dolphins), Noah Igbinoghene (Commanders), Johnathan Hankins (Seahawks), and Dorrance Armstrong (Commanders).
Who did they add? A washed-up Erik Kendricks, and their draft class. They came in with cap problems, and that was before signing Cee Dee Lamb, and they still need to sign Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott.
There is still talent there, but a lot less of it. The O-Line is vulnerable for the 1st time in a while. Their secondary is beat up with Daron Bland on the IR, and Trevon Diggs coming back from major surgery.
Maybe it is the Eagles homer in me, but it feels like a season that could go very awry for the “Boyz”. Not losing season awry. They will still compete for a playoff spot. But with a lame-duck coach, a lame-duck QB, and a lot less talent, they should take a step back.
The Browns prove a very tough test in week 1. Despite mediocre QB play, they looked very good last year. Their defense is elite. The question is if DeShaun Watson, now healthy, lives up to the contract. if he does, they could make real noise. Even if he doesn’t, they won with an ancient Joe Flacco and PJ Walker last season
The Browns are 2.5-point home favorites, which is a tough line to read. Vegas is telling you it is a toss-up. But the Cowboys tend to lose week 1, going 4-6 in the last 10 years. So while I would sooner avoid betting on this game because of the line, I would lean Browns if I did.
Eagles vs Packers
I tend to lean more optimistic going into an Eagles season. I admittedly overlooked some bad signs for them last year. So perhaps I am over-correcting this year by being a bit worried.
On one hand, the Eagles have the best offense on paper, perhaps in the entire league. With Kellen Moore now in charge, I fully expect the offense to be elite, though there could be growing pains with it being such a new offense. The weapons are just too good, and I am a full believer in Jalen Hurts.
It is the defense that worries me. More specifically, the Edge Rushers. We can praise Howie all we want for foreseeing the Haason Reddick holdout and avoiding it. But if the Eagles did not adequately replace him, is it really a win?
None of their Edge Rushers are proven. Josh Sweat has 1 great season, Bryce Huff has never been a full-time player, Nolan Smith has never proven anything in the pros or college, and Brandon Graham is at the end of his career. Jalyx Hunt is interesting but is still a bit of a project. They lack both star power and depth.
The Fangio defense needs those guys up front, whether it is a 4 or 5-man rush, to get pressure. He does not blitz. It is a core principle of the system. And if these guys can’t win, the cornerbacks, even while being improved, will be hung out to dry.
Still, the offense is so good that they only need the defense to be okay. I think with Fangio, a great Interior Line, and a secondary with a high ceiling, they can accomplish okay, despite the lack of talent on the Edge.
The Packers prove a tough challenge to start the season. Few teams were better over the last half of last season. Meanwhile, no team was worse than the Eagles in that same time. But should we crown them after 8 good games? They should be formidable, but the Eagles have more talent, hence being 2.5-point favorites on the neutral field of Brazil.
It is a tough line to read like Cowboys-Browns, but I lean toward Eagles. That could be the Eagles fan in me though.
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5 Eagles Players In Store For Great Games Vs The Packers
Saquon Barkley
The Packers are switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. Meaning they are going to have 3 off ball Linebackers on the field a lot. It is not yet clear yet if they have 3 linebackers worthy of being on the field. Linebacker for the Packers is a huge question, with very little proven talent on the roster.
All the better for Saquon. As the Packers go through growing pains in the new defensive system, Barkley can benefit with open running lanes if the Packers LBs find themselves out of position.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
