Unpredictable NFC East presents stiff competition for overhauled Commanders

Every NFC East team was disappointed by the end of the 2023 season. As the 2024 campaign kicks off, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will look to rebound from last season’s playoff disappointments, while the upstart Washington Commanders and New York Giants aim to take the next step in their rebuilds.

The unpredictable NFC East hasn’t had a repeat champion since the Eagles won back-to-back division titles in 2003 and 2004 — it’s the longest such drought in NFL history.

Other divisions in the NFL boast more flash — the AFC North sent three teams to the postseason last year, and the AFC East boasts the high-powered Bills and Dolphins offenses.

But the NFC East is no cakewalk. 

Despite early playoff exits last season, the Cowboys and Eagles are widely considered potential title contenders.  

Commanders coach Dan Quinn says he knows what to expect from one of the toughest divisions in football. The New Jersey native grew up watching the rivalries build and spent the last three seasons as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.

“This is a really cool division,” Washington’s new coach said at his introductory press conference in February. “The schemes will change, but [knowing] a lot of who the players are, that’s a good thing. There’s definitely some advantage with that.”

For seven months, Quinn has said his team is “recalibrating,” not rebuilding. But the oddsmakers in Vegas aren’t optimistic. They set Washington’s win total at 6 1/2 entering the season, tied for the fourth-lowest in the NFL.

Part of that pessimistic outlook is rooted in the Commanders’ struggles within the division — NFC East opponents swept Washington in 2023.

The path doesn’t seem any easier in 2024.

Reloaded

The Eagles and Cowboys added some new wrinkles over the offseason.

Philadelphia replaced offensive coordinator Brian Johnson with Kellen Moore after scoring just nine points in their playoff loss. Dallas hired longtime defensive mastermind Mike Zimmer to replace Quinn after its defense allowed 48 points to Green Bay.

The Cowboys were uncharacteristically quiet in free agency, but the Eagles made a splash. They signed former Giants running back Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal. He’ll join quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown on an Eagles’ offense that lost longtime center Jason Kelce to retirement this offseason.

The Cowboys lost several role players in free agency, including center Tyler Biadasz, running back Tony Pollard, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. To contend for a championship, Dallas will likely rely on its stars: quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons.

After recent playoff disappointments, the NFC East’s top two squads are rapidly approaching “Super Bowl or bust” territory.

The Cowboys will likely have to open up their checkbooks to keep Parsons and Prescott long-term — the pair are next in line for contract extensions after Lamb received a $136 million deal this summer.

The Eagles will also have to tighten their belts soon. The franchise gave Hurts a five-year, $255 million extension that will see him occupy more and more cap space in the coming seasons.

The expectations for Dallas and Philadelphia’s star-studded squads start with another postseason berth — anything less would be a disappointment.

Rebuilding

While the Eagles and Cowboys look to rebound from playoff embarrassments, the Giants and Commanders are returning from regular season blunders. The two teams landed top-10 draft picks after underwhelming performances in 2023.

After losing Barkley in free agency, the Giants added rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers to provide a spark for its inert offense. Quarterback Daniel Jones missed 12 games due to injuries but never found a rhythm when he was on the field.

After trading for two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns, the Giants will likely need a stout defensive front to return to the playoffs, as they did in 2022 in the first year under coach Brian Daboll.

The Commanders haven’t won the NFC East since 2020, when quarterback Taylor Heinicke led the team to an unlikely playoff berth after a 7-9 season.

Though the path back to contention often takes time, the Commanders coach has said he isn’t a patient man. If his squad needs evidence to support a quick turnaround, they can look to last year’s Houston Texans.

After selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick in 2023, first-year coach Demeco Ryans and the Texans shocked the world by securing an AFC South crown and a dominant playoff victory against the Cleveland Browns.

Commanders fans will hope for a similar arc from this year’s No. 2 pick: quarterback Jayden Daniels. But the path to the playoffs runs through the NFC East, Quinn said.

“It’s our division, all of that,” Quinn said last week, noting that he wants to “win now.” “The win now is not way down the line. It’s not the end of the season, and I get that’s what a lot of people want to do, but I think we’ll miss everything if we do that.”