FBG Predicts: The NFC East

Photo: USA Today Sports

Since everyone is sitting around waiting for camps to start, we decided to ask the Footballguys staff to offer up some predictions for each division. We asked staff members to predict the order of finish, if the division was good enough to get multiple playoff teams, and if there was a team in each division bad enough to contend for the 1.01 pick in the 2021 Draft.

Today, we'll look at the NFC East and compare our staff predictions to win totals from the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Find links to other divisions here.

There are two haves (with Dallas having a little more than Philadelphia) and two have nots (with Washington having a little less than New York).

Jeff Pasquino

Interesting to see how everyone picked this division. It was one of the most competitive divisions last year, and I don't see that changing. The Chiefs are the odds-on favorites to win the AFC West again, and that makes a ton of sense given that they are Super Bowl champions and have most of their team returning.

Is this division good enough to get two playoff teams? Three?

The Short Answer

There's a good chance a pair of teams make it out of the NFC East unless the Giants and Washington improve enough to create too much parity.

Jeff Pasquino

Dallas appears to be the easy pick here for the NFC East, while the Eagles have a reasonable shot to push the Cowboys for both the division and a playoff spot. Both teams should benefit by taking care of business four times against Washington and the Giants, which is significant given a tougher AFC North and the formidable NFC West. Both Dallas and Philadelphia have strong offensive lines, but the Cowboys get a nod in talent at both wide receiver and across most of the defense. Dallas was one of the best offenses last year but could not put it all together, so they will be hungry to capture the division this year.

Jason Wood

The NFC East was, by far, the worst division in football last year. Every other division won 30+ games while the NFC "Least" won just 24 games. The division had a combined (-135) point differential. By comparison, the second-worst was the AFC South at (-45) points. When a division has those kinds of struggles, changes are afoot -- and three teams replaced their head coaches. Only the Eagles return intact and are assuredly in the playoff hunt. If the Eagles stay healthy -- something they haven't done in two seasons -- they can make a deep run. But the smart money is on Dallas taking the next step forward under Mike McCarthy. Although his reputation in Green Bay was tarnished at the end, very few current head coaches have his resume as a play-caller or overall win/loss record.

Ryan Hester

There are two competitive football teams in this division. Philadelphia has a chance to make the wild card — especially with an extra spot this season. But after Dallas and Philadelphia, the others don’t stand a chance.

Chad Parsons

This is one of the more defined divisions for 2020 projections. I can see any team but Washington possibly making the playoffs, but with the pronounced pecking order of Dallas being most likely, Philadelphia second-most, and the Giants third-most. I am bullish on the Eagles, but they need a perfect storm on their end plus some bounces against Dallas to win the division.

Bob Henry

Yes, but it's also just as likely these teams cannibalize each other. It's a hard division to call because I think Washington and the Giants could take big steps forward. Washington's front seven appears to be on the verge of making them a formidable, top 10 defense but with a new offense and not much of an offseason to gel, can Dwayne Haskins take a big step forward? I'm not sure he can, but crazier things have happened, especially if they can establish a strong running game to pair with the defense.

Dallas and Philadelphia appear to be the top two teams still but if either of them lose their starting quarterback, the landscape could change in a hurry.

Phil Alexander

The Cowboys upgraded at head coach, wide receiver, tight end (addition by subtraction), and have a motivated Dak Prescott playing on the franchise tag. On paper, only the Chiefs field a more potentially explosive offense. If Carson Wentz can stay healthy for the duration of the season, Philadelphia will join Dallas in the playoffs.

Andy Hicks

I cannot see three playoff teams coming from this division. As Jason said it was an ordinary group last year and three new coaching groups brings a lot of uncertainty. At least we know how Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera operate. The Giants changed coaches with a rookie quarterback having to start from scratch again in year two. Washington has a big hill to climb, but Rivera should get the best possible result from whatever he has at his disposal. They have an outside chance of progression depending on the development of Dwayne Haskins. Dallas looks like they should be dominant, but I need to see how the relationship between Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott develops. Keeping Kellen Moore on is all well and good, but there is something off about not extending Prescott. I give Philadelphia the nod in this group due to the continuity factor and development of Carson Wentz.

Jeff Haseley

I have a feeling that only one team (Dallas) will earn a berth from the NFC East, but it's possible that two can make it if Philadelphia stays healthy, Miles Sanders becomes the player we think he is, and Carson Wentz doesn't fall victim to injury. I envision the Cowboys winning the division which might come down to a home game vs Philadelphia in Week 16. Dallas has weapons and talent at every skill position which ultimately will pave the road to success in Mike McCarthy's first season as head coach. I think we will be surprised by Washington this year under the guidance of Ron Rivera and the young talent they have on both sides of the ball, especially defense. I don't think it's enough to compete in the division. They may finish tied with the Giants if all goes well, but they might not arrive as a threat until 2021.

Jordan McNamara

Talent-wise I think Dallas is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Dallas did not make the playoffs last year, despite outscoring their opponents by 113 points. Only Baltimore, New England, Kansas City, San Francisco and New Orleans outscored their opponents by more. Philadelphia is the only other team I can see making the playoffs in the division. I would say it is possible, but not probable.

Andrew Davenport

I do think they are good enough to get two teams in, but it is going to require both of the top teams to overcome some obstacles. The Eagles were ravaged with cluster injuries last year at wide receiver and in the secondary, but still managed to stay competitive. So they went out and worked hard in free agency to address those problems, mostly on defense, and I like what they did. They just need their wide receiver corps to help the team in any fashion this year for the combination of Wentz and Pederson to win 10-11 games.

I'm a little concerned that the Cowboys defense is going to be worse than last year because of all their defections, particularly standout corner Byron Jones. They tried to plug the leaks but I think they're going to be weaker on that side of the ball. So the question is, other than adding CeDee Lamb and a new head coach, can we really say their roster is demonstrably better than last year's squad that went 8-8? Those are big additions, but wide receiver talent wasn't exactly a weak spot for Dallas. Maybe Mike McCarthy is that big of a factor, and if he is, both the Cowboys and Eagles can make it in.

Is there a team in this division that will challenge for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 Draft?

The Short Answer

Possibly, Washington. But many believe all of these teams are good enough to avoid being the worst in the league.

Jeff Pasquino

Washington could be a four-win team with the potential for a top pick next season.

Jason Wood

Washington could be epically bad, particularly if Dwayne Haskins doesn't improve by leaps and bounds. The team did little to improve offensively, other than hire new coaches; which will help. But there are young pieces up and down the defense and the offensive line has building blocks, so a bad 2021 could open the door for a banner 2022 and beyond if they win the Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields sweepstakes.

Ryan Hester

Both New York and Washington are poor teams. Washington’s roster is among the most devoid-of-talent in the NFL.

Chad Parsons

Washington did little to surround Dwayne Haskins and their defense has underachieved in recent years consistently despite upside on paper. I was on the 'they should draft Tua Tagovailoa' mantra this offseason as until you have a franchise guy, a team should continue to search for one. Haskins may prove me wrong, but Tagovailoa has a better probability. If Washington is high in the 2021 draft order, the assumption would be Haskins' lack of development is one of the reasons for that stature. Passing on quarterback again would be another mistake.

Bob Henry

It's possible, but I don't think it's probable. The competitive floor in the division is higher than a year ago. I wouldn't be surprised if 3 or 4 wins separate the winner and last place teams.

Phil Alexander

As Bob alluded to, Washington's defensive line gives them a higher floor than the Giants, who open with a daunting schedule and may never recover. Dwayne Haskins improved as he gained experience last year, which is about all you can ask for from a rookie quarterback who started only 14 games as a collegiate. We'll see if COVID-19 puts a wrench in the works, but new offensive coordinator Scott Turner has shown a willingness to tailor his scheme to what his players do best. Don't be surprised to see Washington finish in the .500 range.

Andy Hicks

The Giants could be a mess or make progress. Rookie head coaches can be in over their heads or successfully change the culture. Ron Rivera has a challenge, but I expect it to be met and avoid a freefall. Outside that this division should avoid the first pick of 2021.

Jeff Haseley

I am going to say no, for the reasons I gave above. Washington and the NY Giants may not be among the top teams in the division, but I don't see them among the bottom teams in the league.

Jordan McNamara

Both the Giants (-110) and Washington (-169) were in the bottom five in point differential last year. I expect the Giants to be better, but Washington has one of the worst supporting casts for a young quarterback. Ron Rivera should be a stabilizing figure for the franchise, but that may take time, and think they are firmly in contention for the number one pick.

Andrew Davenport

I don't see the Giants being a bad enough team to get the number one pick. I'm not sure their defense is going to be much better and I'm not sold on Daniel Jones, but there is no reason to believe they'll be demonstrably worse than their 2019 finish. Washington, on the other hand, has the chops, or lack thereof, to compete for that top spot. Haskins appeared to improve as he got more reps at the end of last year, but there is healthy skepticism about what they've got in their young quarterback. If he fails to step up this team will challenge for the top pick next year. I'd call the Washington roster one of the bottom three in the league.