The NFC East was a dismal collection of teams last season. The Dallas Cowboys were the favorites to win the division but lost quarterback Dak Prescott for the season with a fractured ankle in Week 5, finishing 6-10. The Philadelphia Eagles saw the implosion of Carson Wentz — and the rise of Jalen Hurts, but not in time for the team to compete, as well as the mysterious decision of Doug Pederson to settle for a tie against Cincinnati and to play Nate Sudfeld at quarterback in the fourth quarter of a winnable Week 17 game against Washington. The New York Giants lost tailback Saquon Barkley to an ACL tear and saw quarterback Daniel Jones spend much of the season fighting through injuries. The Washington Football Team won the division despite cutting starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins two-thirds of the way through the season. Who will emerge from this morass in 2021?
Check out the NFL betting odds for each team as well as our thoughts on the four clubs.
NFL News: Picks to Win the NFC East
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | +130 |
| Washington Football Team | +230 |
| New York Giants | +450 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +550 |
The Philadelphia Eagles start a new coaching era with Nick Sirianni, who was previously the offensive coordinator in Indianapolis. Sirianni’s first project is developing Jalen Hurts — but Hurts does not have a wealth of talent around him. Tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver DeVonta Smith are the only real players at the other skill positions. The O-line is decent, but it does not have a lot of depth, and the secondary has some holes. The big money is going to aging players like Fletcher Cox and Zach Ertz, or to fragile players like Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks, so it looks like this team is headed to a rebuilding cycle.
The Washington Football Team had the #3 defense in the NFL, as ranked by Football Outsiders, who adjusted their metrics to opponents. They added William Jackson III at cornerback, so they might be even better in 2021. The linebacker corps had some issues, and the team drafted Jamin Davis in the first round to ease those problems. Ryan Fitzpatrick should bring stability to the quarterback position, and his numbers in Miami last year were the best in his career. With a stable defense, he won’t feel like he has to take as many risks. Because of that defense, Washington is my pick to win the division.
The New York Giants are still deciding whether Daniel Jones was worth the sixth pick overall in 2019 — and whether he is the next franchise quarterback. With Saquon Barkley back at tailback, the team should be able to move the ball more easily — and with Jones healed from injury, his mobility will become a threat once again. The Giants added Kadarius Toney out of Florida in the draft and Kenny Golladay from Detroit in free agency to give Jones some better wideout options. Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard round out that depth chart, and tight end Evan Engram remains a vital weapon.
The Dallas Cowboys have all the pieces of a league-leading offense. With the return of Prescott, a unit that has tailbacks Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, along with an amazing group of wide receivers led by Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys should put up a lot of points. The defense was historically bad last year and will be very young this year, under a new coordinator in Dan Quinn. Expect more aggressiveness — but expect a high learning curve. Dallas will struggle to snag a wild card this season.
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