NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Don’t look now, but the NFC East is by far the best division in the NFL through the first 5 weeks of the season. For years, the label “NFC Least” has followed the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants. Although some of the hate may be a bit unwarranted, there have been moments when this division has been at the bottom. But this is a new season and 3 of the teams in the East have shown a vast improvement over previous campaigns.
The Giants and Cowboys will enter their Week 6 games at 4-1. The Commanders are struggling at 1-4. But the NFL’s only unbeaten team, the Eagles are sitting at 5-0. Add that up and the NFC East is a combined 13-6 on the year with 4 of those losses coming at the hands of the Commanders. Is there a better division at the moment than the East?
You can probably make an argument for the AFC South but that’s mostly on paper and expectations. The Bills and Miami Dolphins are tough but can we really say the same for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets? The AFC West was supposed to be the “it” division heading into the season but they have won a combined 10 games.
What makes the NFC East so special?
The winning is done on both sides of the ball. Normally we can say a division is solid on the offensive or defensive side. However, when it comes to the NFC East, they are solid all the way around. The Eagles and Cowboys are scary on defense and the Giants are starting to hit their strider. The Commanders are in rebuild mode and will take some time to locate their identity.
On offense, what’s not to say about the hot start got Jalen Hurts, Saquan Barkley, and even backup QN handle jones for the Cowboys. Weekly, there is someone stepping up for the East. We can put dirt on the Commanders even with a 1-4 record but 2 of their 4 losses have come at the hands of the Eagles and Cowboys. The Giants only loss of the season was to the Cowboys and the ‘Boys only defeat was at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Dak Prescott went down with an injury in Week 1.
Where would you like to play the NFC East? The division is 7-4 at Home and an astounding 7-2 on the Road. For all the conspiracy theories out there saying teams can’t play everywhere, the Eagles, Commanders, and Giants all play in cold weather. So, at this point in the season, where are the weaknesses? The Cowboys are winning despite not having their leader on the field. The Giants are winning with a lack of a receiving core. The Eagles are winning despite a target on their backs, and the Commanders are searching for an identity.
There are plenty of good teams in the NFL right now but there is not a division where we can go at least 3 deep and say they all have a legit shot week after week. The NFC East is the only division where all 4 teams can walk away victorious on any given week. And yes, that does include the Commanders.
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