Fall is in the air, Starbucks has started selling their Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Which means the NFL is back. It’s time to take a look across the league and give expert opinions and predictions, none of which will be wrong.
Check out the NFC North preview and predictions here.
Check out the NFC South preview and predictions here.
Another year of the NFC (B)East, another year where we will most likely see a different divisional champion crowned. This division is always a dog fight, and for the third straight season, it will probably boil down to the Cowboys and Eagles, but best not to get ahead of myself.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Last season: 11-6
Prediction: 12-5
The Eagles had a less than desirable outcome to last season, blowing the divisional lead to the Cowboys (and getting embarrassed by them in Dallas) and then getting handled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs.
I think a big issue for them was losing both coordinators, Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen, to head coaching positions. People will say it proved Nick Sirianni just isn’t a good coach, but coordinators are important. It was easy to tell that the Eagles didn’t have the same identity last year as their 2022 team. It was like they were trying to copy that style, but it wasn’t organic.
Philly has added Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio to their staff, two successful coordinators on both sides of the ball, with the hopes of getting back to what made them great. Moore gets to work with not only AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, but newly acquired superstar Saquon Barkley, who is poised to have big year behind that Eagles O-line.
Jason Kelce retiring is a huge blow to that line, the locker room, and their infamous tush-push, but with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, it’s still one of the best lines in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
Last season: 12-5
Prediction: 10-7
Mike McCarthy gets a lot of flak, but at the end of the day he’s won 12 games three seasons in a row. To McCarthy’s credit, it isn’t easy to win 12 games in the NFL. However, the Cowboys have some serious problems. Offensively, their WR room is questionable, but their RB room is flat out bad.
You have a depth chart right now of Zeke Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and newly signed Dalvin Cook. Zeke is a Jerry Jones favorite, but he is not a full workload running back anymore, neither is Cook, and Dowdle and Vaughn just aren’t up to the talent level. So, who exactly is running the ball for Dallas? A committee can only take you so far; it feels like Zeke will settle into the workhorse role, for better or worse.
The WR room doesn’t instill confidence either. Sure, you have CeeDee Lamb, arguably the best receiver in all of football; an aging Brandin Cooks, who should be serviceable, and Jalen Tolbert, who the Cowboys expect to have a pretty big step. I imagine most opposing defenses will take the “anyone but CeeDee” approach to defending the Cowboys.
The defense has lost First Team All-Pro Daron Bland for 6-8 weeks because of foot surgery, but Trevon Diggs is back, which is huge. We’ll see how effective that unit will be without Dan Quinn, who left for the Washington Commanders head coach job, more on them later.
New York Giants
Last season: 6-11
Prediction: 8-9
I don’t think the Giants will be a playoff team, but if Daniel Jones is healthy, they could be competitive. At least competitive enough to where Brain Daboll and Joe Schoen keep their jobs, and the organization moves on from Jones. It’s obvious he isn’t the long term answer, and the Daboll/Schoen tandem deserves a chance to draft, or sign, a QB that they want.
Malik Nabers has so much clout with the organization already that he got them to unretire the first ever number to be retired in NFL history, number one, worn by Ray Flaherty. Pretty historic, and that’s what Nabers aims to be. On top of that, the O-line is improved, with a healthy Andrew Thomas and a revamped right side with Greg Van Roten and Jermaine Eluemunor.
The Giants might also have one of the best defenses in the league this year under new DC Shane Bowen. Newly acquired Brian Burns, with Dexter Lawrence II, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Bobby Okereke, and Deonte Banks. That’s five elite-level talents on the defensive side of the ball. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants won a few games that they have no business winning because of this unit.
Washington Commanders
Last season: 4-13
Prediction: 6-11
Truthfully, I was a bit skeptic about Jayden Daniels, but he looks pretty good. I’m terrified whenever he takes off running with the ball, so as long as he hits the ground without being put there by a defender, I think things are going to go really well for him. The Commanders definitely have some flaws, but this is the most exciting QB they’ve had since RGIII.
Terry McLaurin is the lone bright spot in the WR room, after Jahan Dotson was traded to Philly. Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown (cut by the Texans this preseason), and Luke McCaffrey don’t exactly inspire confidence. However, if Daniels could find a connection with McLaurin early on, then things can be on the up-and-up pretty quickly.
Defensive guru and new head coach Dan Quinn has a lot of work to do. The Commanders defensive line is easily its strongest unit on that side of the ball. The secondary is horrific, and the linebackers are a mix of old (Bobby Wagner) and journeyman (Dante Fowler Jr, Frankie Luvu). So, not great.
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