The Dallas Cowboys won the NFL’s NFC East division last season with a 6-0 record within the division. It was a dominant outing by the Cowboys, and they’re looking to repeat as champions. But bettors aren’t betting on them to win the NFC East again since no team has won the division in consecutive years since 2004.
The last team to win the NFC East in back-to-back season was the Eagles from 2003-2004 😲 pic.twitter.com/mt4Z1eMe5T
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) June 22, 2022
In recent years, the NFC East has been one of the worst divisions in football while being referred to by many as the “NFC Least.” The two reigning champions of the division both lost their first playoff game. All four teams have hired a new head coach within the last three years to try and resurrect their franchises. Since the draft, all the teams in the division have had significant changes to their roster and are all expected to compete for the division title.
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Predicting Who Will Win the NFC East in 2022
Case for the Dallas Cowboys
According to Fanduel, the Cowboys are the favorites to win the NFC East at +120. Last offseason, Dak Prescott was rehabbing a leg and shoulder injury that bothered him throughout training camp. Even after having a year battling injuries, Prescott still led the Cowboys to the number one scoring offense in the NFL. Since Dan Quinn will remain the defensive coordinator, the NFL’s interception leader, Trevon Diggs, and the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year are looking to repeat as one of the best young tandems in the NFL. After the departure of Amari Cooper, the Cowboys are betting on last year’s yards leader Ceedee lamb to take on a heavier workload.
But, with the losses of key players, the offense and defense are likely to regress. The Cowboys ranked 3rd in passing yards per game with 291.9. Going into next season, the Cowboys lost their second-leading receiver, Amari Cooper, and their newly upgraded second option, Michael Gallup, is coming off of ACL surgery in February. The Cowboys led the NFL in takeaways last season with 34. One of the key factors in forcing so many errant throws was the team’s ability to pressure the quarterback. The team lost one of their key pass rushers, Randy Gregory, to the Denver Broncos after initially signing with the Cowboys. To repeat as a division winner, the team must hope their young players keep improving, and their rookies are ready to start from day one.
Case for the Philadelphia Eagles
The second favorite to win the NFC East at +200 is the Philadelphia Eagles. If you’ve listened to any of the commercial sports shows, you’d know that the Eagles are the team that people are favoring to upset the Cowboys. The Eagles traded for former Tennessee Titans pro bowl wide receiver AJ Brown. In this year’s draft, the Eagles got one of the most athletic defensive tackles, Jordan Davis, to help lessen the workload of former all-pro Fletcher Cox. After the draft, the Eagles found their number two corner beside Darius Slay when the Giants released James Bradberry. This duo should give the Eagles the best cornerback room in the NFC East.
Miles Sanders is loving the way his team is playing in the offseason. 🦅 https://t.co/xcsesY06Nw pic.twitter.com/kXirSB3P5T
— theScore (@theScore) June 30, 2022
The Eagles chances of winning the division will fall on the play of their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts. After switching to a run-heavy offense in the second half of the season, Hurts flourished. So, with an elite offensive line and a healthy running back, Hurts is looking to have one of the best rushing seasons of his career. The team is also looking for him to take strides passing the ball. So, the tandem of AJ Brown and Devonte Smith should allow him to throw the ball more to his receivers and let them make plays after the catch.
Case for the Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have the third-best odds to win the NFC East at +500. They traded for a new quarterback familiar with the NFC East this year. Carson Wentz is coming off a year in which he threw 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Commanders drafted a wide receiver in the first round and recently paid their leading receiver, Terry McLaurin, to help Wentz return to his MVP form. The defense is looking to have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL with the return of former number two pick, Chase Young. For the Commanders to regain the NFC East title again, their defense will have to become elite again.
Case for the New York Giants
The New York Giants have the lowest odds to win the NFC East at +600. The team is coming off their 5th straight losing season and fourth year with Daniel Jones. Brian Daboll was named the team’s new head coach this off-season and is looking to bring change to the Giants. He was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills for the last four years helping Josh Allen become a superstar quarterback. The Giants hope Daboll can help fix the offense with Saquon Barkley and multiple receivers returning from injury. The Giants decided to decline the fifth-year option of Daniel Jones. So, this will be his last year to prove his worth to the team.
Predicition for 2022 NFC East Winner
Even though the Cowboys lost multiple starters last year, while the division has seemingly gotten better, they still stand to be the best team in the division. The quarterback position is the most crucial in the NFL, and the Cowboys are hoping that winning the division will fall on having the best one. Last year, the team swept the NFC East and won each game by at least seven points, with three of the games being decided by 19 or more points. So, to upset the favorites, all the NFC East squads will have to hope their team can win at least 11 games next season.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
