During the month of August, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. This article contains a position-by-position breakdown of the NFC East defenses The breakdown will contain \u201cthe best\u201d at each unit followed by \u201cthe rest\u201d in descending order.<\/p>\n
Dak Prescott<\/a> is the proven best quarterback in the NFC East. Prescott should be on the shortlist for dark horse MVP candidates this upcoming season. Before his injury in 2020, Prescott was on pace for over 6,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Prescott has continued to improve each season in the NFL and should continue on that trajectory if he remains healthy. The Dallas Cowboys<\/a> offense is one of, if not the most explosive units in the NFL.<\/p>\n [pickup_prop id=”9749″]<\/p>\n Next on this list is Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a> of the Washington Football Team<\/a>. Fitzpatrick stacked up over 2,000 passing yards with 13 touchdowns in nine games played in 2020. This veteran journeyman is entering into his 17th<\/sup> season of an up and down career. Last season with the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick was clearly the best option ahead of Tua Tagovailoa<\/a> with Brian Flores benching Tagovailoa for Fitzpatrick late in games twice to give Miami the best chance to win. Tagovailoa, who replaced Fitzpatrick in the middle of the season, struggled to run the offense and is expected to take a big step forward in 2021. Fitzpatrick brings a gunslinger mentality and veteran leadership into a loaded wide receiver room in Washington.<\/p>\n The New York Giants<\/a> and Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> are neck and neck for third and fourth in the division regarding quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts<\/a> is coming off a solid end to his rookie season and Daniel Jones<\/a> has yet to put together a solid season as a starter in New York. Jones is at a pivotal point in his career. Jones has to take a big step forward for the Giants to compete for a playoff spot. Hurts is ahead of him on this list because he has youth and more running potential on his side. Both the Eagles and Giants have big question marks at the most important NFL position: quarterback.<\/p>\n Dallas has the best running back room in the NFC with Ezekiel Elliott<\/a> and Tony Pollard<\/a>. Dallas is first place here because of depth, not solely talent. Anyone who watches football should be skeptical of Elliott this season. Analysts and casual fans around the league are fading the former Ohio State running back–and for good reason. Elliott struggled mightily last season after Dak Prescott<\/a> was injured. Pollard showcased his talent late in the season with a great performance against the San Francisco 49ers. If Elliott struggles this season, Pollard could earn a larger role. The Cowboys are blessed to have a backup that would start for many of the teams in the NFL.<\/p>\n Perhaps the best running back of the group is Saquon Barkley<\/a>. Barkley is an electric back who can make a touchdown out of nothing. When healthy he is arguably the best running back in the NFL. Next on the list is the Washington Football Team. Antonio Gibson<\/a> is a favorite breakout candidate of the year and a dark horse pick for fantasy football\u2019s top-scoring running back. Gibson is a young star who is eager to lead his team back to the playoffs.<\/p>\n The Eagles round out the running back category in the last position with the weakest talent. Miles Sanders<\/a> is the lead back in Philadelphia on an offense that is picked to struggle. Sanders is very talented himself. However, he finds himself in a very talented division with a second-year quarterback, struggling offensive line, and likely facing poor game scripts. The Eagles are projected to struggle in the NFL this season and being behind on the scoreboard should result in a lot of passing rather than running the ball for the Eagles.<\/p>\n Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin make up one of the best RB-WR duos in the NFL \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/5IRFtuDmfZ<\/a><\/p>\n — PFF (@PFF) August 20, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Rest: Washington Football Team, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants<\/h4>\n
Running Back<\/h3>\n
The Best: Dallas Cowboys<\/h4>\n
The Rest: New York Giants, Washington Football Team, Philadelphia Eagles<\/h4>\n
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