Super Early 2022 NFC East Predictions
It may only be the start of April, but I am here today to predict the NFC East. Just to look absolutely clueless come January. The NFC East has been one of the poorest divisions in the whole of football, with it even being dubbed the NFC Least. While the quality has been poor over recent years, it has been proven to be unpredictable with no team defending the title in almost 20 years. Will the Cowboys break the trend and repeat as NFC East champions?
Where Are The Teams At?
First, Dallas is looking to defend the crown to become the first team to defend the division since Andy Reid’s Eagles (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004). Carson Wentz is back to duel with Dak, this time with The Washington Commanders. Can he be the missing piece to fire Washington back to the playoffs? Will Hurts show the Eagles they were right to choose him over Carson? The biggest question is will the Giants still be a mess? Probably.
Predicting The Standings
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Commanders
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Dallas Defends Title
Yes, the Cowboys fan predicts his team to win the division. But this isn’t blind faith or bias. Dallas has the best overall roster and is coming off a brilliant regular season. However, they haven’t had the best offseason. They have weakened by giving away Amari Cooper for nothing and the loss of Randy Gregory is going to be felt.
The defense was the real story of this team last year. Leading the league in takeaways and stars appearing such as Trevon Diggs, who led the league in interceptions. Then there was Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons. He is only on an upwards trajectory and will terrorize the NFC East for years to come.
The offense started hot, setting league records before Dak went down with a calf injury. If the star quarterback can stay fit, there is no doubt he is the best in the division. While he lost one weapon in Cooper, he still has some dangerous targets, especially when compared to the other teams. Lamb now steps into the number one slot as WR and will thrive with more targets. Expect to see 88 run rampant, just like the previous 88 did.
They should still be confident, they went unbeaten in the division last year, with a perfect 6-0 record. While I don’t see them winning as many games as last year I predict Dallas to go 10-7 season this year.
Commanders Claim Second
A new quarterback and a new name going into 2022. Washington is going into the year confident they can upset the apple cart. They have a very good quarterback, who just can’t stay healthy, and a very good coach. Ron Rivera’s men can’t have the slow start they had last year, where their top 5 defense, including star player Chase Young, not turning up till week seven.
They need to start fast and put their trust in Wentz, something the Colts didn’t like to do. He might throw more picks than most, but if you give him the ball he will get you points. This seems like the last chance saloon for the first-round pick back in 2016. If he goes down hurt or starts turning the ball over early on, Washington won’t be playoff bound and Carson won’t be a starting QB.
They have not made much noise in the offseason but they definitely have strengthened where others have not. While I do not like their new name, I like the new look of the team. With the chance to rub it in the Eagles’ face with Wentz leading the charge. I see them finishing 9-8 in 2022.
Flightless Eagles
Philadelphia was one of the big surprises in 2021. With rookie coach Nick Sirianni, they were tipped to be bottom of the NFC Least. However, they made the playoffs, and Jalen Hurts showed us not to write him off just yet. He led the league in rushing yards as a quarterback. While he is no Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson, he has definitely shown that he can compete in this league. The biggest question was his arm and it’s still not the best but you could see as the season went on he was improving.
However, to push on and go again he needed weapons. This isn’t a new problem with the Eagles, it has been an issue since their Super Bowl win in 2017. They once again did not go into the wide receiver market. With all the talent available, it is a missed opportunity and this will ultimately cost the Eagles. They do have three first round picks so there is a chance they get lucky and hit a jackpot and find a star. But, as it stands, the flightless Eagles are a 7-9 team.
A Giants Mess
New York has not been a good place for football the last five years, both the Giants and Jets are a mess. The Giants moved on from Joe Judge, who just seemed lost, out of his depth, and an angry little man. Gettlemen also paid the price after completely failing to turn their fortunes around.
The hopes of the new direction leading them back to the big time is very premature. But I do love the move to get Brian Daboll. His work for the Bills leading that offense and making it so dynamic and powerful will benefit New York.
However, their roster is still really poor in comparison to the rest. Their star player Barkley just cannot stay healthy and not since his rookie season has he looked like a top five running back. My biggest gripe with the Giants is that they didn’t make a move for a quarterback. Daniel Jones is just not the man, his record speaks for itself and he has 40 turnovers in three seasons, just yikes. All the signs point to the exit door at the end of 2022, so why not make a move now.
There has been so much movement of QB’s this offseason, they have picks to offer and they didn’t make their move. Jones has not shown me anything to prove he can compete with the big boys of Dak and Wentz. There is still Baker and Jimmy G out there and both would be far better than Daniel Jones. If Jimmy G was in New York, they could compete with the Eagles and be a fun watch but as it stands they are no more than a 5-12 team.
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