Coming into the 2018 NFL season the most interesting division in football was arguably the NFC East. This division had the return of one of the best running backs in the league, Ezekiel Elliot, returning to the field, along with Dak Prescott in his third year on the Dallas Cowboys. The reigning world champion Philadelphia Eagles, with the return of MVP candidate Carson Wentz. The secretly good Redskins with the addition of Alex Smith. Finally, the return of the most iconic player in the league, Odell Beckham Jr, and the addition of Pen State superstar Saquon Barkley. These additions and returns lead to one of the most interesting and hyped division in the league. All eyes are on the NFC East, and it is believed to be a tooth and nail fight to the playoffs. Where after four weeks of football this is true, it is defiantly not what fans thought it would be. There is a three-way tie between the Eagles, Cowboys, and Redskins for first, while the Giants sit at the bottom with a 1-3 record. The Cowboys and Eagles are 2-2, while the Redskins are 2-1. These records are far different from what viewers and analysts thought they would be, as well as the fairly poor play of the teams. It goes without saying that the NFC East teams are not living up to their reputation and hype.
The first team that seems to be the most disappointing is the New York Giants. In a high-octane offense with superstars like Beckham Jr, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Barkley, it’s confusing to many how their record is 1-3. If the season were to end now, the Giants would end with a top-five pick in the draft. With a healthy and newly signed Beckham Jr., who has yet to find the end zone, and the other stars on offense it seems impossible to have this current struggle. The keys to their problems rely on the offensive line and the defense. The offensive line is already subpar with injuries making it even worse. As for the defense, they have not lived up to their lofty price tag. They struggle to make tackles and Olivier Vernon has yet to see the field. For New York to win they need to have better offensive line play, Beckham Jr. needs to score, and the defense has to live up to its name. Once those problems are addressed the Giants can be one of the best teams in the NFL.
The next team to discuss is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys, like the Giants, came into this season with a lot of hype and high expectations. The return of Elliot, with Prescott having more experience, and a better defense it’s no surprise that the Cowboys would be a tough team to beat in the NFC. However, it goes without saying the Dallas offense has been abysmal. Most people place the blame on Prescott and his inability to throw the ball down the field; however, that is simply not the case. Injury to their all-world center, Travis Fredrick, makes the offensive line no longer the best in the league. Yes, you read that correctly, the Cowboys offensive line right now is middle of the pack at best. Prescott is constantly under pressure which makes an already not pinpoint accurate QB even worse. Another reason for the Cowboys lack of success is the lack of rushes by their star running back Elliot. People forget the team is not built around Prescott, but rather Elliot, making the Cowboys a running team who refuse to run the ball. In 2016, Elliot’s best year, through four weeks Elliot had 94 carries, for 412 yards, and 4.4 yards a carry. Through these four weeks, Elliot has 73 carries, for 426 yards, and 5.8 yards a carry. It is known around the league that Elliot needs 400 plus carries for the Cowboys to have a chance at the world title. Week Four was the first game Elliot had more than 17 carries. If he stayed on that pace of 16 carries a game for 16 games Elliot would finish with 256 carries placing him under the goal by 144 carries. It’s simple, for the Cowboys to win they need to give Elliot the ball 25 plus times a game and allow Prescott to run five to seven read options. All of that with their already improved defense makes them contenders to win it all.
The third team to discuss is the Eagles. As the raining Super Bowl champions, with the return of MVP Carson Wentz, they were clear favorites to repeat and win again. However, Injuries to stars like Alshon Jeffery and Wentz not being 100 percent leads to the offensive struggles of the team. Also, the once arguably best defense in the league is also not living up to its name. The defense is ranked 11th in the NFL while giving up 335.5 yards per game and 20 points per game. This has changed from last season where the Eagles defense was ranked fourth, let up 50 fewer yards and four fewer points per game. Wentz played two games so far, both games he has not looked 100 percent. His injury was a rough one, and a torn ACL takes a while to heal, where it can even lead to the player not being the same. Where it is too early to see if this injury permanently hurt Wentz, it is not too early to see he is not as explosive as he was last year. This combined with the worse defense makes this team more average than a Super Bowl favorite. For the Eagles to win, the defense needs to tighten up, and the offense needs to be more explosive. Of the teams so far, they have the least amount to fix to become successful.
The final team to discuss is the Redskins. They seem to have it the most put together of all the teams. When they give the ball to Adrian Peterson, it seems that time was turned back, and he looks just as great as he used to be. Their defense also is the best in the NFL right now letting up only 14 points and 275 yards per game. The only thing holding them back is their quarterback Alex Smith. Not that Smith is bad it’s just the Smith is Smith. He will make some great plays, but some questionable plays that can get the team in trouble. However, the Redskins are not only the most silent team, they are actually the best team in the division. When it’s all said and done I believe that the Redskins will win the NFC East because they seem to be the most put together team.
The final records will be the Reskins 11-5, the Eagles 10-6, the Cowboys 9-7, and the Giants 6-10.
