The case against and for the Cowboys winning the East

[SlammedZero]

Should be an interesting year. I could see Dallas and Eagles duking it out for that 1st place spot. Washington, even with Wentz, I just don't see the threat. Giants have Daniel Jones. They aren't winning anything with him behind center.

With that said, anything is possible. We've seen surprising teams come out of nowhere in the NFL before.

 

[Flamma]

Giants had a great draft? Maybe a good 1st rd, but they later picks didn't make much sense. Daniel Jones isn't scaring anyone nor the other 2 QB's in the division. Washington could have a strong defense, Eagles could have a dominate rushing attack, but they are incomplete teams. If the Cowboys can find more balance, they have the most complete team in the division and it's not even close.

Yeah, I'm just trying to make some excuse to elevate the other teams. It's not easy to say why they should or could win the division without reaching a little.

 

[KJJ]

The Cowboys haven’t made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 06 and 07. Every playoff season since has led to missing the playoffs the following year. We can’t seem to put good seasons together. Our disappointing playoff performances result in coming back flat the following season. As disappointing as the playoff loss was to San Francisco it could lead to us coming back as flat as a pancake in 2023. The Cowboys were not a good football team the second half of last season. With Philly on the rise at the end of last season and the Cowboys fading along with having a bad offseason it’s hard to be encouraged about the upcoming season.

 

[cowboyec]

we are the better team with the better qb and the better head coach.
nothing has changed.

 

[75boyz]

Junior Jones got it all wrong when he said you don't win Super Bowls in the offseason. He should read the Art of War by Sun Tsu. "The battle is won before it is fought". And for we fans " When soldiers fail to follow orders, blame the Generals".

Anyway, I see the offseason like a golf tournament. You cannot play defense. You have to go out and play your best game because there is nothing you can do about how your opponents play. The Cowboys did not play their best game in the offseason but the Giants and Eagles played very well. There has to be consequences for having done a bad job of preparing for the next season while your opponents improved.

I think the Eagles are going to be the team that will give the Cowboys the most problems but the Giants have improved on the OL a lot this year. If they can open some holes for Barkley they can take a lot of the pressure off Jones. But the Giants have to lose their best CB, Bradberry, because they cannot afford to keep him and pay their rookie draft picks. That hurts their defense.

The Eagles season all depends on Hurts. If he improves his throwing at all, the Eagles could take the division. But remember, the Eagles won 7 of their last 10 games last year by running the football. The still have the best offensive line in the division and the best front 7 on defense. I do not count them out. I don't expect Jordan Davis to make a major contribution this year, few rookie DTs do, but the Eagle are getting Brandon Graham back and that is going to help their pass rush a lot. I am picking the Eagles to win the division in a close fought battle with the Cowboys and Giants.

As for the Cowboys, I think the losses of Cooper, Collins and Gregory are going to be greater than we are expecting. I think the loss of Gregory in particular is going to show in 2022. He is a disruptive force on defense and I have serious doubts that Fowler or Sam Williams can replicate Gregory's style of play. Sure Gregory made some mental errors but I still think he more than offset those mistakes with positive plays. I think Cooper will be missed too. I am not a great fan and was fully in favor of trading Cooper this offseason, but I expected they would fill his shoes with a comparable talent. They didn't. Finally, La'el Collins was one of the more physical offensive linemen on the Cowboys. I have doubts that Steele will be as good as Collins. I hope I am wrong. We'll see.

But getting back to Sun Tsu, hoping is not the same as preparation. The Cowboys seem to be crossing their fingers and hoping things work out when they should have shored up their biggest holes with a little more certainty. The Cowboys did nothing this offseason to convince me they are fielding a better team than the 2021 team.

Yep. The replacements for the losses still haven't convinced me of a net gain from last year either.

So basically hoping a weak division hasn't closed the gap/passed them up on the field.

The Jones hope strategy imo.

 

[Jarv]

What does Vegas say? They are the ones with the real skin in the game.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The only way a non-Cowboy team wins the NFC East is if the Cowboys struggle. They have the best defense and best quarterback and defense in the division. Until the teams narrow that gap I can't say those teams really have a shot unless its a down year where 8 wins the division.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Yep. The replacements for the losses still haven't convinced me of a net gain from last year either.

So basically hoping a weak division hasn't closed the gap/passed them up on the field.

The Jones hope strategy imo.

In order for the Cowboys not to get better that would mean that guys like Micah and Diggs don't get better. Or that Lamb regresses.

If this team gives Pollard more touches and all of their young players continue to improve then that alone will improve this team.

 

[jazzcat22]

Bold, usually logical unless you consider you would have been wrong for the last 17 years in a row. jazzy, that's the "Cicada Syndrome".

I have that opinion for every team in each division. Unless you lose some very top talent. As when Brady went to TB, I went with Buffalo to win the division.
The incumbent’s are the favorites until they lose.

 

[TheCritic]

I think we finish 8-8 and 2nd or 3rd in the NFC East

 

[Miller]

Every year it seems 50% of the year befores playoff teams change. I think there was a stat on that. I don’t believe our East comp will stay bad so I still have us favored but would not be surprised at one of the 3 making a competitive jump. I honestly can’t guess which either. Still think we are class of East but we need to take advantage of it!

 

[nobody]

Dallas is favorites to win the East. In spite of what the Eagles did in FA & the draft.
We are the current NFCE champs, and it stays that way until we are not.
The Eagles slobberers will disagree I am sure. LOL.

I go by this every year. Well, pretty much every year.
Whoever the current champ is, I stay with them as the team to beat throughout the year, unless, or until the wheels fall off. Or a new team clinches.

One of the few times I did not go with the current champ, was after the 2020 season with the newly names Commodes. Dallas was injured, no Dak, and they still had a chance to win the division. As did all the teams. I knew no way Washington was going to repeat.

Dallas....current champs, and team did not change much overall, but potential to improve
Philly...depends on Hurts development, still best front 7 or it seems
Washington....depends on Wentz, they could move ahead of Philly
NYG....need a lot of work yet

Given how each roster changes every season and the chemistry changes on top of injuries throughout the year and other factors, I view each season as in it's own sandbox (At least in the NFC East). Seemingly gone are the days of one NFC East constantly dominating a division every year....but it's still possible. There's no team to beat because they all start the season 0-0. They might have very slight higher or lower chances to win it, but if the Cowboys only have a one or two percent higher chance than everyone else, does that make them the team to beat? Not really and it's not that easy.

That being said, while the Cowboys might not be as good this year as last (at least on paper), they might be better or still dominate the division. I like their chances even if they are hamstrung by certain things.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

The only real hypotheticals we can build right now are plugging in new pieces based on last year.

Dallas did not have a 1st place schedule in 2021. Take the 11-5 season and add Green Bay and Los Angeles as opponents. Do they still win 11 games? Do they even win 10?

I think this is the biggest factor as to why no East team has repeated in 17 years: this means the team that won the division in any given year was saved from playing a first place schedule. It’s only a 2 game difference, but the division title is rarely more than 2 games of separation from second place.

Now consider Washington in that same concept: they lost 10 games last year, no one is really seeing them as a threat. But remove that first place schedule, take away Tampa and LAR and suddenly 7-10 starts creeping toward 9-8. They upgraded their QB position (how much exactly will be a 2022 mystery), and I do think it’s a 3-team race.

 

[nobody]

The only real hypotheticals we can build right now are plugging in new pieces based on last year.

Dallas did not have a 1st place schedule in 2021. Take the 11-5 season and add Green Bay and Los Angeles as opponents. Do they still win 11 games? Do they even win 10?

I think this is the biggest factor as to why no East team has repeated in 17 years: this means the team that won the division in any given year was saved from plying a first place schedule. It’s only a 2 game difference, but the division title is rarely more than 2 games of separation from second place.

Now consider Washington in that same concept: they lost 10 games last year, no one is really seeing them as a threat. But remove that first place schedule, take away Tampa and LAR and suddenly 7-10 starts creeping toward 9-8. They upgraded their QB position (how much exactly will be a 2022 mystery), and I do think it’s a 3-team race.

It's funny how we all discount the Giants for now.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

It's funny how we all discount the Giants for now.

I think sticking with Jones was a big mistake, they’re going to be paying for Gettleman’s errors for a few years yet.

 

[Jake]

Dallas could repeat but it won't be as easy as last season. Even so, they went nowhere in the playoffs and do not appear to have improved this offseason.

We'll see.

 

[Flamma]

I think sticking with Jones was a big mistake, they’re going to be paying for Gettleman’s errors for a few years yet.

Jones is on the last year of his rookie deal, and they declined his 5th year option. He was probably playing this year whether or not they picked up a QB. What was weird is that they didn't even consider one of the rookies.

I can understand them not picking one on picks 5 and 7. Even pick 43. Then pick 67 goes by. Why not take a stab at one at pick 81? The only QBs off the board were Pickett and Ridder.

 

[nobody]

Jones is on the last year of his rookie deal, and they declined his 5th year option. He was probably playing this year whether or not they picked up a QB. What was weird is that they didn't even consider one of the rookies.

I can understand them not picking one on picks 5 and 7. Even pick 43. Then pick 67 goes by. Why not take a stab at one at pick 81? The only QBs off the board were Pickett and Ridder.

Maybe they have their eye on someone in the next draft?

 

[Flamma]

Maybe they have their eye on someone in the next draft?

That's a very good point. So they may have though it would be a waste to pick a QB at 81. I just think at pick 81 it wouldn't be a waste, considering their QB situation. They're not risking much, nor are they paying him much. They could still try to get the QB they have their eye on next year as well. Obviously they disagree.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

I think injuries will likely determine the division winner. Both teams are neck and neck on paper.

If all teams stay relatively healthy, I think it will probably end up in a tiebreaker.

Dallas - 10-7
Philly - 10-7
Wash - 8-9
NY - 6-11