The NFC East, home to some of the NFL’s most storied franchises, is currently a complete mess. Seriously, it’s October 21st, and the New York Giants are somehow pacing the division at a baffling 3-2-1 while the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders all have losing records. It feels wild to see all these teams struggling at the same time, thanks to a mix of injuries, major coaching blunders, and just plain old bad luck.
Welcome to the NFC East Slopfest
You’d think with all that history, there would be some clear leaders, right? Nope. This division is a “fascinating collision of astounding incompetence,” according to Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee. We’re talking “once-in-a-decade injuries” and “past-their-expiration-date players, coaches and owners.” The Giants, leading the charge with their 3-2-1 record, reportedly made a move to start J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. Meanwhile, the Eagles are without Jalen Hurts, who’s on injured reserve, and Frank Schwab points out they “showed no signs of being a good team before” that injury, and it’s not getting better. Even the Commanders, at 1-4-1, have shown flashes, like that win against our Seahawks, and almost rallying to beat the 49ers. But Schwab can’t trust their coaching staff to put it all together. It’s a true “break-a-mirror-on-Friday-the-13th levels of bad luck” situation down there.
Who’s Crawling Out of This Pit for a Playoff Beatdown?
Someone’s gotta win this division, even if none of these teams look playoff worthy. It’s like Frank Schwab says, “If the 2025 NFC South got a playoff spot, so will the 2026 NFC East.” Three of the Yahoo Sports experts , Eric Edholm, Jay Busbee, and Frank Schwab , are begrudgingly putting their chips on the Dallas Cowboys. Edholm, who picked them preseason, is sticking with them despite their catch-up mode, banking on Dak Prescott still being the “best quarterback in the division right now,” even if he’s been a little off lately. He also points to Dallas’s easiest schedule, which includes two games against those Jalen Hurts-less Eagles. Busbee agrees, saying the Cowboys simply have “the most healthy players with the highest upside,” essentially needing to be “faster than the other three teams.” Schwab, while noting their flaws, figures they have to “outscore enough teams to win the division.” And get this, Jori Epstein even had “hesitations about the premise” that someone *has* to win it! But the real kicker for us Emerald City fans? Busbee isn’t just picking the Cowboys to win the East, he’s already predicting what happens next: they “will lose to the Seahawks in the wild-card round.”
Get Ready for That Wild Card Matchup, 12s!
So, the NFC East is a hot mess, but it looks like the Cowboys are the least messy of the bunch, at least according to the experts. They might limp into the playoffs as division champs, but don’t you dare let a Cowboys fan brag about it. Because one expert has already seen their wild-card fate, and it involves a big green and blue footprint. We’re ready, 12s! Let’s get these playoff matchups locked in.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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