The NFC East features some of the most storied franchises in the NFL. These are teams have won championships and amasses huge fan bases.
That’s why it feels so unusual to see the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders all struggling at once. The Giants are pacing the division for the moment at 3-2-1, while the rest all have losing records. And between injuries and coaching blunders, they’ve all displayed plenty of reasons for doubt.
Advertisement
So Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab, Eric Edholm, Jay Busbee and Jori Epstein found a way sort through the mess and pick an NFC East champion, because somebody has to win it.
Who is going to win the NFC East?
Eric Edholm: I’m riding with my preseason pick of the Cowboys.
They’ve got as good a shot as anyone in the division, even in catch-up mode behind the Giants. I am not falling for the J.J. McCarthy cheese just yet. Dak Prescott remains the best quarterback in the division right now, even though he’s been a little off lately (and Jayden Daniels’ play Monday could be an intriguing harbinger).
Advertisement
Dallas’ schedule is the easiest of the four division teams, including two against the Jalen Hurts-less Eagles.
The Cowboys are giving me every reason not to back them, but I’ll pin my hopes on a better version of George Pickens and any tangible defensive improvement down the stretch. That might be enough to get it done.
Jay Busbee: We all know that old proverb: In the land of 12-loss teams, the seven-win team is king.
The NFC East is an absolutely fascinating collision of astounding incompetence; once-in-a-decade injuries; past-their-expiration-date players, coaches and owners; overmatched personnel on both the field and sideline; and break-a-mirror-on-Friday-the-13th levels of bad luck.
Advertisement
If it sounds like I’m stalling to avoid the question, I am, but unlike the Commanders, I’ll bring all this waffling to a definitive conclusion. The Dallas Cowboys will win the division, if only because they have the most healthy players with the highest upside. Kind of a “don’t have to be faster than the bear, just have to be faster than the other three teams” situation, to wrap with another cliché. And then they’ll lose to the Seahawks in the wild-card round.
Frank Schwab: Where is realignment when you need it? Let’s be clear: As it stands none of the four NFC East teams look playoff worthy. But if the 2025 NFC South got a playoff spot, so will the 2026 NFC East.
Let’s start by eliminating the Eagles. They showed no signs of being a good team before Jalen Hurts was put on injured reserve, and it’s not getting better without him. And while it might be disrespectful to the only NFC East team over .500, I’m counting out the Giants. A Jameis Winston/J.J. McCarthy combination isn’t maintaining a winning record, or even one that can win this division.
Weirdly, I can’t totally count out the 1-4-1 Commanders. They’ve shown some signs of life, like beating the Seahawks and almost rallying to beat the 49ers. Ultimately though, I can’t trust the coaching staff enough to get them back in the race.
Advertisement
That means we’re stuck with the Cowboys. Flaws aside, they have to outscore enough teams to win the division. Just do not let any Cowboys fan brag about how they made the playoffs.
Jori Epstein: I have hesitations about the premise here. Does someone have to win the NFC East? We might think yes, given NFL tiebreakers indeed have historically produced some winner, competitive or not. But we also thought a week ago that no division could play all of its teams in consecutive weeks and register zero wins — until the NFC East became the first to achieve that distinguished feat with six losses and two ties, the latter in a face-off between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
The Cowboys’ confounding mistakes and Eagles’ insurmountable injuries seem hopeless to me. The Commanders, in their second half against the 49ers, actually flashed as the most competitive team right now — but can they overcome a 1-4-1 start? I’ll vote yes, as the Commanders’ remaining schedule stacks up more favorably than the Giants’ and I’m still questioning John Harbaugh’s insistence that running back Cam Skattebo’s zero carries last week wasn’t by design. The Giants will hold pole position for a stretch, but Jayden Daniels and the Commanders will ultimately break through.
