Caleb Wilfinger
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The 2022 NFL season is almost here. The marathon battle for the Lombardi Trophy begins on September 8 with Thursday Night Football featuring the Bills and Rams. In addition to breaking down all 32 teams, we’ll be diving into each NFL division, plus our best bets.
Next up is the NFC East. This is a division that has historically been prone to high season-to-season variance. Look no further than the fact that there hasn’t been a repeat champion in some time. The Cowboys claimed the division title last season, but one of their rivals has had a massive offseason. Will this be the year that the Eagles reclaim the NFC East crown? We’ll just have to find out.
But before we jump in, be sure to read all our 2022 NFL preview content from the NFL tab. This includes our picks for the Super Bowl, AFC, NFC, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.
NFC East teams
The NFC East teams are the Dallas Cowboys (current champions), Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
NFC East odds
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Cowboys as +125 favorites in the NFC East, with the Eagles at +185 odds close behind. The Commanders are listed at +500 and the Giants bring up the rear at +700 to win the division.
Dallas Cowboys preview
The Cowboys are in a strange position in 2022. For starters, they are undoubtedly going into the 2022 season worse than they did in 2021. Dallas lost wide receiver Amari Cooper, right tackle La’el Collins, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and defensive end Randy Gregory in the offseason, all of whom played a key role in the team’s success. Without Cooper, that puts even more pressure on CeeDee Lamb to be a top-flight receiver, which makes the Cowboys’ passing game predicable. Lamb will likely be the make-or-break piece to the Cowboys’ offense in 2022, but so will Dak Prescott. Ezekiel Elliott will need to pick up the slack after a few season plagued by injuries and poor play, but it’s reasonable to expect that he will struggle once again.
Read our full Dallas Cowboys 2022 season preview
Philadelphia Eagles preview
Could this be the year for Philadelphia? Head coach Nick Sirianni was met with skepticism last season, but the team made the playoffs in his first year. Now in his second season at the helm, it seems reasonable to expect further progress, even if their win total didn’t make a huge leap.
The Eagles have doubled up on some of their strengths by trading for AJ Brown at wide receiver, while James Bradberry comes in opposite Darius Slay to create a formidable CB tandem. The Eagles’ strength should be their immense offensive line, which helps maximize the production of QB Jalen Hurts and enables their running-back platoon to contribute to the cause. The Eagles could contend for the NFC East crown in what is a pretty middling division once again.
Check out our full Philadelphia Eagles 2022 season preview
Washington Commanders preview
The team name wasn’t the only major change this offseason for Washington. The Commanders also traded for Carson Wentz, which should be a slight step up from previous quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Wentz is clearly not the same quarterback he used to be, but the Commanders took a gamble on him in hopes he can still be a decent passer. Fortunately for Washington, Wentz will have weapons with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas downfield. Furthermore, the backfield in DC is vastly underrated compared to the rest of the division. In fact, Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic form one of the best 1-2 punches in football. The best news of all for Ron Rivera’s bunch is they went from the hardest strength of schedule in 2021 to the easiest in 2022, so Wentz has few excuses not to produce a solid season.
Check out our full Washington Commanders 2022 season preview
New York Giants preview
Whether it was via the NFL Draft or their new coaching additions, the Giants got better this offseason. Sure things couldn’t get much worse for New York after a 4-13 season in 2021, but the culture is changing. New York needs to stay healthy in order to have a solid season this fall, but the Giants have the talent to do so. Saquon Barkley should be at full strength, along with Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. New York drafted to improve its awful offensive line and struggling defense, and those upgrades should be felt immediately. As long as quarterback Daniel Jones takes better care of the ball, New York should be better than its 2021 form by a couple of games. It helps that the schedule isn’t too daunting. The NFC East is up for grabs and the Giants could sneak into the division race.
Read our full New York Giants 2022 season preview
2022 NFC East predictions and best bet: Philadelphia Eagles to win NFC East (+185)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
The Eagles finished with a flourish in 2021, and further progress could land them the division title this time. Philadelphia has a great opportunity to get off to a quick start with its first 4 opponents being the Lions, Vikings, Commanders and Jaguars. There’s certainly enough potential with their 2022 roster to think that results should be good enough to get in playoff position, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Eagles became the new NFC East champions. The Cowboys appear to have taken a step back, with the decision to trade away wide receiver Amari Cooper among several puzzling moves, although young defensive players Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs should make further progress. The jury remains out on the latest attempt to revive Carson Wentz’s career in Washington, even though the Commanders have plenty of talented individuals. All in all the Eagles look the team with most going for them.
We’ll have NFL picks for EVERY matchup of the 2022 season
NFC East standings 2021
Dallas Cowboys, 12-5 (6-0 in division)
Philadelphia Eagles, 9-8 (3-3 in division)
Washington Commanders, 7-10 (2-4 in division)
New York Giants, 4-13 (1-5 in division)
NFC East champions
2021 Dallas Cowboys, 12-5
2020 Washington Commanders, 7-9
2019 Philadelphia Eagles, 9-7
2018 Dallas Cowboys, 10-6
2017 Philadelphia Eagles, 13-3
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