NFL Futures: Best Bet to Win the NFC East (2020)
The NFC East has garnered a lot of headlines this offseason. The Cowboys fired Jason Garrett, Doug Pederson tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Football Team changed their name amid a scandal, and the Giants hired Joe Judge. On the field, this looks like one of the weaker divisions in football. All eyes are on the Cowboys to see if they can take the crown. They’re favored to do so, according to the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. You can also check out our consensus odds to win the NFC East here.
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Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are the favorite. They have far fewer injury concerns than the Philadelphia Eagles, their foremost competitor. In the draft, they added receiver CeeDee Lamb to an already-skilled group of pass-catchers. Along the offensive and defensive lines, they have retained most of the players they hoped to bring back for the coming season.
They have a ton of talent, and Jason Garrett’s firing should help them even further. Garrett seemed to be holding them back toward the end of his tenure. New coach Mike McCarthy, who won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers nine seasons ago, will try to succeed where Garrett failed. If McCarthy can get the most out of this team, especially on offense, Dallas should be a Super Bowl contender.
Philadelphia Eagles
Brandon Brooks’ injury deflated the offseason hype for Philadelphia, as he had been a core member of their offensive line. Injuries ravaged Philadelphia’s offensive line last year, and that’s a big reason why Carson Wentz took a beating. The Eagles desperately needed their offensive line to function well this year, and the Brooks injury puts a crimp in those plans. Also, Alshon Jeffery looks like he’ll start the season on the PUP list, and Marquise Goodwin has opted out of the season. As a result, the wide receiving corps might not be a whole lot better.
The Eagles have to get a lot from their defense, and with Darius Slay now in their secondary, they might have a chance to improve on defense. That can offset any continued struggles on offense. The Eagles probably won’t catch the Cowboys, but they should still be good enough to finish second in the division and contend for a wild card spot in the NFC.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones’s sophomore season is the big storyline for the Giants. Jones showed a lot of potential last year, but he regressed as the season went on. Has he learned his lesson from his first season, or will his bad habits continue? That is the main question for Big Blue, which has a new head coach — Joe Judge — and a new offensive coordinator, former Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. How Judge, Garrett, and Jones work together will be the most important part of New York’s season.
Washington Football Team
The team formerly known as the Redskins is a total mess. Ron Rivera inherits an organization in disarray, with front office personnel leaving due to an off-field scandal, and the team on the field having to sift through low morale among players because of all the negative press. Moreover, offensive lineman Trent Williams is no longer on the team.
The most inspiring story for the Washington Football Team is Alex Smith, who suffered a horrific leg injury and could have lost his life. He escaped death and is now trying to make a comeback. This could be the good news that helps Washington players mentally regroup for the season. Nevertheless, they have holes at many positions. This defense — specifically the front seven — looks scary-good, but their offense won’t do much unless Dwayne Haskins can take a big leap forward.
Who’ll Win The Division?
The Cowboys seem to alternate from average to good every other year as they’ve gone 12-4, 4-12, 13-3, 9-7, 10-6, and 8-8 in the recent past. I’m looking for at least 10 wins from this team and a playoff berth, which should mean that they win the division.
The Pick: Dallas Cowboys (-105)
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.