The NFC East has the Dallas Cowboys coming in after winning the division title last season and now the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Redskins will try and stop the team from going back to back, which no team has done in the division in a decade and one prediction from Harvard has NY being the team that knocks the Cowboys off.
Last season Dallas won the division with a 12-4 record over the Eagles, who went 10-6 for the second straight season. The Eagles won 10 games the previous season and made the playoffs, but it was not good enough for the postseason in 2015. The Giants went 6-10 and the Redskins finished last in the division again with a 4-12 record. All four teams made significant moves in the offseason and the NFC East could be one of the most interested divisions in football.
The Cowboys let Demarco Murray go in the offseason, but the team is not expecting a major drop-off with Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden at the top of the depth chart. Tony Romo is not getting any younger and this could be a key season for the team if they want to make it to a Super Bowl. The season ended in heartbreak last year with the playoffs loss against the Packers and the Dez Bryant catch was all anyone could talk about.
Bryant's contract became a big issue in the offseason, but the Cowboys were able to bring him back on a long term extension. The Cowboys defense is expected to be improved and the team brought in a number of talented young players, including Randy Gregory, Byron Jones and La'el Collins. The Cowboys are considered the favorites, but the Eagles have made some major moves as well and should be intriguing to watch.
The Eagles traded for Sam Bradford this offseason and he could have a challenge from Mark Sanchez to be the starter. The team has a battle with Tim Tebow and Matt Barkley for the number three spot at quarterback, while players like Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor will be trying to step up with Jeremy Maclin gone. Jordan Matthews will be the number one and the Eagles have some new blood at RB with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews coming in.
The Giants and Redskins are looking to bounce back and in the NFL that can happen quickly. The Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective reports that the Giants are predicted to win the division based on a specific set of measurements taken by the collective and put into a model for this season. Either way the team is looking to improve and they are getting victor Cruz back from an injury. The Redskins have RG3 coming back as the starter and Jay Gruden may need to win a bit to save his job.
Prediction: Eagles win the division.
Giants and Cowboys battle for wild card spot.
Redskins in last place, again.
