NFC East preview and predictions: Eagles, Cowboys will battle for title

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Coach: Nick Sirianni

2023 record: 11-6 | O/U wins: 10.5

Key additions: QB Kenny Pickett, RB Saquon Barkley, LB Devin White, LB Bryce Huff, LB Zack Baun, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, CB Quinyon Mitchell, CB Cooper DeJean, LB Jalyx Hunt

Key departures: QB Marcus Mariota, RB D’Andre Swift, DT Fletcher Cox, LB Haason Reddick, LB Nicholas Morrow, S Kevin Byard

First-and-goal: The Barkley era begins in Philly with much anticipation and with good reason. Barkley — the best RB of the Sirianni/Jalen Hurts era — remains highly productive, and his contract snub by the Giants will drive his motivation level through the roof.

Hurts remains an MVP candidate, having thrown for 11,764 yards and rushed for 2,503 in his career, and he has top WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith back.

By drafting Mitchell in the first round and bringing back Gardner-Johnson, who played in Detroit last season after being a key player on their NFC title team, the Eagles expect to be a contender once again.

Fourth-and-long: The Eagles’ 2023 finish remains an unsolved mystery of sorts.

They were 26-5 from Week 1 of the 2022 season through Week 12 of last year, including a three-point Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, but lost five of the last six games of the regular season last year before getting dusted by the Bucs in the wild-card round.

Which team shows up in ’24?

Sirianni, who came under fire for the poor finish, kept his job but replaced both coordinators, bringing in Kellen Moore to run the offense and Vic Fangio the defense.

Prediction: 11-6. The Eagles, despite the poor finish, remain the class of the NFC East. Through free agency and the draft, they made a concerted effort in the offseason to improve their pass defense, which ranked 31st in yards allowed in ’23.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Coach: Mike McCarthy

2023 record: 12-5 | O/U wins: 9.5

Key additions: RB Ezekiel Elliott, LB Eric Kendricks, OT Tyler Guyton, DE Marshawn Kneeland

Key departures: OT Tyron Smith, RB Tony Pollard, WR Michael Gallup, TE Sean McKeon, DE Dorance Armstrong, LB Dante Fowler Jr., DT Johnathan Hankins, DE Neville Gallimore, LB Leighton Vander Esch, CB Stephon Gilmore

First-and-goal: Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb form one of the best QB-WR combinations in the league. Prescott led the NFL with 36 TD passes last season and had a career-best 105.9 quarterback rating.

Lamb, who’s happy with the massive contract extension he just inked, led the NFL with 135 catches and was second to Tyreek Hill in receiving yards with 1,749.

Fourth-and-long: The Cowboys’ offense is prolific, having led the league last season with 509 points. Their defense was strong, too, finishing fifth in fewest points allowed with 315.

But Dallas lost defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington, so how will it respond without him?

Mike Zimmer was hired to replace Quinn. McCarthy, who’s in the final year of his contract, is surely a goner if the Cowboys don’t at least make a deep postseason run.

The Cowboys haven’t even reached an NFC title game since winning the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles during the 1995 season.

Dallas is the only team without a conference title to show for three consecutive 12-win playoff seasons.

Prediction: 11-6. The Cowboys lost more than they gained from ’23, including Quinn.

But they still have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and the bottom half of the division (Giants and Commanders) isn’t strong.

3. Giants

Coach: Brian Daboll

2023 record: 6-11 | O/U wins: 6.5

Key additions: QB Drew Lock, RB Devin Singletary, TE Chris Manhertz, LB Brian Burns, WR Malik Nabers, S Tyler Nubin, CB Dru Phillips

Key departures: RB Saquon Barkley, WR Sterling Shepard, TE Darren Waller, S Xavier McKinney, DE A’Shawn Robinson, LB Jihad Ward

First-and-goal: The Giants’ season rests on the arm of their injury-prone QB Daniel Jones.

Daboll has taken over play-calling duties and plans to aggressively push the ball down the field to Nabers, Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson.

He, too, is counting on a revamped O-line to protect Jones.

Fourth-and-long: Singletary takes over for Barkley in the backfield, and you wonder if his lack of pass-catching skills by comparison to often-targeted Barkley will become an issue.

The revamped offensive line needs to show improvement after allowing a franchise-record 85 sacks last season.

The secondary is a concern with second-leading tackler McKinney having signed with Green Bay after playing every defensive snap in 2023.

Prediction: 9-8. The world is down on Jones, but if he can remain healthy, he will be a winning QB under Daboll’s watch.

4. Washington Commanders

Coach: Dan Quinn

2023 record: 4-13 | O/U wins: 6.5

Key additions: QB Marcus Mariota, RB Austin Ekeler, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, TE Zach Ertz, DE Dorance Armstrong, LB Dante Fowler Jr., DE Clelin Ferrell, C Tyler Biadasz, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Frankie Luvu, S Jeremy Chinn, CB Michael Davis, K Cade York, QB Jayden Daniels, DT Jer’Zhan Newton, CB Mike Sainristil, TE Ben Sinnott

Key departures: QB Sam Howell, QB Jacoby Brissett, RB Antonio Gibson, WR Jahan Dotson, WR Curtis Samuel, TE Logan Thomas, DE Casey Toohill, LB James Smith-Williams, LB Cody Barton, S Kamren Curl, CB Kendall Fuller, S Terrell Burgess

First-and-goal: The presence of Quinn with his defensive background figures to provide an immediate improvement to a Washington defense that allowed the most points in the league last season (518).

Six-time All-Pro linebacker Wagner anchors a defense that also looks entirely different.

Fourth-and-long: Daniels has a chance to be dynamic right away, but his skill-position group is not inspiring.

WR Terry McLaurin and Ertz are the only two players on the roster who’ve ever reached at least 550 receiving yards in a season.

The team’s O-line is not a strength, either.

Prediction: 5-12. Daniels is going to be dynamic to watch under the coaching of OC Kliff Kingsbury and should elevate the Commanders from their lowly 25th ranking in points scored from a year ago.