PHILADELPHIA — For the first time in years, we might be able to ask this question: Is the NFC East going to be fun to watch from top to bottom?
Despite the division’s reputation, the NFC East has dominated national television over the last decade.
Eight Super Bowl wins in the 80's and 90's, three in the 2010's, and four teams in major markets has resulted in the division being a constant focal point for the NFL.
That has remained the case even in years like 2019 and 2020, when the division was the weakest in football.
Fans across the country had to deal with prime-time games that featured quarterback battles such as the one during a 2020 Week 7 Sunday Night Football matchup between Dallas Cowboys practice squad signal caller Ben DeNucci and a broken Carson Wentz (who managed to play as bad as DeNucci).
Last season featured a Week 17 matchup that included an Eagles team trying to lose for better draft position, and a Washington team that barely beat the tanking Birds to win the division.
The division has been a rough watch recently, but the offensive personnel on all four teams in 2021 might just flip the script.
On paper, all four teams have a lot of exciting, explosive talent on offense.
Dallas features perhaps the league’s best trio of wide receivers in Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup, along with an elite running back in Ezekiel Elliott.
Washington will be able to stretch the field as good as anyone with their wideout duo of Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel, on top of explosive complementary pieces in second-year back Antonio Gibson and rookie receiver Dyami Brown.
New York made significant upgrades to their skill positions as well signing perhaps the biggest free agent wide receiver available in Kenny Golladay and drafting the elusive Florida wideout Kadarius Toney in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft. They also have star running back Saquon Barkley returning from injury, and one of the fastest tight ends in Evan Engram.
Even Philadelphia, who has the least proven core of weapons, offers a lot of exciting potential at receiver, running back, and tight end.
DeVonta Smith has been projected by a majority of draft analysts to be one of the best prospects coming out of the 2021 class. The explosive trio of second-year receivers in Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, and John Hightower also hope to take a big step next season, while running back Miles Sanders and tight end Dallas Goedert should continue to be among the best, and most entertaining watches at their positions.
None of the four teams in the East are expected to be Super Bowl favorites. None of them outside of perhaps Dallas has a top-tier franchise quarterback either. But, this division shouldn’t have an issue putting up points, especially against each other.
Quality secondary talent in the East is hard to come by right now. Much like in the Big 12 conference in college football, the division will likely have a lot of games end in shootouts. They can throw the ball at will…..but the other team is going to be able to as well.
It might not result in a lot of success for these teams, but it could result in a very entertaining on-field product.
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