NFC East 2021 predictions Eagles surprise Giants slide as division proves more w

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The will kick off the 2021 NFL season against the reigning Super Bowl champion on Thursday, a clear signal that America's Team's spotlight remains bright. Oddsmakers are just as invested in Dallas' return to form, with and Co. favored to win the NFC East for the first time in three years, and just a year after the 'Boys went 6-10 in a historically bad division. As the real games roll in, however, we're here to tell you that the East is even more  DaeSean Hamilton Jersey wide open than the odds suggest -- so much so that even the , a last-place finisher with a new coach and quarterback, should be considered dark-horse contenders. in the East, similar to close competitions in the AFC North and NFC West. Not a single team in the quartet has a negative money line, indicating there's no far-and-away front-runner like the (-320) or Buccaneers (-200):Cowboys (+135)Washington (+225) (+400)Eagles (+500)Even those numbers don't do justice the number of feasible 2021 outcomes. Because you can arrange the NFC East standings in any order and make a firm argument for your picks. Consider the pros and cons of each team:Dak Prescott is easily the best QB in the  Garret Wallow Jersey division, and a top-10 talent overall, so he alone gives Dallas the highest ceiling. Weapons like , and should keep the Cowboys dangerous offensively. But new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is overseeing a lackluster crew besides a few proven ( ) or promising ( ) pieces. More than that, if Dak staying healthy is paramount, they should be mightily concerned: Besides the QB coming off ankle and shoulder injuries, he's working behind a line whose two most accomplished starters -- and -- are injury-prone themselves ( due to a positive COVID-19 test).   is an upgrade on at QB, bringing confidence and a superior arm to an offense that boasts an elite RB-WR-TE trio of , and . And Ron Rivera's defense will be feisty at worst and dominant at best, with a killer front four taking pre sure off a secondary that added III at corner. But it always comes back to the QB, and as fun as Fitzpatrick can be, he's going on 39, has always been prone to turnover sprees and hasn't played a full season since 2015 with the . They've got the pieces to weather a potential injury or cold  Christian Kirksey Jersey streak there, but for how long?General manager Dave Gettleman delivered on his promise to surround QB with weapons, adding , and to a unit returning and others. But not a single one of those new faces is fully healthy, let alone in sync with Jones. Joe Judge and Patrick Graham, meanwhile, succe sfully brought toughne s to the team in 2020, with veterans like , and anchoring a competitive "D." But the trenches are still lacking, with Jones' O-line an underrated i sue and no proven pa s rushers on the other side.   may not offer ceiling as a prototypical pa ser, but he almost certainly raises the Eagles' floor as a dual threat. It helps he's got one of the NFL's top lines when healthy, still featuring , and ; and a coach in Nick Sirianni whose offense can't be any le s creative than what a tired Doug Pederson presented from 2018-2020. Philly's weapons and D-line are also solid, with headlining an improved secondary. But if Hurts goes down and/or his talent/intangibles don't equate to a steady arm, or any one of the team's top defenders is lost, the holes could be insurmountable.So where does that leave us? Well, right where we started: With a whole lot of uncertainty. But here's our best stab, going into Week 1, at how Charlie Heck Jersey  the division standings will play out in 2021:Cowboys (10-7)Eagles (9-8)Washington (9-8)Giants (5-12)By virtue of owning one of the NFL's top QBs and offenses, even with those O-line concerns, the Cowboys feel like an appropriate bet to claim the division title. The Eagles are  Andy Janovich Jersey projected for fewer wins than all but four teams -- the Jets (6), (6), (5) and (4) -- but are poised to emerge now that they've tasted rock bottom. Washington should never be counted out because of its defense but will live and die with Fitzpatrick. And the Giants, for all the enticement of their offseason investment in the Daniel Jones experiment, just look like the safest bet to stumble or crumble with the ball in their hands, which isn't exactly a recipe for succe s in 2021. That order puts Dallas in the playoffs and, then, depending on how the rest of the NFC shakes out, either the Eagles or Washington in the wild-card picture. If you'd like to check out our predictions for every team in 2021, plus playoffs and the Super Bowl, . Click here Click here Click here