Identifying the biggest threat to Dallas Cowboys in NFC East in 2021
As bad as the Dallas Cowboys and the NFC East have been during the 2020 season, the future looks bright for some of the squads within the division. Dak Prescott is expected to be back and fully healthy for the Dallas Cowboys in time for next season, the Washington Football Team is loaded with defensive […]
As bad as the Dallas Cowboys and the NFC East have been during the 2020 season, the future looks bright for some of the squads within the division.
Dak Prescott is expected to be back and fully healthy for the Dallas Cowboys in time for next season, the Washington Football Team is loaded with defensive studs, the Philadelphia Eagles have some new life with Jalen Hurts at the helm, and the New York Giants have shown signs of improvement under first-year head coach Joe Judge.
So, while the division has been mostly dreadful this season — though, Washington did hand the Pittsburgh Steelers its first loss of the year, New York pulled an upset over the Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia grabbed a win against the New Orleans Saints with Jalen Hurts making his first career start — the NFC East should see some brighter days as soon as in 2021.
With the Dallas Cowboys expected to be much better in next fall — thanks, in large part to the return of Prescott to the fold — who is likely to be the team's biggest challenger for the division crown?
We discussed that topic on the latest episode of Talkin' The Star. You can listen to that episode on Apple HERE or on Spotify HERE.
Let's quickly break down the contenders, from the biggest threat to the least of our worries…
Biggest Threat to Cowboys: Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team is in prime position to make a leap in 2021, thanks to the incredible amount of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Headlined by pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat, Washington has no shortage of playmakers on that side of the ball that can strike fear into any offense.
Young and Sweat form one of the league's best duos at defensive end, while Jonathan Allen and Da'Ron Payne add some beef in the interior. Throw in Jon Bostic, Kendall Fuller, and Kamren Curl, and Ron Rivera has a ton to work with.
Offensively, there are some question marks. Terry McLaurin has blossomed into a bonafide go-to target at wide receiver, and Antonio Gibson — converted wide receiver-turned-running back — has impressed during his rookie season. The offensive line is solid, but there is a lack of talent at quarterback and pass catchers not named McLaurin.
Solidifying the quarterback position should be priority number one for Washington to make that jump.
Potential Threat to Keep Eye On: Philadelphia Eagles
Next up are the Philadelphia Eagles. It was not very long ago that it was assumed that the NFC East would come down to the Cowboys and the Eagles for the foreseeable future. Both squads had their franchise quarterback entrenched, both teams traded winning the division over the past four years, and both teams appeared to be way ahead of the other two squads in the division.
However, with Carson Wentz's struggles and Dak Prescott's injury, things are more up in the air. Wentz has regressed tremendously, and Doug Pederson finally pulled the plug — at least for the remainder of the season. Now, rookie Jalen Hurts is running the offense and has flashed against both the Green Bay Packers and the Saints.
Hurts gives the Eagles a quarterback that has the ability to hurt defenses with both his arm and his legs. With the Eagles banged up on the offensive line, Hurts' running ability gives Pederson and the Eagles a much-needed dynamic. Hurts rushed for more than 100 yards against a talented Saints defense in Philadelphia's upset win.
Defensively, the Eagles also have talent. Fletcher Cox is still Fletcher Cox and the Eagles have some dudes up front. Josh Sweat is coming on strong at pass rusher. The secondary is not great, but Darius Slay has his moments — when he is not lined up against DK Metcalf or Davante Adams, at least.
There are still holes all over the roster — especially at wide receiver and the back-end of the defense — but the Eagles do have the potential to compete for the NFC East in 2021. That is, of course, assuming that they figure out their quarterback situation.
Need to see more: New York Giants
Finally, we have the Giants. Led by first-year head coach Joe Judge, the Giants have posted a 5-8 record and are in the thick of things in the division race with three games left to be played. Not having Saquon Barkley in the backfield hurts, but Wayne Gallman has stepped up at running back for Jason Garrett's offense in New York.
The defense, much like the other two squads mentioned, has some talent. The unit gave Russell Wilson fits in the team's matchup with the star quarterback, and it has been a huge reason why the Giants have made a little bit of a midseason turnaround. Leonard Williams and Dexter Williams have been strong in the trenches, while James Bradberry has been a stud in the secondary.
The question, much like the other two teams already mentioned, centers around the quarterback position. The Giants are bottom three in the league in passing, and Daniel Jones has not proven to be the long-term answer behind center. One week, he looks like he took a jump in his development before regressing the next.
To be fair, the weapons in New York are not elite, but Jones himself has not been very good for the majority of his young professional career. He still needs to improve as a passer, and he is a turnover machine.
In order to take the Giants seriously, Daniel Jones needs to take a big jump. If he doesn't, the Giants could very well be at the bottom of the NFC East for the foreseeable future.
The Washington Football Team looks to be the biggest threat to the Dallas Cowboys for the division crown in 2021, but it will be interesting to see what Jalen Hurts can do with the Philadelphia Eagles for the remainder of the season and beyond.
Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
