The 2021 NFL Draft has come and gone. Rookie mini-camp is next, and then it’s on to the 2021 training camp season. Before we get there, let’s reacclimate ourselves to how each division fared in 2020. Next up in the series: the NFC East.
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2020 NFC East Final Standings
Washington Football Team (7-9)
New York Giants (6-10)
Dallas Cowboys (6-10)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)
As the standings suggest, 2020 was not a strong season for the NFC East. In fact, statistically speaking, it was the worst year for a division in NFL history. The 7-9 Washington Football team represented the NFC East in the playoffs.
Fourth Place: Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles Team Preview
The story of 2020 for Philadelphia can be summed in one word: disappointment. Finally healthy and fresh off winning the 2019 NFC East, Carson Wentz was expected to regain his spot as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.
Instead, Wentz mightily struggled, eventually getting benched for rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts. The roster shakeup led to Wentz being traded to the Colts in the offseason. Just three years removed from a Super Bowl, head coach Doug Pederson was also fired.
Now, the Eagles need to pick up the pieces. Their season, beyond Wentz’s struggles, will be remembered for the injuries, with 15 different offensive line starting combinations taking the field.
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Third Place: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys started 2020 with plenty of points. Their offense was explosive, and their defense was awful, a certain recipe for blowouts.
Quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury in Week 5, ending his season and the Cowboys’ playoff hopes.
The rest of the season was mostly Andy Dalton trying to keep Dallas afloat in an awful division. The defense was one of the league’s worst units. The bright spot for the Cowboys is their receiving corps of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. All three will be a big part of Dallas’ future. Prescott is expected to be fine for 2021, finally signing the long-term contract his camp has pined for.
Second Place: New York Giants
The Giants lost their biggest offensive weapon in Saquon Barkley early in Week 2. Without their star runner, the New York offense struggled to move the ball all season.
Their above-average defense kept them competitive, though they still finished 6-10 despite coming in second in the division.
Daniel Jones played in 14 games, throwing for 2,943 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Jones’s inconsistency held New York back, and all eyes will be on the third-year passer in 2021.
First Place: Washington Football Team
Washington Football Team Preview
In its first season as the ‘Football Team,’ Washington won the NFC East thanks to a smothering defense.
With a top five defense, led by rookie defensive Chase Young, Washington made life difficult on opponents each week.
It was a turnstile at quarterback that kept Washington from getting over .500. Alex Smith played in eight games, Dwayne Haskins in seven, Kyle Allen in four, and Taylor Heinicke started their Wild Card game.
Haskins, the former first-round pick, was released midseason. Washington lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay, 31-23 in the Wild Card round.
Rookie running back Antonio Gibson was a pleasant surprise, surpassing 1,000 total yards. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was a steady presence, hauling in 87 receptions for 1,118 yards.
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