Just a few years ago, the NFC East was the laughing-stock in the NFL. They were the division that no one was scared of playing. In 2020, the Washington Football Team (now the Commanders) won the NFC Title with a ridiculous record of 7-9.
Now, four games into the 2022 season, no one is laughing at them as they are the best division in the league. Could the NFC East be the one to beat?
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are taking the league by storm this season, starting off with a 4-0 record. They have one of the league’s most prolific teams in scoring, as well as the league’s no. 2 offense. They also are no. 3 on defense as they’ve been able to keep opposing offenses from scoring. They’re averaging 165.25 yards per game rushing, which is amazingly more than they had last year when they led the league in rushing.
Stand-out Quarterback- Jalen Hurts
Hurts is a generational talent at the quarterback position. No one has taken a bigger step forward in his development than the former Alabama/Oklahoma Quarterback. The 24-year-old has always been a dynamic rusher, but this year it’s his accurate passing that’s helping him succeed thus far.
He has come out of the gates fast (66.7 completion percentage 1,120 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions). Their secondary is basically a “no fly zone” and they lead the league with 16 sacks.
Carrying the pigskin, he has 205 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Certainly having A.J. Brown as his number one receiver has helped, but nevertheless Hurts is playing so much better.
Dallas Cowboys
After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their No.1 signal-caller in week #1 to a thumb injury, the Cowboys have won three-in-a- row under back-up quarterback Cooper Rush.
Rush has definitely made his presence known winning all of his three starts. The defense has surely been there every step of the way. They have only allowed 14.3 points per game since Rush has started.
Leading Defensive Player- Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons is a work horse on the field. He is one of the best if not the best linebackers in the NFL. Parsons’ four sacks already don’t show how much of a wrecking ball he is. He didn’t tally a sack in the game against the Giants, but he was able to rely on his buddy and killer Defensive End DeMarcus Lawrence who had his back with three.
New York Giants
Did we accidently awaken a sleeping Giant in the NFC East? Or is Brian Daboll just a great coach? The Giants are off to a 3-1 start and they are not looking back. Even with some flaws still in quarterback Daniel Jones, he and the “G-Men” are humming efficiently on offense. The defense looks frightening as well with Don, “Wink” Martindale as the defensive coordinator.
The future looks very bright for the Giants as their new head coach has gotten this squad to believe in themselves and also to believe in the process. Also, Saquan Barkley looks healthy and is back to his old self. While there are no promises that the Giants will win the Super Bowl, there is no question that this team is playing some winning football after four games.
(back to himself) Running Back- Saquon Barkley
While he may have had a couple of rough years, no. 26 for the New York Giants has earned all the success that has come back his way. The former number 2 pick in the 2018 NFL draft has been unstoppable carrying the football so far in 2022. He has rushed for 493 yards and if he keeps it up, will be on track to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in his short, but wild career in the league.
After he recovered from a serious ankle injury, Barkley returned to the field in week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. He outperformed the entire football world’s expectations as he gained 164 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown. The running back was even in on scoring the game winning 2-point conversion on a pass from Daniel Jones.
Barkley has tore it up on the field and fans are noticing. He has even been so dominant that he was able to play emergency quarterback as both Jones and Tyrod Taylor was momentarily injured. He went into the game in week 3 against the Chicago Bears in which the Giants won 20-12.
Washington Commanders
Each NFL season is filled with highs and lows, but for the Commanders it seems like there are more lows than highs.
The season did start on an upward note with a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the next three games produced losses to the Detroit Loins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys. This brought the electricity in the organization down to a minimum.
With the next few games ahead of them, the Commanders will look to overcome more obstacles with injured players; Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel out for the indefinite future. The one bright spot is Carson Wentz, hopefully he can bring the team back at the quarterback position.
Rookie (Quarter Season)- Jahan Dotson
In week 1, Jahan Dotson earned this honor. The former Penn State/Nittany Lion grabbed two touchdowns, including the game clincher in Washington’s opening day victory. So far, he has 12 catches for 152 yards and four touchdowns through his first four games, which are quality numbers for a No. 3 receiver on a challenging offense.
Once again to the Commanders dismay and purely bad luck, Dotson is sidelined due to a hamstring injury that may keep him out for a while.
Upcoming Match to Watch
The Cowboys will travel to Philly to take on the Eagles @ Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday Night Football. The game will take place on Sunday Oct 16th, 2022 @ 8:20pm. Let’s hope both teams get healthy, for a great showdown.
https://gridironheroics.com/cowboys-oc-kellen-moore-overcoming-limited-depth/
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5 Comments
The NFC East is always the toughest division. Don’t forget your history. They won the super bowl 7 out of 10 years from 87 to 96. When they have bad records it only means they are killing each other. They are still the toughest…
Its a nasty thing to say, but an injury to Dan Jones could be the best thing for the Giants. They need to unload this loser and NOT resign him. I doubt anyone would even pick him up for 35 Million $… Hopefully Tirod is OK.
I like the AFCs chances
This is a hard-hitting, informative article! Well said!
Eagles are looking good this year, definately wasn’t expecting that! Awesome article!