How The Tight NFC East Race Impacts The Cowboys
The NFC East, formerly known as the “NFC Least”, is off to a very impressive start to the 2022 campaign. Where does Dallas stand in this NFC East race, and what can they do to give them the best shot at the division crown?
The division is home to the last remaining unbeaten team in the league the Philadelphia Eagles who sit at an impressive 5-0. They don’t have much room to breathe however as the New York Football Giants and our beloved Dallas Cowboys both trail them by just a single game at 4-1. Even with the Washington Commanders in the mix at a lowly 1-4 record, the NFC East is the only division with three four-win teams and they have the best overall record in the league. With still a long way to go in the season, it seems we’re due for yet another tight race to see who will rule the NFC East.
Obviously, the quickest answer to this question is to simply keep winning. However, that is much easier said than done. While there’s been a lot to be excited about with this team since week one, there’s also a more realistic scope we have to look through when evaluating what we’ve seen thus far from this Dallas team.
Dallas finds themselves with one of the best records in the league six weeks into the season despite having to play without quarterback Dak Prescott since the season opener. Their success without him has little to do with Cooper Rush despite what the narrative from a lot of the national media has been. Rush has been able to take great care of the football in his starts as he’s yet to turn the ball over, which I won’t deny has something to do with the recent success of the team.
When it comes to being a quarterback that can elevate the rest of the offense, Rush hasn’t done much of that at all. He’s thrown for just under 200 yards per game in his four starts and has just four total touchdowns. That’s a huge drop-off from what we grew accustomed to seeing with Prescott at the helm. If Prescorr remains out for an extended period of time, what obstacles are Dallas potentially faced with in a tight NFC East division race?
Dallas is off to a good start in their division matchups as well, going 2-0 to start the season with wins against New York and Washington. If you want to win your division, the clear and obvious thing that needs to happen is having success within the division. This week Dallas will face what is their biggest challenge within the NFC East and maybe the entire conference in the Philadelphia Eagles.
What The Dallas Cowboys Need To Know About The Rest Of The NFC East
Philly’s great start to the season can be credited to the dominant play of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is in everyone’s early season MVP ladder. The Eagles have one of the most effective offensive playstyles in the entire NFL. They have a great running game to go with a passing game that is elevated by the two studs they have at receiver in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.
They have also been playing great on the defensive end as well and have a coaching staff that has done a great job of putting their guys in a position to succeed. Simply put Philadelphia has been amazing during the early stretch of the season and in an environment like Lincoln Financial Stadium on a Sunday night, it’s sure to be the greatest challenge Dallas has faced this year.
The Giants are also off to a 4-1 start and are without a doubt one of the biggest feel-good stories of the season as no one can truthfully tell you they saw this coming. Head Coach Brian Daboll is the early season favorite to earn the Coach of the Year award and running back Saquon Barkley has returned to superstar form after battling injuries the last couple of years. Dallas was able to win the first matchup of the season back in Week 3 giving them a leg up in the division standings.
If Dallas is able to get a win on the road against the Eagles on Sunday night that will put them in a great spot gearing toward the rest of the season and in the NFC East division title race. Assuming Prescott comes back and elevates the offense to complement what is an electrifying defense, there is no reason why Dallas shouldn’t be able to rule the division once again.