Through five games, the NFC East has far and away been the best division in football.
It’s the only division with three teams above .500. NFC East teams have a combined record of 14-6.
Let’s take a look at each team in the division and review their performances through Week 5:
The juggernaut Eagles
The 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles are the last undefeated team in the NFL. The last time Philadelphia started a season with five-straight wins was 2004 and that team went on to lose in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.
The 2022 Eagles are very balanced on both sides of the football. Offensively, Philadelphia is averaging 27 points per game. Defensively, they allow just 17 points per game. Both marks rank seventh in the NFL.
Much of the Eagles offensive success can be attributed to the strong play from third-year QB Jalen Hurts. Through five games, Hurts has passed for 1,359 yards and rushed for 266 yards. Hurts’ six rushing touchdowns is tied for second-most in the NFL.
On defense, the Eagles have a knack for pressuring the QB. Philadelphia has 17 sacks on the year, tied for the fourth-most in the league. Leading the way is linebacker Haason Reddick with 4.5 sacks.
The Eagles defensive backs have also been proficient at forcing turnovers. The Eagles six interceptions are tied for sixth in the league. Cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay lead the team with two picks each.
Cowboys have gotten it done with a backup QB
The Cowboys 4-0 record following Dak Prescott’s thumb injury has been surprising. Cooper Rush hasn’t exactly lit up the box score in his four starts this season. But he’s done enough to right the ship after a Week 1 loss and keep the Cowboys season intact.
Dallas’ defense has been dominant this season. They’ve allowed only 14.4 points per game, ranking third in the NFL.
The heartbeat of the defense is Micah Parsons, whose six sacks are tied for the most in the league. Parsons currently holds the best odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Trevon Diggs has also had a dominant season. Pro Football Focus has given Diggs a 69.8 player grade. That rating is up from 59.6 at the end of last season.
Giants success has been a shocker
When DraftKings first released the odds on NFL team’s win totals back in March, the New York Giants were listed at 7.5 games. New York holds a 4-1 record and anyone who took the over should be feeling fantastic about their bet.
First-year head coach Brian Daboll has been an aggressive play caller this season. The thought process being the Giants are in a rebuilding year, so why not get risky and play to win each game. But through five games, the Giants have the makings of being a dark horse team to formulate a playoff run.
Much of the Giants success is thanks to the resurgence of Saquon Barkley. The former Penn State Nittany Lion’s 533 rushing yards rank second in the NFL. Barkley is the runaway favorite to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Basement-dwelling Commanders
The 1-4 Washington Commanders are the weak link in the NFC East. The Commanders -38 point differential is the second-worst total in the NFL.
Washington’s defense can only be described as porous, allowing 25.6 points per game. The Commanders have been without its most talented defender Chase Young this season. The 2020 second-overall draft pick is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season.
The offense hasn’t performed much better. QB Carson Wentz and Co. are averaging just 18 points per game. In a press conference Monday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was asked why Washington has struggled while the rest of the NFC East has come out the gates hot. Rivera’s response: “Quarterback.”
Things are going quickly going south in Washington.
