šŸˆ Philly Looks Ready To Run It Back

Home to some of the most iconic franchises in the NFL, you never know what to expect in the NFC East, but it's always a wild ride. The reigning NFC champs will have their work cut out for them this season, but they're looking just as dangerous this time around. Take a look at the division odds šŸ˜ˆ (3 min read)

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

NFC East Preview

Man, has it been a crazy few years in the NFC East. Flashback to the the 2020 season, and youā€™ll see the then-named Washington Football Team sitting atop the divisionā€¦with just a 7-9 record šŸ¤¢

  • But last year? Every team in the East finished at least .500, and all but one (apologies for the salt in the wound, Commanders fans) reached the postseason

  • Of course, none made a deeper run than the Eagles. The division champs and the NFCā€™s top seed thanks to a 14-3 record, they came up just short in their quest for a Lombardi Trophy šŸ˜©

Super Bowl appearances donā€™t come around often, and in this league, championship windows often slam shut as quickly as they open. But the Philly team we saw last year looks like a dominant force with staying power šŸ“ˆ

  • It certainly helps when youā€™ve got a franchise QB, and if last year is any indication, the Eagles can check that box with emphasis. Jalen Hurts silenced any remaining doubters with an MVP-caliber campaign that landed him at #3 in the NFLā€™s Top 100 list. Oh, and that was just his second season as a starter ā€” fans are ready for another level-up this yearšŸ‘‡

  • Hurts has the fifth-best odds to capture this yearā€™s MVP award, and heā€™ll have the playmakers to help his case. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are all returning to an offense that ranked third in the league last year, and while 1,000-yard rusher Miles Sanders is gone, the new group of Kenneth Gainwell, Deā€™Andre Swift and Rashad Penny should be capable of carrying the load šŸ˜¤

The Eagle defense lost some big names that from last yearā€™s unit that allowed the second-fewest YPG in the league, but reinforcements from a universally acclaimed draft class should help ease the pain. To summarize, not only does Philly look as dangerous as they did last year ā€” they look like they could be even better šŸ‘€

  • The Cowboys are the most obvious challenger to the Eaglesā€™ NFC East supremacy, and like their rivals, theyā€™re also returning most of last yearā€™s core (with a few exceptions ā€” gonna be so weird seeing Zeke in a Patriotsā€™ uniformĀ šŸ˜³)

  • Dallas has the star power on both sides of the ball to go toe-to-toe with Philly, with one glaring exception; Dak Prescott was simply not good last season. The two-time Pro Bowler has the track record to get back to that level of play, but reports out of camp have been a bit concerning ā¬‡ļø

Unsurprisingly, quarterback play will also be the overwhelming X-factor elsewhere in the division. In New York, Daniel Jones will look to prove heā€™s worth $40 million a yearā€¦

  • Spoiler alert; heā€™s not. But at least Saquon is back in action with a new contract and looking as electric as ever āš”ļø

And in D.C., Sam Howell will look to prove heā€™s the long-term answer for a team thatā€™s needed one for a whileā€¦

  • The list of QBs drafted on Day 3 who have had extended success in the NFL is not a long one, but Howell is at least looking the part in camp. Iā€™m just hoping a questionable O-line can keep him upright šŸ˜‚

Both the Giants and Commanders showed last year that they could win games without star QB production, so donā€™t count out either from making a Wild Card push this season. But within the division, theyā€™re looking like longshots to compete with the Birds and the Boys. Take a look at each teamā€™s divisional odds šŸ‘‡

  • Eagles: -115

  • Cowboys: +175

  • Giants: +700

  • Commanders: +1300

Trivia Question: Before Miles Sanders topped the 1,000-yard mark last season, who was the last Eaglesā€™ rusher to do so?

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

For My Parlay Gurus

Iā€™m calling it now ā€” weā€™re getting Eagles vs. Bills in Super Bowl LVIII. Last year was no fluke and Iā€™m all aboard the Philly hype train once again, so Iā€™ll be parlaying accordingly. Check it out šŸ‘‡

  • Eagles To Win NFC East: -115

  • Eagles Over 11.5 Wins: +104

$100 on this bet would win you $282 ā€” if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win šŸ˜‰

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Trivia Answer: LeSean McCoy rushed for 1,319 yards in 2014, and then the Eagles went nine straight seasons without a 1,000 yard rusher

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