How Do the Atlanta Falcons Compare to the NFC East?
The NFC East has three of the most high profile teams in the NFL in their division. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Philadephia Eagles have some of the latest fan bases in all of sports.
Last season the division race went down to the wire when the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in week 16 to effectively win the division.
The Falcons will play the Cowboys this season as their only matchup against an NFC East opponent, but let’s see how they stack up against the division.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys are probably the most talented team in the division led by stars Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. When clicking on all cylinders they have one of the best offenses in the league. Wide receiver Amari Cooper has emerged as a top-10 receiver and they drafted Oklahoma star Ceedee Lamb to go on the opposite side of him.
The one question mark is Prescott who has held the team back at times with his inconsistent play. Owner Jerry Jones brought in former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to replace Jason Garrett.
Defensively, the Cowboys have a top-10 unit. After losing Byron Jones in free agency they drafted Trevon Diggs to fill the void he leaves behind. The Cowboys ranked 11th against the run last year, so they signed Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and drafted Neville Gallimore to beef up the middle of the line.
Philadephia Eagles:
The Eagles won the division last year with a mash unit. Carson Wentz willed his team to several victories as he watched his receivers drop pass after pass. The team drafted wide receiver Jalen Reagor in the first round and should get Alshon Jeffrey from injury.
Miles Sanders is ready to be the feature back after splitting reps with Jordan Howard last season. General Manager Howie Roseman surprised a lot of people by taking quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round. Many people suspect that head coach Doug Peterson will use him similarly to how the Saints use Taysom Hill.
Defensively, the Eagles ranked 19th against the pass so they signed Nickell Roby-Coleman and traded for Darius Slay to fortify the back the secondary. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are back anchoring the defensive line. With the additions to the secondary, they should see a major improvement against the pass.
New York Giants:
The Giants decided to move on from Eli Manning last year handing the keys over to former first-round pick Daniel Jones. In his first year, Jones started 12 games completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
General manager Dave Gettleman took a lot of heat when he drafted Jones, but he outperformed expectations in year one. The Giants also have pro bowl running Saquon Barkley along tight eng Evan Engram as offensive weapons. With another year of growth, Jones and the offense should take another step forwards.
Defensively, the Giants ranked at the bottom of the league against the run and the pass. Gettleman brought in James Bradberry to sure up the secondary and drafted Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
Washington Redskins:
Lastly, a team that seemed to be in disarray for parts of the year. Head coach Jay Gruden was fired after an 0-5 start. Rookie Dwayne Haskins took over halfway through the year and seemed to improve after a rough start. Veteran Adrian Peterson is still going strong as the team has a running back by committee approach.
Derrius Guice was drafted to be the feature back but has struggled with injury so far thorough his young career. At receiver Haskin’s college teammate Terry McLaurin performed at a high level and will be a solid option for Haskins going forward. Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams is finally gone, after a draft-day trade to the San Fransisco 49ers.
The Redskins should shine of defense this season. After hiring former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera they drafted Ohio state defensive end, Chase Young, to add to an already menacing defensive line. The defensive line includes Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, and Jonathan Allen. The Redskins will control the line of scrimmage most weeks which will give them an added advantage.
The Falcons have matchup evenly if not better than the Philadelphia Eagles on both sides of the ball. When firing on all cylinders the Falcons offense can compete with the Cowboys, but their defense is not as good as the Cowboys which makes the matchup slightly more difficult.
The Falcons will travel to Dallas in week two. This will be a good early-season test to see just how much the Falcons defense has approved and more importantly how much the secondary has improved.
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