Why the Dallas Cowboys will win the comically bad NFC East

Push all of the front office insanity aside and the Washington football team is a popular pick to win the division this season.

Head coach Ron Rivera’s plea to his team to get vaccinated is something almost every coach is asking for. The response from his players shows how little they care for the health and welfare of their coach who recently beat cancer which weakened his immune system.

Washington recently had a surge in vaccination rates but that probably has to do with a few players coming down with Covid at training camp. Not a good look for the players if you ask me.

The on-field hype surrounding the team is mainly based on their defensive line.

I have to admit that the team does have a ferocious front four and that is a problem many teams will struggle with when they play this team. I am a big fan of having a very strong defensive line but the story sort of dies out when you talk about the rest of their team.

Washington played the majority of their secondary in the more forgiving zone coverage. This allowed quarterbacks to dink and dunk in the passing game yet kept big plays from happening. Washington went out and found themselves a man-to-man cover guy in former Cincinnati Bengal William Jackson III.

I’m surprised the Bengals allowed Jackson to depart via free agency. Washington can now play more man coverage which should give their vaunted defensive line more time to get home. On the surface, that is a pretty good plan.

Washington played a large majority of their defensive snaps in zone coverage but Jackson will force them to play more man coverage.

The issue with this approach is encountering a team like the Dallas Cowboys. Chase Young and company now have to deal with a Dallas offensive line that can more than handle their own. I call that upfront battle a wash. Jackson can travel with Dallas’ number one wideout yet it is a pick your poison option if they are going to go that route.

If Washington decides to play more zone coverage with two high safeties when facing Dallas, the running game will flourish in a lightbox. Every team’s priority should be to win their division. To do that, teams usually counter their division opponents’ strength.

Dallas built their team with a strong offensive line to counter Micheal Strahan and that fierce Giants front. Washington countered by building their defensive line to compete with Dallas. Signing Jackson is an attempt to shift strategy yet it plays right into the Cowboy’s hand.

Washington won the division and gloated about it while the Dallas Cowboys struggled to stay healthy. I hope all of that gloating was worth it as a healthy Washington team only mustered one more win than a decimated Dallas Cowboys roster last season. Barely winning the division doesn’t give me confidence this team can do it again on a level playing field.

Newly signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has spent the last 16 years trying to reach the ultimate goal. It is too bad he has never led a team to the playoffs. “Fitzmagic” as he is affectionately called can get as hot as a quarterback can get. Unfortunately, it is short-lived and he can also get as cold as quarterbacks get.

He is entering his 17th season with his ninth team. It is fair to wonder if he will even make it to December where the teams play each other twice in a 21-day span.

“Scary” Terry McLaughlin is a big threat at wide receiver and he will no doubt make some plays this year. I am just not sure that is enough to make a push for a division title. The rest of their roster is an empty cupboard.  Their runningbacks outside of their second-year starter is a collection of journeymen runners while their starting tight end is a converted quarterback.

Their offensive line was a strength when offensive line coach Bill Callahan was employed by the team but I now see it as a major liability.  They have some nice pieces to work with but they are far from a complete unit. Washington has some work to do if they are going to repeat as Division Champions.