The 2020 NFL season is officially underway with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Houston Texans by a final score of 34-20 on “Thursday Night Football.” Now, everyone is shifting their attention to Sunday and Monday's slate of games, which include quite a few really good matchups. At last, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief with the season getting started despite the coronavirus.

Looking specifically at the NFC East division, there are a lot of reasons for excitement. While the Dallas Cowboys may be viewed as the favorites to win the division, the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be a team to keep an eye on. Both the New York Giants and Washington Football Team also took steps forward this offseason.

As usual, the NFC East will be a very competitive division with a ton of hatred between the rivals. Every team in the division is a rival. There is no love lost between any of these teams.

Once again, the NFC East will be fueled by its quarterback play, but the running back are going to be a big key as well. Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley are both bona fide superstars and no one will argue against that. Both Miles Sanders and Antonio Gibson are talented players, although Sanders is a much bigger name at this point in time.

All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at how each running back in the NFC East will perform in their respective Week 1 matchups.

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are going to get a look at the new-look Washington Football Team in Week 1. It is a game that Philadelphia is heavily favored to win, especially due to the high-powered offense that they are expected to have.

Sanders is entering his second NFL season and no one truly knows exactly what to expect for him. He showed off big-time potential in his rookie season to the tune of 179 carries for 818 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to his numbers on the ground, Sanders also caught 50 passes for 509 yards and three scores as a receiver.

He has battled some injury issues during training camp, but if he plays and is relatively healthy, he is going to be expose the Washington defense. Sanders should end up rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown to go along with five receptions for 40 yards and possibly another score. Those numbers will put the Eagles' offense in a great situation.

Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

Another young running back to keep an eye on this season is Antonio Gibson. It has been a rough offseason for Washington, as they were forced to release young talent Derrius Guice due to a major off-the-field incident. They then shocked everyone with their decision to release veteran star Adrian Peterson.

That has left the rookie, Antonio Gibson, as the starter. Fantasy football players scooped him up quickly, as the projections for his season are solid. He was selected with the No. 66 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and will be asked to handle a large role in 2020.

Gibson will need to provide Washington with a solid and consistent presence on the ground. Dwayne Haskins is a second-year quarterback and will need all the help he can get. In Week 1, we will see Gibson rack up 75 yards on the ground and six receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Next up, we finally get our first look at Ezekiel Elliott in the new-look Cowboys' offense. Gone are the days of Jason Garrett on the sideline and former Green Bay Packers head coach and Super Bowl winner Mike McCarthy is in to replace him.

McCarthy has always loved pounding the football on the ground. Elliott will thrive in that system. He should be in for yet another massive year to aide a passing game that should be dynamic with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb.

This week against the Rams, Elliott will have his hands full going up against Aaron Donald. However, he will still put together a big game. Elliott should end up with around 90 rushing yards and a touchdown and will also catch four passes for 30 yards.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Finally, the other superstar running back in the NFC East is looking to bounce back with a huge season in 2020. In 2019, he dealt with injury issues and only played in 13 games. Despite missing three games, he still racked up 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on 217 carries to go along with 52 receptions for 438 yards and two scores.

Barkley is going to have a big year, there is no denying that. The Giants feel very confident that second-year quarterback Daniel Jones will take a big step forward as well. Against the Steelers on “Monday Night Football” in Week 1, the New York offense is going to look much better than it has over the past few years.

When everything is said and done, Barkley will wreak havoc on the Pittsburgh defense to the tune of 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He will also get involved in the passing game with six receptions for 40 yards and possibly another score. Barkley and company are sick and tired of being a pushover and that will change in 2020.