The Dallas Cowboys were the clear-cut best team in the NFC East when last season started. They proved that to be the case throughout the regular season by sweeping the Eagles, Commanders, and Giants on their way to the franchise's second division championship in four years. Things have changed a lot since then. The Cowboys have a mountain of unanswered questions ahead of the 2022 season, and one NFC East team has remade themselves into a bona fide threat to unseat Dallas from their NFC East throne: The Philadelphia Eagles.
The biggest threat to Cowboys in NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
The strength of the Eagles year in and year out for the last few seasons has been their defensive line. Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Josh Sweat make up one of the league's most formidable units. With the addition of Jordan Davis in the first round of this year's draft, the Eagles defense is set up to be stronger than ever in the trenches this season. The elevation of Philadelphia's defensive line couldn't come at a worse time for the Cowboys.
Dallas' starting offensive line is a solid unit. Zack Martin is one of the best football players in the NFL, and Tyron Smith can hem up the best pass rushers in the league when he's healthy. Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Smith is impressing in his first pro training camp, and Terence Steele has gotten better with each passing year. After those four players, the Cowboys offensive line turns into a slippery slope of players who have either struggled recently or have never proven themselves at all. The Eagles sacked Dak Prescott four times in their Week 3 loss to the Cowboys in Dallas last year. As good as that defensive line was, they're even better now. Prescott could be in for two long games against Philadelphia this year unless his offensive line can stay completely healthy all season long.
Philadelphia pulled off a blockbuster trade this offseason when they brought in A.J. Brown to be Jalen Hurts' new number-one target. Suddenly the Eagles' wide receiver corps went from one of the worst in the league to a serviceable group of pass catchers who are a threat to the Cowboys. Brown is a legitimate number one wideout. Devonta Smith flirted with 1,000 yards in his rookie year. Jalen Reagor hasn't yet lived up to his first-round pick status, but he could see a jump in production if opposing defenses have to put their best coverage players on Brown and Smith.
Hurts hasn't exactly been a gunslinger through two seasons in the NFL. The 209.6 passing yards per game he averaged last year won't cut it in most offenses. The addition of A.J. Brown gives him a real number one wideout, something he hasn't had so far during his career. Hurts has always been able to move the ball with his legs. If his arm talent takes a step forward this season, he'll be tough to contain, even for a good defense like the Cowboys.
Hurts isn't the only Eagles player capable of running the ball. The Eagles were the number one rushing offense in football last season. They accomplished that feat with Miles Sanders on the shelf for five games too. Sanders' 754 rushing yards were still second most on the team to Hurts' 784. Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell both made starts at running back last season in Sanders' absence, and they both excelled. Scott averaged 4.85 rushing yards per attempt in four starts last season and Gainwell ran for 78 yards and a touchdown in his lone start.
The running backs were good in a committee setting last season in Philadelphia, but they owe a lot of their production to their offensive line. Dak has gotten used to playing behind the best offensive line in the NFC East over his career. That isn't the case this year. Led by future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce and veteran right tackle Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Isaac Seumalo round out what might be the best line in football.
If the Eagles are successful this season, it will be because of their ability to control the line of scrimmage. There's an argument to be made that both the best offensive and the best defensive lines in the NFL reside in Philadelphia. The Eagles' ability to run the football and create pressure on defense will make them a hard team to beat. While Washington and New York are still slogging through their rebuilds, the NFC East has become a two-team race between Philadelphia and Dallas.
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