2020 NFC East is no longer the worst division in NFL history

The NFC East has been the subject of jokes and derision for most of the 2020 NFL season. The most common comment was that someone has to win the division even if it looks like all four teams are trying to avoid that. The losses piled up, and the laughter did too.

At one point, it looked like the 2020 NFC East might pull off an all-time low by being the worst division ever in the NFL. The collective records of the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Football Team looked like they were going to grab a piece of notorious history.

But with a couple of good weekends in a row, including this week’s three out of four effort by the division, they will avoid that fate.

After Washington, Dallas and Philadelphia all won on Sunday, the NFC East teams are now a combined 19-32-1, a .375 winning percentage. That beats the worst cumulative record in NFL history for a division, set by the 2008 NFC West, which went 22-42, a .344 winning percentage.

There are still three more NFC East vs. NFC East games this season (Cowboys-Eagles in Week 16, Giants-Cowboys in Week 17 and Eagles-Football Team in Week 17), so the worst record the division could possibly have is 22-41-1. At worst, the 2020 NFC East will finish half a game better than the 2008 NFC West.

That Philadelphia tie earlier in the year means that the NFC East can’t be the worst division ever.

It certainly looks like Washington is in control of the division, but with the recent injury to quarterback Alex Smith (even though it appears minor), who knows what will happen. Even the Cowboys, mired in last place, are still mathematically alive for the division.

If you’re wondering about the 2008 NFC West division, here they are in all their infamy.

Arizona Cardinals 9-7
San Francisco 49ers 7-9
Seattle Seahawks 4-12
St. Louis Rams 2-14

At the top, that’s not too bad. A couple of teams that had roughly .500 records. It was the bottom two that really brought them down.

The NFC West also has another infamous record from the same time period. In 2010, the Seattle Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record. They were the first team to qualify for the playoffs with a losing record, but stunned the New Orleans Saints in their first playoff game that year by winning.

Could the same fate await the NFC East champs?