State of the NFC East: The Dallas Cowboys are champions and no team even challenged them

The Dallas Cowboys are NFC East Champions. As a result of Dallas winning the NFC East it means that, this is mandatory to say by the way, the following teams did not win the NFC East: Philadelphia, Washington, New York.

Every week Brandon Gowton from Bleeding Green Nation and I discuss the state of the division on the NFC East Mixtape. This is a unique podcast at SB Nation as it lives on the podcast networks for all four division rivals (you also get to hear from Hogs Haven and Big Blue View voices as well). Make sure to subscribe to the Blogging The Boys podcast network so you get access to this and all of our shows. Apple devices can subscribe here and Spotify users can subscribe here.

Obviously this week was an incredibly fun conversation given that the Cowboys won this division and did so running away. Dallas is preparing for the playoffs, but what do the other teams in the group look like at Week 17?

Let’s discuss.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

If the season ended today (it does not) the Dallas Cowboys would host the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs. That would be something.

Interestingly, the Cowboys may control Philadelphia’s fate when they visit them next week, but there are still things to figure out before then. For now the Eagles are trying to hold on to their season with the Washington Football Team up next and we all know how not formidable they are.

The sun is shining brighter for Philadelphia as of late and people are so jolly that they are now talking about Nick Sirianni seriously being in contention for Coach of the Year.

From our friends at Bleeding Green Nation:

He probably won’t win the award ... but Sirianni has entered Coach of the Year conversation.

All told, Sirianni’s done a good job of maximizing the talent he’s been given to work with. The Eagles’ outlook didn’t look so amazing after a very disappointing four-win campaign last year. He’s really helped to turn things around.

And not just in the big picture but within this season. Sirianni definitely deserves blame for the Eagles’ struggles en route to a 2-5 start. But resiliency is one of the most important attributes for a head coach. It’s part of what made Doug Pederson so great.

The Eagles’ season could’ve really spiraled out of control. They looked dead in the water after the Las Vegas Raiders loss and there was thought the team might lose to the then-winless Detroit Lions. But they didn’t. Instead, the team responded well to adversity and they’re in position for a playoff spot.

Sirianni has definitely managed to make things interesting for the Eagles, but the idea that he should be Coach of the Year is hilarious. Matt LaFleur probably deserves the award, but Mike McCarthy, Zac Taylor, Sean McDermott, or John Harbaugh if the Ravens make the playoffs, should get it well before handing it to Nick Sirianni.

Next Up: at Washington Football Team (6-9)

Washington Football Team (6-9)

What is there to say that we haven’t already? We have made our points and landed our jokes.

Washington is a disaster and has a lot of looking in the mirror to do this offseason. Consider it emblematic of who they truly are that the biggest story about them right now is the fight that they had with each other while getting demolished by the Cowboys.

Ron Rivera hasn’t even seen the fight, by the way.

Ron Rivera is a phenomenal human being, but this season has not been a very good coaching job of his at all. How can he say that he hasn’t even seen the video? His players fought! With each other! On the bench! While getting blown out to a rival that openly said that they were going to beat them!

They are awful.

Next Up: Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

New York Giants (4-11)

It was reported on Sunday morning that the Giants plan to return both Joe Judge and Daniel Jones in 2022. Yes, Sunday was perfect.

Honestly, it makes sense to bring Jones back (although New York would be silly to pick up his fifth-year option) because he has hardly had a fair shake given the coaching staffs in New York, but how on earth can they possibly want more of Joe Judge?

The Giants offense is putrid. They scored four offensive touchdowns throughout the month of December (Dallas scored six on Sunday night). Terence Steele has more receiving touchdowns this season than Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney... combined!

Our friends at Big Blue View had some other interesting takeaways from New York’s latest loss:

The first half was like watching a game from the 1930s. The Giants had five punts and a 54-yard field goal (which, granted, would not have happened in that era). The Eagles had four punts, a missed field goal and a field goal.

What does it say that Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 32 yards and it’s really not worth talking about? By the way, was anyone else disturbed — again — to watch Barkley getting run down by the first defender in the open field?

Nice salary drive for Lorenzo Carter. A strip sack for a second week in a row, plus a quarterback hit and a pass defended. Where was this guy for the first 3+ years of his career? He keeps this up and somebody will pay him more than they probably should.

I think it says a lot about what the Giants think of Isaiah Wilson that Wes Martin got snaps during garbage time and Wilson, a COVID-19 replacement, did not.

When it comes to Kenny Golladay I can’t decide. Are the Giants’ quarterbacks just really bad? Which, yeah, they are. Is the offense just broken to the point where they have no idea how to get him the ball? Or, is he just not close to being worth the money the Giants are paying him?

I thought it was interesting that Jaylon Smith started and played significant snaps. It tells you that the Giants are desperate for play-making at that level of their defense.

Can Jaylon Smith turn into a legitimate player for the Giants? Who knows.

On Sunday the Giants will face the Chicago Bears in a battle of the two first-round picks that they own. That is the most exciting thing happening to them these days.

Next Up: at Chicago Bears (5-10)