The Commanders were as aggressive as any team in football this past offseason, and no one can match the pure quantity of drama that came from the Cowboys over the summer, but is anyone in position to threaten the reigning Super Bowl champs?

Our other division previews: AFC East | AFC and NFC South (coming Wednesday) | AFC and NFC West (coming Thursday) | AFC and NFC North (coming Friday)

Based on the average of predicted win totals submitted by each of The Athletic’s beat writers for every team in the division, here’s how the NFC East stacks up for 2025…

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Projected record: 11-6

Who’s new: OC Kevin Patullo, LB Jihaad Campbell, S Andrew Mukuba, LB Smael Mondon Jr., edge Joshua Uche, edge Azeez Ojulari, CB Jakorian Bennett, CB Adoree’ Jackson, RB A.J. Dillon, DT Ty Robinson, WR John Metchie III, QB Sam Howell

Who’s gone: OC Kellen Moore, CB Darius Slay, edge Josh Sweat, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DT Milton Williams, RG Mekhi Becton, CB Isaiah Rodgers, QB Kenny Pickett, edge Brandon Graham, edge Bryce Huff, LB Oren Burks, RB Kenneth Gainwell, DB Avonte Maddox, DT Thomas Booker

Season preview

There hasn’t been a repeat NFC East winner since Philadelphia won four straight division championships from 2001 to 2004. The Eagles are positioned to end that streak. One of the most talented and tenured offensive rosters in the NFL (10 starters return, only right guard Tyler Steen is new to the lineup) should equip first-time OC Kevin Patullo with a luxury of possibilities. They have a potential weakness on defense: They still don’t have a clear front-runner for their CB2 spot or at safety, and it’s unclear if their collection of free-agent edge rushers will provide quality depth. Longtime DC Vic Fangio has yet another puzzle to solve.

The Washington Commanders, behind second-year QB Jayden Daniels, have the offensive firepower to give the Eagles problems, but there’s no proof yet that their dismal defense has improved enough to make them a full-fledged challenger. The injury-riddled Dallas Cowboys will face a tough schedule under new HC Brian Schottenheimer, and Jerry Jones’ handling of Micah Parsons’ contract seems to foreshadow yet another dysfunctional season. Surely the Cowboys won’t be worse than the New York Giants, right? The Giants acquired enough talent to make themselves interesting in a make-or-break year for GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll. Russell Wilson could offer better production than the stopgap QB role he’s inhabiting, and No. 3 pick Abdul Carter could quickly become the face of a defense that might overperform. — Brooks Kubena

From “The Athletic Football Show” podcast: What are the swing points for the Eagles?

The big change is that they are, again, transitioning to a new offensive coordinator, with Kevin Patullo coming in. He was their passing game coordinator over the last few years. And this is a team that — it’s been a mixed bag. They went to Brian Johnson after the 2022 Super Bowl appearance. That offense was disjointed, dysfunctional and never really found itself. They struggled in pass protection. They struggled against the blitz. That lasted one year. They go out and get Kellen Moore. They are so good again. They go to and win the Super Bowl and then lose another offensive coordinator.

Patullo has an interesting background. He’s like a Chan Gailey guy. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of Chan Gailey DNA being inserted into the Philadelphia Eagles offense. I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of four-wide, spread offense from this team, but I think the one thing that is worth remembering there and thinking about is that Chan Gailey is willing to try some weird stuff, right? The other interesting element of this is that Patullo, even though he was the passing game coordinator, has also been the associate head coach over the past couple of seasons. And he’s kind of been Sirianni’s right-hand guy, where he’s in a lot of meetings that assistants aren’t normally in. He’s part of conversations that a lot of assistants aren’t normally a part of. And so he’s more of a piece of the fabric of the organization than a passing game coordinator typically would be. So this isn’t somebody that you’re really kicking upstairs that’s not used to being a part of how big decisions get made. That’s just something to keep in mind as we think about what type of coach and the standing he has within the building that they’re elevating to this sort of position. — Robert Mays, “The Athletic Football Show”

You can listen to full episodes of “The Athletic Football Show” for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

2. Washington Commanders

Projected record: 9-8

Who’s new: LT Laremy Tunsil, WR Deebo Samuel, DT Javon Kinlaw, OT Josh Conerly Jr., CB Trey Amos, OLB Von Miller, S Will Harris, RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, DL Deatrich Wise Jr., K Matt Gay, CB Jonathan Jones, WR Jaylin Lane, DT Eddie Goldman, OLB Jacob Martin

Who’s gone: DL Jonathan Allen, S Jeremy Chinn, OLB Dante Fowler Jr., WR Olamide Zaccheaus, WR Dyami Brown, OT Cornelius Lucas, CB Benjamin St-Juste, K Zane Gonzalez

Season preview

Led by general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, the Commanders fast-tracked their rebuild last year after watching quarterback Jayden Daniels guide them to a 12-5 record and the NFC Championship Game. They are now clearly all-in.

After acquiring cornerback Marshon Lattimore before last year’s trade deadline, Washington cut deals this offseason to land versatile receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Building up the trenches was a priority, so Washington spent its first draft pick on OT Josh Conerly Jr., and beefed up its defensive line. The Commanders also re-signed most of their own free agents and gave Terry McLaurin a three-year extension to surround Daniels and their other young starters with plenty of veteran leaders, such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz. More significant: Washington retained its entire coaching staff, giving Daniels another year with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterbacks coaches Tavita Pritchard and David Blough.

The Commanders’ success inevitably raised expectations, and the team faces numerous obstacles to finding similar success this season. The schedule alone could pose a challenge. The team has two trips out west, a game in Madrid and a Week 18 meeting with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles in Philly. Washington also had health on its side last season. Now, they have the oldest roster in the NFL and enter the season with a number of banged-up players, including starting guards Sam Cosmi (ACL) and Brandon Coleman, and receiver Noah Brown. McLaurin also missed most of the offseason and all of training camp because of his contract dispute with the club.

The defense may hold the key to a deep run. Lattimore is back to full health after dealing with a hamstring injury last year and is joined by rookie Trey Amos at cornerback. Coupled with a strong safety corps and bigger defensive line, the unit may finally be a safety net instead of a liability. But Washington’s future — in 2025 and beyond — begins and ends with Daniels. — Nicki Jhabvala

From “The Athletic Football Show” podcast: What are you excited about?

Let’s see if I can hit the listeners with the next level analysis that they’ve come to expect from “The Athletic Football Show”: I’m excited about year two of Jayden Daniels and what that means and what it could look like. You’re talking about a quarterback who’s capable of throwing for 4,000 yards and rushing for 1,000 yards in the same season. I think that’s on the table for him.

If he progresses from his rookie year, then we can officially start talking about him as a top-five quarterback in the NFL playing for a legacy franchise, a franchise that went so long without something to be excited about. All of that kind of ties in for me. It’s not just Jayden being great, but Jayden being great in a very historically good football market that hasn’t had a whole lot to be excited about. And he’s only turning 25 this year. So if he cements himself as the guy that we think he is, what else is there? What could be more exciting? — Dave Helman, “The Athletic Football Show”

You can listen to full episodes of “The Athletic Football Show” for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

3. Dallas Cowboys

Projected record: 8-9

Who’s new: HC Brian Schottenheimer, OC Klayton Adams, DC Matt Eberflus, WR George Pickens, RG Tyler Booker, RB Javonte Williams, RB Jaydon Blue, RB Miles Sanders, CB Kaiir Elam, DT Solomon Thomas, LB Kenneth Murray, LB Jack Sanborn, DE Dante Fowler, DE Donovan Ezeiruaku

Who’s gone: HC Mike McCarthy, DC Mike Zimmer, RG Zack Martin, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, RB Rico Dowdle, CB Jourdan Lewis, LB Eric Kendricks, WR Brandin Cooks, QB Cooper Rush, RB Ezekiel Elliott

Season preview

There are so many unknowns with this year’s team. There are new pieces all over the coaching staff coupled with a vanilla preseason plan and uncertainty with Micah Parsons’ contract situation. Their win total could be 10 or it could be five. Can franchise quarterback Dak Prescott stay healthy? Dallas has never had a losing season when he’s played the entire year, but the injuries have started to add up for the 32-year-old over the last few seasons. To have a good year, the Cowboys have to get off to a hot start. The late November and December part of their schedule is brutal.

The Cowboys’ biggest issues have been a poor run game and a poor run defense. Those areas are still major concerns. Significant upgrades were not made at the defensive tackle or running back positions. As much as Brian Schottenheimer wants to be a physical team that can lean on its run game, it seems much more likely that most of their games will be decided by Prescott throwing often to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and a talented group of edge rushers getting after opposing quarterbacks.

Schottenheimer has done a good job of building the team’s culture over the last seven months, but none of that will matter if he doesn’t win on Sundays. For a first-time head coach and offensive play caller, there’s certainly a lot on his plate. — Jon Machota

NFC East fantasy breakout player: George Pickens

After three up-and-down years, Pickens now finds himself in the best offensive ecosystem of his career and paired with the most talented quarterback he’s played with in Dak Prescott. With a lack of firepower at running back, Pickens has a clear weekly path to being Dallas’ No. 2 option. Expect career highs across the board and for him to obliterate last season’s modest touchdown total (three). — Theo Gremminger

From “The Athletic Football Show” podcast: What’s keeping you up at night?

The current state of the defensive tackle room. They were 32nd in the NFL in defensive EPA per carry last year on defense. The Cowboys were 30th in run defense success rate per Next Gen Stats. They were 23rd in success rate in the second half of the season, but they were still 31st in EPA per carry on the ground per Next Gen. Other than Mazi Smith, here are the other guys vying for playing time in that defensive line rotation. Former Brown Perrion Winfrey, seventh-round pick Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote. — Robert Mays, “The Athletic Football Show“

You can listen to full episodes of “The Athletic Football Show” for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

4. New York Giants

Projected record: 5-12

Who’s new: QB Russell Wilson, QB Jaxson Dart, OLB Abdul Carter, QB Jameis Winston, CB Paulson Adebo, S Jevon Holland, RB Cam Skattebo, OLB Chauncey Golston, DT Roy Robertson-Harris

Who’s gone: QB Daniel Jones, QB Drew Lock, OLB Azeez Ojulari, CB Adoree Jackson, S Jason Pinnock

Season preview

While hope is flowing through Giants camp right now, thanks to impressive starts from No. 3 pick Carter and No. 25 pick Dart, the pressure is on for this Giants regime. Despite going 9-25 the past two seasons, co-owner John Mara opted to retain GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll for a fourth season, but Mara made it clear he wasn’t happy about the state of the franchise and that he expected a quick turnaround. He didn’t say “or else,” but he may as well have.

Fortunately for Schoen and Daboll, there’s reason to think things could be better in 2024. With Carter in the fold alongside Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants’ pass rush could be a wrecking crew. It’s already been wreaking havoc throughout training camp and the preseason, and Lawrence hasn’t even played much. However, while the defense could provide a solid floor, the ceiling for the Giants will be determined by the offense, which has been atrocious the past two years. The hope is that a former Super Bowl champion, Russell Wilson, can guide the offense to respectability and pick up some wins, while buying time for Dart to develop. Will it all come together? We’ll find out, but no matter what, it’s going to be fascinating to watch unfold. — Charlotte Carroll

From “The Athletic Football Show” podcast: What does success look like for the Giants?

Success for them is being a seven-win version of last year’s Broncos. It’s like, ‘OK, we can do something with this?’ And then the defense proves it’s a really good pass rush and something to build on. Obviously, that’s a little bit different because Sean Payton had already been there. And in this case, seven wins probably gets Brian Daboll fired. But then you can go out and hire whoever you think your Sean Payton is going to be. — Derrik Klassen, “The Athletic Football Show”

You can listen to full episodes of “The Athletic Football Show” for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

Editor’s note: Projected records are based on individual predictions of the four beat writers in each division, independent of the projected records in the other seven division previews. Therefore, totaling the projected records found in all eight division previews will not necessarily balance out evenly.

(Top photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)