Following a disappointing 2019 season, the Dallas Cowboys made some wholesale changes on the coaching staff starting with Mike McCarthy replacing Jason Garrett as head coach. They also hired several new assistants most notably defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, defensive line coach Mike Tomsula, and new special teams coach John Fassell. The Dallas Cowboys are hoping that these changes will elevate them to a deep playoff run and their first appearance in a conference championship game in nearly 25 years. The Dallas Cowboys along with the defending NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles have equal odds to win the division in 2020 but this year could be a surprise for a lot of people amid the unpredictability surrounding a global pandemic. Which team is the better bet to win the NFC East in 2020? This answer to this question will have many sports fans wanting to put their money where their mouth is and many NFL picks are likely to be determined by this outcome. Especially now that sports betting is legal in several states and provinces and a new era in sports gambling is being ushered in. There is no shortage of betting websites that sports fans can access online, make sure to check legal terms according to the state/province you are at and review the betting operators. The following is a breakdown of each team in the division and their predicted win/loss totals in order to answer this question; Will the Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East?
DALLAS COWBOYS: OVER/UNDER 9.5 WINS
As a Cowboys fan, I am optimistic about the teams chances in 2020. The Dallas Cowboys have finally moved on from Jason Garrett after a decade of mediocrity. His successor Mike McCarthy struggled his last two years in Green Bay but before that had a very successful run that included 8 straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl championship. The Dallas Cowboys have lost some key personnel including Travis Frederick, Byron Jones, Randall Cobb, and Robert Quinn but added key free agents Gerald McCoy, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Dontari Poe. They also drafted top WR prospect CeeDee Lamb as part of an historically good draft haul in 2020. The Dallas Cowboys failed to secure a long term contract for Dak Prescott in the offseason but he will return under the franchise tag and the Cowboys added free agent Andy Dalton as the primary backup. The Dallas Cowboys have made the playoffs every other year since 2014 and I expect that trend to continue in 2020. Last season, the leagues top offense was held back by an inconsistent defense and the worst special teams in the league. Those areas have been addressed with the recent coaching changes and should result in an increased win total. Furthermore, the Dallas Cowboys were a bit of anomaly last season finishing with an 8-8 record despite a 113 point differential and posting a 1-6 record in one score games. The Dallas Cowboys brought back Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and the addition of Mike McCarthy should ensure the offense doesn’t miss a beat. The defense may struggle to limit big plays but will be focused on rushing the passer and creating turnovers which could result in an overall improvement. There are some concerns with regards to the new coaching staff not having adequate time to prepare due to the pandemic. There is also some concern over the Dak Prescott contract situation (or lack thereof) creating animosity but I am confident in his professionalism. I am also hopeful that the new coaching staff will bring about a new energy and an immediate positive impact. For my money, the Dallas Cowboys are the best bet to win the NFC East in 2020. PREDICTION: 11 Wins
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: OVER/UNDER 9.5 WINS
No team has repeated as NFC East champs since 2003, ironically the last team to accomplish that feat was the Philadelphia Eagles. I expect that the trend of rotating division champions will continue in 2020 and therefore no repeat for the defending NFC East champions. I expected the Philadelphia Eagles to win the division in 2019 but the manner in which they did was far less impressive than anticipated. They backed into a division title thanks in large part to an epic collapse by the Cowboys and a generous schedule down the stretch. Carson Wentz played well enough down the stretch throwing primarily screen passes with his entire wide receiver core sidelined. That is no slight to Wentz, he did what he had to do to beat the teams on the schedule with the weapons he had. Unfortunately, he did nothing to erase his durability concerns after he was knocked out of his only playoff game appearance after an ill advised scramble where he failed to slide and give himself up sans contact. Wentz is a good quarterback but his injury history did not happen by chance. Wentz has a bad habit of holding on to the football and leaving himself vulnerable to taking unnecessary punishment. The Eagles appeared to have given Wentz a vote of confidence last offseason after moving on from Nick Foles and signing the star QB to a lucrative long term but then they drafted Jalen Hurts in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t make as much noise in free agency as they have the past few years but they did trade to acquire star cornerback Darius Slay to help their inept secondary. The Eagles lost sensational Guard Brandon Brooks to a season ending injury but then re-signed former All-Pro Tackle Jason Peters and announced that they are sliding him inside to fill in for Brooks. The Eagles, unlike the Cowboys have a history of overcoming injuries because of their depth and good coaching. This year, the Dallas Cowboys improved their depth and coaching so what once was considered an advantage for the Eagles may no longer be the case. My prediction for 2020 is that the Philadelphia Eagles finish second in the NFC East mainly because I don’t have confidence that Carson Wentz will stay healthy for the entire season. PREDICTION: 8 Wins
NEW YORK GIANTS: OVER/UNDER 6.5 WINS
The New York Giants will be an interesting team to watch in 2020. New head coach Joe Judge has no prior head coaching experience so he is a bit of a mystery. Judge hired former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator which was a good hire given his decade of head coaching experience and his inside knowledge coming from a division rival. The Giants have beefed up their offensive line to help out young Quarterback Daniel Jones and stud running back Saquon Barkley. The Giants overall roster does not appear to be strong enough to compete to win the division but the NFL is always full of surprises. I do expect the Giants to be competitive at the very least and 7 wins should be attainable for the G-men. PREDICTION: 7 Wins
THE WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM: OVER/UNDER 5.5 WINS
Last year, I predicted that Washington would have a winning record and challenge for the NFC East title. This was based on their talent on both the offensive and defensive line…in the trenches. To say the very least, the saga involving OT Trent Williams sitting out the entire season was unexpected and Dwayne Haskins was unimpressive as a rookie quarterback. Washington’s poor record in 2019 does not reflect the fact that the team did actually play much better towards the end of season. Washington also added some more talent in the draft, hired a respectable coach in Ron Riviera, and even recently announced that QB Alex Smith is returning following a gruesome career and life threatening injury. Despite some reasons to be optimistic for Washington fans, it is hard to have faith in an organisation that is one of the leagues absolute worst in recent history. The franchise is rife with scandal and controversy which makes it difficult for a team to perform no matter what their talent level is. That said, don’t be shocked if a new coach, a new “name”, and some new blood could bring the franchise back to respectability…at least on the football field that is. PREDICTION: 4 Wins
*Photo by Kieth Allison KA Sports Photos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
Katie Richcreek 2020 NFL Win Totals Tracker: Betting Odds for All 32 Teams Following Schedule Release Action Network.com published May 19, 2020, 11:00 AM EDT https://www.actionnetwork.com/nfl/2020-nfl-win-totals-odds-betting-over-unders
All Data and statistics obtained and verified through https://www.pro-football-reference.com/