NFC East year in review

So the season is over…

The 2025-2026 NFL Season was not too kind to the NFC East this year. Through heartbreaking injuries, false hope, exciting futures and coach firings, this season has a lot to unpack. This article is a contrast to the NFC East preview that had been written at the beginning of the NFL season.

The New York Giants

Prediction: 3rd place

Standing: 4th place

The Giants were an interesting team this year. They were confusing to the casual NFL fan. At the beginning of the season, they had one of the best defenses in the NFL on paper with the addition of Abdul Carter.

However, the team did not shine on defense, but rather on offense. The rise of young stars Cam Skattebo and Jaxson Dart helped Giants fans feel something for the first time since the Eli Manning era. In the middle of the season, the Giants defeated the Eagles for the first time since 2020.

This was the only thing the Giants had to hang their hats on as a promising player in Cam Skattebo went down with a dislocated ankle, open tibia fracture, and ruptured deltoid ligament. It ripped the heart and soul out of the Giants' locker room and fanbase.

After firing head coach Brian Daboll, they finished the season winning a few games here and there, ultimately losing them the first overall pick. A disaster of a season that has hopes for the future.

The Washington Commanders

Prediction: 2nd place (Playoffs)

Standing: 3rd place

The Commanders came off an amazing 2024-2025 season. However, there were many questions left to be answered going into this past year. The first question being, “Signing veterans to a young squad is always smart. However, is signing too many veterans problematic?”

The answer is yes it is problematic. Washington was last in the league in yards allowed per game. This old defense led by Bobby Wagner and Von Miller just could not keep up. This was not the main problem for the Commanders this year.

They had a deeper roster in the blue tent than they did on the field. Terry McClaurin and Deebo Samuel were two guys who bounced back and forth. NFL star Jayden Daniels, who went out with a dislocated left elbow in week 9 was the biggest reason for the Commanders' collapse this year.

Not only that, but they brought Jayden back way too early, where he eventually re-aggravated it in week 14, shutting him down for the rest of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys

Prediction: 4th place

Standing: 2nd place

The year started with a bang by trading star Micah Parsons to one of their rivals the Green Bay Packers. This had the Cowboys looking poor on paper. Ultimately leading to their prediction for the season.

Through adversity and a stellar wide receiver room, the Cowboys pulled through and were legitimate contenders for the title of NFC East champion this year.

Their offensive scheme was solid, but their defense had holes, which ended up costing them some close games and finally missing the playoffs by a hair. Dak Prescott had a good year and surprised a lot of people. Treyvon Diggs got hurt and was released. Not a total failure of a season, but not a great one either.

The Philadelphia Eagles

Prediction: 1st place (Playoffs)

Standing: 1st place (Playoffs)

Finally, one correct prediction. However, there is a struggle to say that the Eagles earned this spot. It is safe to say that they did not get there through being a great football team but rather relying on the other teams in the division to be horrible.

Without a doubt, by week 14, their division hopes were in the balance after a third loss in a row. A lot of other NFL teams have issues that are uncertain or need a lot of different things to happen to solve the issue.

This was not the case for the Eagles. The fanbase and every NFL analyst knew the issue. Former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo took the all-pro caliber, Super Bowl-winning, juggernaut of an offense to be 25th in the NFL in total yards. That is sickening to Eagles fans across the world.

Simple concepts and horrible gameplans made this season a gruesome watch. The defense was stellar which was one of the only reasons the Eagles won games this year. A drama-filled year from coaches and players alike (AJ Brown) earned the Eagles one of their most dissatisfying years in recent memory.

It will be an exciting year in 2026 for the NFC East with all teams on the rise. Good luck to all fans who currently have teams in the Playoffs!

Jacob Gold is a Second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email JRG6474@psu.edu.