The Dallas Cowboys put themselves in a challenging position from the moment last regular season ended.
Why? Because no team in the NFC East has repeated as division champion since 2004.
There’s still a lot of time left in the regular season. The Cowboys are kept relative pace last week with a close win over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. And yet, through the first quarter of the season, it looks like a new NFC East favorite has emerged — and it’s not the one that was expected.
The Washington Commanders, coached by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, should be considered the NFC East favorite through four weeks. The Commanders are 3-1 after a 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. They’ve won three in a row. Their only loss came in the season opener against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that just handled the Philadelphia Eagles, the other popular preseason pick to claim the NFC East crown.
The current status of the Commanders is only one factor in why they should be considered the favorite in the division.
The future schedule makes for a good argument, too.
The Commanders have one of the easiest strengths of schedule left in the NFL. They have the fifth easiest schedule left, according to Tankathon. Their 13 remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .431. It’s one of the benefits of coming in last the year prior, which helps explain why worst-to-first turnarounds aren’t uncommon in the NFL.
Interestingly enough, the Eagles have the second-easiest schedule left in the NFL. Their remaining opponents have a .404 winning percentage.
But, to quote the headline in this morning’s newsletter from our friends over at ALL PHLY: the Eagles? “They might stink.”
For context: the Cowboys have the ninth-toughest schedule left in the NFL — right behind the New York Giants at 8.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the Commanders’ early rise to division favorite, however, can be credited to their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels. The No. 2 overall pick is not only looking good, but also looking like one of the best and most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL.
So far, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner has completed 82.1% of his passes in Kliff Kingsbury’s system for 897 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His completion percentage is the highest in NFL history for a player through his first four games with at least 75 passing attempts.
Daniels also has four rushing touchdowns, showcasing the same athleticism that helped him rise up draft boards this time last season.
There’s still a lot of season left. The way teams look currently isn’t a promise of how they’ll look in 13 weeks. But currently, the Commanders look like more than just a potential contender in this division race. They look like the favorite.
