What a difference a year makes for the NFC East
Monday’s loss by the Philadelphia Eagles reminded Commanders fans of how things can change so quickly in one year in the NFL.
The Eagles not only lost to the Bucs on Monday in Tampa, they were embarrassed by the Bucs.
Just six weeks ago, it was unimaginable that there would be Eagles fans with bags covering their faces at a Philadelphia playoff game this season. In a three-week stretch in November, the Eagles defeated Dallas, Kansas City, and Buffalo. The Eagles were 10-1.
The Eagles then lost five of their final six games and were nowhere near the same team Monday in Tampa they had been during that three-game November stretch.
On the other hand, Dallas was the number two seed in the NFC, playing at home against the number seven seed Packers. No No.2 seed had lost to a No.7 seed since the NFL added a seventh team to the playoffs for the 2020 season.
The Cowboys were a -7.5-point favorite Sunday, and they should have been, having gone undefeated in 2023 in Jerry World. Yet, there they were, falling behind 27-0 to a Packers team that struggled all year to maintain a winning record, finishing 9-8.
Just one season ago, the NFC East finished with the best record in the NFL, had three teams qualify for the playoffs, and impressively, all three of those teams (Eagles, Cowboys, Giants) won a playoff game. In addition, the Eagles won the NFC before losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
The Commanders? Well, they finished 8-8-1 in 2022. The roster was not nearly as good as we thought heading into this season. Washington’s offense was up and down, mostly down the last half of the season.
A close loss at Seattle (29-26) frankly seemed to break the heart of the team. They never recovered.
The Commanders need several new starters on both offense and defense. They will need to draft exceptionally well. They will need multiple free agents to contribute in 2024.
Here is to hoping 2024 will bring a much better season for the Commanders than 2023.
