The Dallas Cowboys are the betting favorite to win the NFC East in 2021. And there's a straightforward reason why — the quarterback.
Dak Prescott is the best quarterback in the division, and it's not particularly close. Daniel Jones, Jalen Hurts, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have huge question marks following them into training camp this summer.
Daniel Jones has yet to show the promise that made him a first-round pick just a couple of seasons ago. In 2020, he threw just 11 touchdowns and had 10 interceptions to his name. Sure, he was without Saquon Barkley, and the Giants were still rebuilding their offensive line. After a promising rookie season, 2020 was a fall back to earth for Jones and the Giants.
It's possible he could recapture the 24:12 touchdown to interception ratio he achieved his rookie season, but he's got to get better at protecting the football. In 27 career games, he's thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled the ball 29 times per Pro Football Reference. That's an incredible amount of turnovers, even for a young quarterback.
Jalen Hurts assumed the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback position last season after Carson Wentz, and the Eagles struggled through the first half. He made some plays and showed a bit of promise, but he still has some growing to do as a passer. His intangibles and work ethic remind me of Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott. With an offseason full of reps as the first-team quarterback for the Eagles and improved weapons at wide receiver, Hurts could continue to improve.
And then there's Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will be 39 years old and is playing for his ninth team in his career. He's been more efficient over the last three years, completing 65% of his passes, and has a quarterback rating of 91.
Last season for the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick completed 68.5% of his passes for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
This is arguably the best team that Fitzpatrick has ever played for, and he'll get a nice complement of playmakers in Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, and Logan Thomas. The defense will be one of the best in the NFL. If Fitzpatrick can manage to be the efficient player he's been the last few years, the Washington Football Team will be a problem in the NFC East.
At the same time, it's hard to imagine a player at 39 finding lightning in a bottle and helping the Washington Football Team go on a run. We've seen players discover themselves late in their careers like Rich Gannon or Kurt Warner. However, we've seen far more player's careers tail off as they get into their late 30s. Unless he's on the Tom Brady health plan, then expecting a 39-year-old career backup to all of a sudden be a legit starting quarterback seems like fools gold.
However, Ron Rivera is one of the best coaches in the NFL, and that defense is going to be special. Fitzpatrick won't have to be otherworldly for Washington to find success.
Much of how the NFC East plays out will come down to who finds more success this season; the Dallas Cowboys defense or Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Both the Cowboys defense and Fitzpatrick are arguably the weak links on teams with high expectations. Their respective teams won't be able to overcome poor play from either team to win the NFC East or be considered serious contenders in the NFC.
