NFL Analysis
10/22/24
7 min read
Report Card Grades for Every NFC East Team's 2024 Season So Far
In one of the more surprising developments of the 2024 season, the NFC East is somehow wide open through seven weeks.
The Washington Commanders, led by rookie QB Jayden Daniels, hold sole possession of the first-place spot in the division. However, the Philadelphia Eagles aren't far behind, while the Dallas Cowboys look to get healthy and turn their season around. Even the New York Giants have looked plucky thanks to breakout star rookie WR Malik Nabers.
It's a division with a lot of history and plenty of talent, but some outcomes have been wildly different from expectations. Let's grade every team in the NFC East based on whether they're meeting those expectations heading into Week 8.
Grading Every NFC East Team
Washington Commanders (5-2): A+
Washington Commanders (5-2): A+This was supposed to be a team in a rebuilding year with a rookie quarterback. Instead, the Washington Commanders are one of the hottest teams in the league.
Daniels has looked every bit like a Rookie of the Year through seven games. He's averaging an impressive 8.4 yards per pass attempt while completing a league-best 75.6 percent of his passes. According to NFELO, he's also second in the league with 0.34 EPA per dropback and fourth with a 51.7 percent success rate.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has unlocked Daniels as a quarterback, setting him up for success within structure.
When I was saying I wanted to see more MoF throws from Jayden Daniels, this is exactly what I had in mind. Patient enough to let the TE move into the 2nd window before coming off of it; quick enough on the trigger and with the ball to beat the LB. pic.twitter.com/HZsRLn5eRS
— Derrik Klassen (@QBKlass) October 16, 2024
Defensively, the Commanders are still a work in progress, but things are trending in the right direction. Washington ranks 23rd in defensive DVOA but climbed from 28th the previous week thanks to a dominant showing against the Carolina Panthers.
For a team with a new head coach, new general manager, and rookie quarterback, this should have been a rebuilding year. Instead, the coaching staff and the front office can ride this season as they figure out how to surround Daniels with more talent in the coming years.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2): B
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2): BPhiladelphia Eagles fans have been pretty quick to jump on the team and head coach Nick Sirianni when things aren't going well. However, with a 4-2 record, things could be a whole lot worse.
The return of No. 1 receiver A.J Brown has had a huge impact on the offense following their bye week. After missing multiple games with a hamstring injury, Brown has caught 11 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in his two games since coming back.
Brown's return has given QB Jalen Hurts a reliable connection on the deep ball, opening up the rest of the offense.
TOO EASY FOR A.J. BROWN!!! 💪
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 20, 2024
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/5MF3nW3Dfc
Even with Brown and DeVonta Smith on the field, the Eagles still have questions to answer on the other side of the ball. They rank just 18th in defensive DVOA, including 23rd against the run.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson has had a particularly brutal year. According to Pro Football Focus, he's allowed a 135.8 passer rating with three touchdowns when targeted this season.
The good news is that the rookie defensive backs, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, are starting to find their footing. Their ascension could help the Eagles' defense turn things around in a hurry.
However, as of right now, the Eagles are in need of a convincing win against a playoff-caliber team that doesn't involve weird circumstances like their Brazil season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Only then will some of the pressure get taken off of Sirianni, who may very well be on the hot seat.
Dallas Cowboys (3-3): D+
Dallas Cowboys (3-3): D+Things couldn't be going much worse for the Dallas Cowboys after such lofty expectations heading into the year.
The Cowboys celebrated the tail end of the preseason by signing CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott to massive extensions. While those two have looked solid, the rest of the offense has some major flaws that keep them from being a serious playoff contender.
Ezekiel Elliott headlines a backfield devoid of any exciting running backs. There's such little juice in that position that the Cowboys rank 31st with 2.44 yards after contact per rushing attempt.
The offensive line isn't much better. Not only are they near the bottom in rushing yards generated before contact, but they're also average in terms of pressure rate allowed in pass protection.
First-round tackle Tyler Guyton has already been benched, and the team is still trying to find its best five offensive linemen.
Meanwhile, the defense has been completely dominated in multiple games. They have the 29th defense by DVOA, and their front seven has been completely gashed by opposing run games at times throughout the year.
There have been some scathing breakdowns of their defensive structure against the run, including this one.
Dear Cowboys fans,
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 17, 2024
I spent the evening rewatching your defense with a scrutinous eye. Here were the 4 issues. I’ll display them with video in a thread
• Bad Gap integrity
• Bad Discipline
• Bad Play
• Bad Play Calls#AchoAnalysis
1st up— Bad Gap integrity: pic.twitter.com/tjG9QIiE9O
The Cowboys' defense should receive reinforcements once DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons return, but there are so many flaws on both sides of the ball that it might not be enough to turn them into a legitimate playoff contender.
New York Giants: B-
New York Giants: B-Things weren't expected to go well for the New York Giants this year, and admittedly, a 2-5 record isn't ideal. But at least the Giants are kind of fun.
Prior to his concussion, Malik Nabers had quickly become one of the NFL's biggest breakout stars. In just his first five games, the first-round rookie had caught 39 passes for 427 yards and three touchdowns, establishing himself immediately as New York's No. 1 weapon.
Not an ideal cornerback rep pic.twitter.com/nAM7QYVkJE
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) September 27, 2024
Unfortunately, the Giants offense has looked completely lost in the last two games, scoring a combined 10 points. Daniel Jones continues to look like a subpar quarterback, ranking 24th in success rate and 28th in EPA per dropback, per NFELO.
On the positive side, the defense at least has some up-and-coming playmakers to build around. Dexter Lawrence has established himself as one of the most dominant defensive linemen, racking up 29 pressures with a league-leading nine sacks this season. Young defensive backs like Deonte Banks, Dru Phillips, and Tyler Nubin also look like a strong core with which to build out the secondary.
The Giants deserve some criticism for letting Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney walk in free agency. However, there are enough young pieces on defense and an emerging star wideout on offense to suggest that this team is closer to returning to playoff contention than originally expected.
