2019 NFL predictions: How will the NFC shake out?
- Dallas Cowboys 12-4
- Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
- New York Giants 6-10
- Washington Redskins 3-13
The Dallas Cowboys have a well rounded roster to make a strong postseason run this year. The availability of running back Ezekiel Elliott is obviously the major concern here. Rookie running back Tony Pollard has looked strong this preseason. If Zeke does not return, Pollard may be good enough to pick up the slack. Their focus should be on making long term deals on many of their other players such as Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott to make them a playoff contender for years to come.
The Philadelphia Eagles also have a great chance to make the playoffs if Carson Wentz can stay healthy year-round. He’s struggled over the past couple seasons to play all sixteen games and they don’t have a quality backup quarterback like Nick Foles anymore. Nate Sudfeld is the most likely option to become Wentz’s backup quarterback in 2019.
Their running back room is a lot better than when they won the Super Bowl two years ago. They added veteran back Jordan Howard from the Chicago Bears during the offseason as well as rookie Miles Sanders in the 2019 NFL draft.
The New York football Giants have an aging Eli Manning at quarterback who will start Week 1, and by midseason, may look at rookie quarterback Daniel Jones to get some reps if they are out of playoff contention. Jones has shinned during his time in preseason and Giants fan should be optimistic of the future of their quarterback play.
The Giants also have the best running back in the NFL in Saquon Barkley, the rookie first-round draft pick a year ago. For the Giants to lose safety Landon Collins on a defense that’s suspect is a huge loss that will hurt this team moving forward. The loss of Odell Beckham will obviously hurt as well.
The Washington Redskins led their division by the halfway point last year before Alex Smith went down with a season-ending injury. There is a chance he may never play the game again, hence why they drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
They also made a trade with the Denver Broncos to bring in Case Keenum, who will begin the season as the Redskins’ starting quarterback. Their defense is interesting and could keep them in many games. If Keenum or Haskins can have some success, Washington could easily win more games than we expect.