NFC East preseason power rankings: Eagles and Cowboys headline a two-team race

Well, that actually looked like the real thing, in most cases. Maybe we're jumping the gun by saying this, but we don't think we've ever watched that much of the preseason... like ever... Don't act like it's just us. You know just as much as anyone else that it's a chore watching the Philadelphia Eagles sometimes.

So, if we find it difficult to muster up the strength to watch the team we love sometimes. Watching a rival's exhibition sounds like punishment. Then again, we have been curious about Philly's division rivals. We have been all spring and summer, so what the heck, right? We can stomach a little warmup with the New York Giants on Thursday. What's the worst that could happen besides a nap?

We watched Philly outlast the Baltimore Ravens on Friday. The Washington Commanders played their game on Saturday. We capped our weekend by watching the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. What in the heck are we supposed to take from all of this?

We're glad you asked. How about some way-too-early power rankings just to get the blood flowing?

Also read: Biggest overreactions to Week 1 of the preseason

It's early, but it already feels like the NFC East is a two-team race.

You've probably heard this a time or two, but the NFC East has not seen a repeat champion since the Eagles won four straight divisional crowns from 2001 to 2004. If you're a Birds fan, that's encouraging because Dallas landed on top of the mountain last season, but we all know that last season's ending has nothing to do with what will transpire in 2024.

It's hard to determine at times what we should gather from watching the preseason slate of games, but we have taken a few notes. We may have seen some early indications of what's coming and possibly how the four members of the NFC East may finish in the standings.

4. Washington Commanders

We know there's a lot of hype surrounding Jayden Daniels. We won't argue with anyone who's excited. He's a baller. In Week 1 of the preseason, he threw a nice-looking 42-yarder downfield and capped a scoring drive by getting the ball into the end zone by using his legs.

It seems like everything has changed in Washington: coaching, leadership, much of the roster. That's a lot to deal with. The Commanders might become a threat at some point, but we wonder if they can grow into a consistent threat by September.

3. New York Giants

Gosh, it's tough to watch this team play sometimes, We don't care. The Giants could lose evey game and we won't blink once. All we're saying is there are no signs pointing up for this football team. Daniel Jones can't stay healthy. Seeing Drew Lock get pummeled in the preseason opener give us cause to believe another 17-game beating for Jones is coming. You also may have heard.

The two best players from last season's Giants rosters are gone. One of which, Saquon Barkley, plays for the Eagles now. Truth be told, however, New York's pass rush might be a scary one.

2. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys' defense could take a step backward now that their former defensive coordinator is the new head coach of the Commanders. If they don't however this team will again be a problem for the Eagles. We'll see what happens. Mike Zimmer is no slouch.

We hate to say this, but this could be an MVP-level season for Dak Prescott. Jerry Jones has widened the chasm between the front office and CeeDee Lamb. We'll have to wait and see what happens on that front.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

No, this isn't bias. No NFC East team enjoyed an overly-impressive preseason debut. The Eagles will be given the nod for being the division's top team for now. We'll see how things go versus the Patriots.

Let's just hope this team stays healthy. Injuries at any position could potentially cause a massive shift, but this team is extremely deep at corner. If this team can pull everything together however, they'll be barbecuing with quite a bit of lighter fluid. cooking with a ton of