ESPN predicts Giants miss playoffs, Cowboys win NFC East in 2021
The New York Giants fell just short of winning the NFC East in 2020, finishing with a 6-10 record that included a 5-3 stretch to close out the season.
Despite their late surge and obvious reasons for optimism, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell does not see the Giants factoring in again come 2021. In fact, he has them missing the playoffs and the Dallas Cowboys winning the NFC East after fighting off the Washington Football Team.
Somebody has to win the NFC East, and if the Cowboys hadn’t lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a gruesome ankle injury early in the season, it probably would have been them. Dallas also went without the three stars on its offensive line for most of the season and hired the wrong defensive coordinator in Mike Nolan, with previously talented Cowboys linebackers and linemen suddenly struggling to create reliable run fits or make tackles.
The Cowboys should be healthier in 2021, and we saw their offense’s upside while Prescott was in the lineup. They have the highest upside of any team in the division, and if they can fix the secondary this offseason, their ceiling might be as Super Bowl contenders. Of course, as we saw in 2020, few teams seem better at getting in their own way or creating their own problems.
“Upside” is an interesting term when followed up with, “if they can fix…”
The Giants also have upside if they can find health and fix their issues along the offensive line and wide receiver. And what sort of impact will Saquon Barkley have upon his return? After all, Jason Garrett’s offense was entirely built around him to begin with.
Even if Dak Prescott returns healthy for the Cowboys, we’re likely to see a three-team race until the very end come 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles, of course, will be the team on the outside looking in.
