Where do the Dallas Cowboys fit in an NFC East that’s stronger than ever?

The NFC East was 20 games over .500 last season, finishing with a combined 43-23-2 record. It was the league’s best record since 2014 when the NFC West — in a 16-game schedule — finished 42-22. As an indicator of that division’s power, Seattle beat San Francisco for the NFC championship before going on to win the Super Bowl.

Last year Philadelphia could have played Dallas for the NFC title had the Cowboys gotten beyond their San Francisco hurdle. Dallas didn’t quite make it. The Eagles went on to lead the Super Bowl in the fourth quarter before bowing to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.

The 2023 season begins Thursday night in Kansas City, and the NFC East looks to be an even bigger beast than it was a year ago. Quite possibly it will produce two 12-game winners once more, but that‘s not a given even though the Eagles and Cowboys don’t appear to be teams in decline. Last year New York and Washington were just beginning to compete again. Both figure to be even better this season.

How many games can the NFC East win this time around? Last year Washington finished in last place with an 8-8-1 record. Could all four teams finish above .500 despite the outcome of their internal battles? It’s not out of the question. That’s why I think it’s more likely that the Cowboys’ record slips a bit this year after consecutive 12-5 seasons. There is a softness at the end of September when the club plays Arizona and New England — probable last-place teams in their divisions — but otherwise the schedule presents challenges throughout the season starting in New York.

The Giants have figured out one key component to their rebuild. It starts with coaching. With head coach Brian Daboll guiding the offense, Daniel Jones went from turnover machine to The Great Protector. Jones is now a run-pass threat, which is what he needs to be given the team’s lack of quality receivers. I’m not sure how much Tennessee rookie Jalin Hyatt, the Biletnikoff winner last year, can matter in his first season. But the trade with Las Vegas for tight end Darren Waller gives Jones a downfield threat who can sustain drives along with the power running of Saquon Barkley. Jones threw for 300 yards in a playoff win at Minnesota last year.

On defense, former Baltimore coordinator Wink Martindale got results in year one. The Giants’ 41 sacks were their most since 2014 and only Dallas forced and recovered more fumbles. The Cowboys will be tested in Week 1.

Washington is the wild card of the division. The club finished .500 last season despite head coach Ron Rivera’s decision to stick with Carson Wentz too long and the even more disturbing realization that Rivera did not know his team could be eliminated in Week 17 with Wentz playing. That’s grounds for dismissal in almost any NFL city, but instead — and this is where the wild card comes in — the Commanders dismissed the top of the organization.

No longer is this club or its fans burdened by the presence of Daniel Snyder. How much negative energy just disappeared from FedEx Field? It could be considerable. Can Sam Howell play quarterback? Well, he could against a mostly disinterested Dallas team at the end of last season. Will Chase Young return as a dominant figure on defense? He’s currently questionable for the opener, but he’s not dealing with a major injury. He was the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year when Washington last won the division. Young missed 22 games the last two seasons including all but three a year ago. Games with the Commanders are not walkovers any longer.

Philadelphia lost both coordinators as a result of its Super Bowl run along with three of its front seven on defense. But the Eagles drafted Jalen Carter from Georgia with the ninth pick, and the team had 70 sacks last season. Seventy! How much drop-off do you anticipate … all the way down to 60? Jalen Hurts is the kind of quarterback any team wants as a leader, especially after coming close and falling short.

The Cowboys anticipate having the best defense in the NFL this season. They have been close enough the last two seasons, leading the league in takeaways each time. The addition of Stephon Gilmore opposite Trevon Diggs should give them the best set of cornerbacks in football. Are they better against the run? How soon does rookie Mazi Smith begin to pick things up after seeming awfully lost, even against backup offensive lines, during the preseason?

Cowboys fans see the dismissal of Kellen Moore as an automatic upgrade. The rest of the league looks at his unit’s league-leading numbers and sees something else entirely. The Chargers scooped him up to enhance the offense around Justin Herbert in about five minutes. This Dallas offense has a chance to be as explosive as any in a long time with Tony Pollard now featured and Brandin Cooks adding an established touchdown threat at wide receiver. Will Dak develop the rapport with the young tight ends, especially Jake Ferguson, like he had with Dalton Schultz? More importantly, was last year’s interception parade a one-off? Dak has insisted it will not be repeated.

The NFC East was a beast last year. It’s even better now. Maybe it’s the kind of proving ground the Cowboys need to escape in order to push deeper into the postseason and become a force for the first time this century. Or maybe it’s just a little too much. I lean toward the latter, but we finally get some answers next week from a team that showed the world absolutely nothing in August.

Twitter: @TimCowlishaw

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