The New York Giants narrowly missed out on the division title last season. Instead, it was Washington that ended up with a trip to the playoffs, even if it came in controversial fashion due to their season finale against the Eagles.
Both teams will look different this year with the Giants notably taking a step forward, but will it come down to New York versus Washington once again for the NFC East title?
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan seemingly believes that’s the case. In an article analyzing the outlook of the NFC East for the 2021 season, Raanan was skeptical about crowning Dallas the division champion early on and instead gave the title of team to beat to Washington.
Consider me skeptical of the Cowboys. How about they do something before earning even the slightest bit of public trust? The favorite should be Washington, and it shouldn’t be close. It won the division in 2020 with the league’s second-ranked defense and upgraded this offseason at quarterback. Even though I’m not much of a FitzMagic fan, Washington is the team to beat. — Jordan Raanan
The Cowboys are the +105 betting favorite for the division going into the season. The Giants, on the other hand, were only given the third best odds while Washington was above them and Philadelphia came last.
Washington will have some more tools the next time they meet the Giants. That includes Curtis Samuel, a receiver who might be on the verge of a 1,000 yard season, as well as Jamin Davis, a linebacker who the Giants may have drafted in the first round if Washington hadn’t done so first.
They also come into the season with 38 year old Ryan Fitzpatrick as their apparent starter at QB, which presents an interesting matchup for the Giants – despite his age, Fitzpatrick represents a better option for Washington’s offense than the revolving door at the position that was there last season.
Regardless of who the favorite is, it appears the Giants are being slept on by the oddsmakers who only placed them as the third best team in the division. They may very well surprise Vegas this season, after taking big steps forward in the offseason.