Flashbacks to the 1990s are in vogue everywhere. Whether through streaming reboots, fashion, or a general nostalgia for yesteryear, it seems like the 1990s cultural footprint is pushing into 2022.

This goes for football too. The NFC East, traditionally one of the most competitive divisions of the National Football League, has struggled over the last few years. 2019 & 2020 both had division winners who were barely above .500, and in the case of 2020, under .500.

This year, the division is off to a red-hot start, with only the Commanders under .500. Let’s take a look at who’s making the NFC East the class of the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles: Class of the League

At the top of the NFC East division sits the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles sit at 5-0 and are the last remaining undefeated team in the league. They are led by an emerging offensive unit quarterbacked by Jalen Hurts, with his primary passing weapons of receivers A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

The Eagles are at the top of the league in scoring offense, with 16 offensive touchdowns so far this season (13 on the ground, 3 in the air). They’re also one of the toughest pass defenses in the league, with teams averaging a little under 200 yards passing per game against them so far this season.

While there’s a lot to be excited about in Philadelphia, the team still has some concerns. They’ve got the reputation of being fast starters who can jump out to big leads, but when they take their foot off the gas, they start to get into trouble. As the season goes on, we’ll have to see if they can finish teams off instead of letting them back into games.

Dallas Cowboys: Thriving with Cooper Rush

Week 1 seems eons away now. Cooper Rush was a guy who came in for injured NFC East franchise quarterback Dak Prescott. All the media chatter was about “Can the Cowboys hold on until Dak returns?”

Four weeks later, the headlines in Dallas are a little different. Since exiting from an injury, Cooper Rush and the Cowboys are 4-0 in Dak’s absence. A simple formula of running the ball, defense, and timely execution from their backup quarterback has led the Cowboys to a place of NFC East relevance. The Cowboys face off against the division-leading Eagles on Sunday Night Football, which will no doubt be the marquee match-up of the upcoming week of NFL football.

New York Giants: The Surprise Team No One Saw Coming

Another shocking start to the season is the 4-1 New York Giants. Infused with a newfound confidence from Brian Daboll, Giants head coach and former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, the Giants are punching well above their weight this year.

The secret for the Giants this year has been confidence – confidence in the play-calling coming from the new head coach. The tone for the season was set in the first game of the year versus the Titans, where Daboll called for a 2-point conversion to Saquon Barkley for the win. Barkley converted, and the Titans missed the winning field goal.

The NFC East Giants are probably a year away from NFC East playoff contention, but Daboll is maximizing what they have on the roster now and will hope to remain competitive throughout the rest of the season. Things look bright in Big Blue Nation!