Inside: Previewing the NFC East, where the Eagles could claim the division for the third consecutive year as the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants play catch-up.This article is from The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. It’s free to subscribe. NFC East Preview2025 was a disappointment for a group with high expectations, led by the reigning-champion Eagles and upstart Commanders, fresh off an NFC Championship Game appearance.But Philadelphia never figured out their offense. The Cowboys had a similar problem with defense. Washington was among the league’s worst teams, even in the rare game when Jayden Daniels started (2-5). The Giants had a losing record for the eighth time in nine seasons.Is 2026 a bounce-back year?Philadelphia Eagles(11-6, lost in wild-card round)Headline change: A.J. Brown traded. Brown’s ability to win deep one-on-one matchups was a perfect match for Jalen Hurts. His off-field persona clearly was not. DeVonta Smith is talented enough to seamlessly shift to WR1, creating a hole at No. 2. It sounds like Dontayvion Wicks is the WR2 for now, because first-rounder Makai Lemon has missed significant time with a hamstring injurySubtle change: Jeff Stoutland steps away. Philly’s legendary offensive line coach and run game coordinator stepped away from the team after 13 seasons. The Eagles had an offensive lineman make the Pro Bowl in all 13 of Stoutland’s seasons, the longest streak of any team. His replacement, Chris Kuper, is a former NFL guard who coached the Vikings offensive line for four seasons. We’ll see.Lingering question: Is Sean Mannion up to the task? After a down year rushing in 2025, the Eagles’ new offensive coordinator (and former nine-year NFL veteran quarterback) has Hurts under center with Saquon Barkley as the focal point of the offense. Saturday’s preseason action will be Mannion’s first as an NFL play caller.Projection: 11-6. There is too much talent on both sides of the ball for this team to miss the playoffs. What happens in the postseason depends on whether Mannion has this offense looking like it did under Kellen Moore (who won the Super Bowl) or Kevin Patullo (whose house was egged).Dallas Cowboys(7-9-1 in 2025)Headline: Defensive overhaul. We didn’t think the Cowboys defense could be worse after a brutal 2024, but Dallas followed that up by allowing the sixth-most points ever in a season. So defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was replaced by 34-year-old Christian Parker, who studied under Vic Fangio in Philly. Hiring Parker was step one of Dallas’ massive defensive shift. The team spent four top-120 draft picks on defense and added veteran starters in outside linebacker Rashan Gary, safety Jalen Thompson, cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker Dee Winters.Subtle: All 11 offensive starters return. Thanks to George Pickens signing his franchise tag, the Cowboys should again field an elite offense. The strong passing game opens running lanes, with second-year running back Jaydon Blue projected to add an explosive element to the backfield.