After a thrilling season, the NFL is officially over for another year. So, the team at SportsTips thought it would be a good idea to go through every team in the NFC East, and have a look at the year that was!
Dallas Cowboys
The 2022 Dallas Cowboys raced out to a 10-3 record before dropping two of their final four games to finish in second place in the NFC East with a 12-5 record. The Cowboys qualified for the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006–07 and topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round to capture their first playoff road win in 30 years. However, Dallas fell to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
The Cowboys did not renew the contracts of six assistant coaches and fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore despite finishing fourth in the NFL in scoring with 27.5 points per game. Dallas hired Brian Schottenheimer to replace Moore, but head coach Mike McCarthy will be the play-caller for the Cowboys next season. Schottenheimer served as a consultant for America’s Team this past season.
The 2022 Walter Payton @NFL Man of the Year 👏👏👏👏#DallasCowboys | #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/2zFkvjD1sf
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) February 10, 2023
Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 2,860 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 games but also led the league with 15 interceptions. Former fourth-round pick Tony Pollard enjoyed a breakout campaign with 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns before suffering a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula in the playoffs. Ezekiel Elliott led the team with 231 carries and 12 scores while adding 876 rushing yards. Wideout CeeDee Lamb was the top receiver with 107 catches for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns.
Safety Donovan Wilson posted a team-high 99 tackles and also tallied five sacks and one interception. Pro Bowl Linebacker Micah Parsons finished seventh in the league with 13.5 sacks and has compiled 26.5 in just two seasons. Rookie cornerback DaRon Bland led the team with five interceptions, while Malik Hooker and Trevon Diggs both picked off three passes.
New York Giants
The 2022 season started strong for the New York Giants as the team rolled to a 7-2 record under rookie head coach Brian Daboll. But the Giants went 2-5-1 in their final eight games to finish in third place in the division with a 9-7-1 record. New York upset the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Round before losing in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Giants have 21 unrestricted free agents, including quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, receiver Sterling Sharpe, and linebacker Landon Collins. New York is expected to re-sign Jones but might need more cap space to bring back Barkley.
The boys got after it 😤 pic.twitter.com/eUI2MFm9Li
— New York Giants (@Giants) February 17, 2023
Jones threw for 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns and was the second-leading rusher with 708 yards and seven scores. Barkley enjoyed a stellar campaign with 1,307 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes for 338 yards. Speedy Darius Slayton posted a team-high 724 receiving yards and two scores on 46 receptions.
Safety Julian Love led the team with 116 tackles, and added two interceptions and one sack. Former first-round pick Dexter Lawrence posted a team-best 7.5 sacks, while linebacker Azeez Ojulari tallied 5.5 sacks in just seven games. Defensive back Dane Belton tied Love for the team lead with a pair of interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles
The 2022 edition of the Philadelphia Eagles opened the season with eight straight wins and posted a 13-1 card after 14 games. The Eagles finished with a 14-3 record to claim their third NFC East title in six seasons. Philadelphia defeated the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs to advance to Super Bowl LVII but lost a 38-35 nailbiter to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Eagles have 10 free agents who had starting roles this past season, including cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker T.J. Edwards, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Philadelphia also must ink Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts to a lucrative contract extension, which will significantly impact its salary cap space.
Together, together, together.
Through the double-digit sacks, thousands of yards gained, and thousands more miles traveled – you made the difference. The world knows there are no fans like Eagles fans.#ItsAPhillyThing | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/rKn4GRno6U
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 15, 2023
Hurts directed the league’s third-ranked scoring offense with 28.1 points per game and threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was also the Eagles’ second-leading rusher with 760 yards and a team-high 13 rushing scores. Miles Sanders led the team with 1,269 yards on the ground and struck paydirt 11 times. Receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both had monster campaigns. Brown tallied 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns on 88 catches, while Smith caught 95 passes for 1,196 yards and seven scores.
Edwards finished seventh in the NFL with 159 tackles and chipped in a pair of sacks. Philadelphia led the league with 69 sacks and had four players – Hargrave (11), Haason Reddick (16), Josh Sweat (11), and Brandon Graham (11) – with double-digit sack totals. Gardner-Johnson intercepted a league-leading six passes.
Washington Commanders
The 2022 season started on a sour note as the Washington Commanders lost four of their first five games. The Commanders regrouped to win six of their next seven games but finished in the division’s cellar with an 8-8-1 record.
Washington fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner after three seasons and will look to upgrade the quarterback position this offseason after mediocre play from Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke this past season. The Commanders must also decide whether to sign free agent Pro Bowl defensive tackle Daron Payne to a contract extension. Rookie quarterback Sam Howell completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in his lone start of the season.
some of our top plays from the 2022 season
which one is your favorite? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DbKEuS0Xuc
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 16, 2023
Wentz and Heinicke combined to throw 23 touchdown passes but also posted 15 interceptions. The 12th-ranked rushing attack was one of the few bright offensive spots, with rookie Brian Robinson leading the team with 797 yards. Wideout Terry McLaurin enjoyed another productive season with 1,191 receiving yards and five scores on 77 receptions.
Former first-round pick Jamin Davis paced the team with 104 tackles and added three sacks. Payne led the Commanders with a career-high 11.5 sacks, and Jonathan Allen chipped in 7.5 quarterback takedowns. Second-year safety Darrick Forrest picked off a team-high four passes, and cornerback Kendall Fuller tallied three interceptions.
Even though the season has finished, we’ve got you covered with all the latest information on the NFL! We keep you as up to date as possible, so you don’t miss any of the action this off-season.
