Gil Brandt is one of the NFL’s legendary figures. The longtime front-office executive of the Dallas Cowboys created many of the scouting techniques used by NFL teams today.
Brandt, who worked the Cowboys from 1960-88, helped construct the roster of some of the greatest Dallas teams of all time, which included two Super Bowl titles.
Brandt’s outstanding body of work earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Now, at 89-years-old, Brandt is still working for NFL.com, churning out columns with his one-of-a-kind insight. Recently, he took a look at every NFL division for 2021, assessing the 2020 division winner’s chances of repeating in 2021.
Does Brandt see the Washington Football Team repeating as NFC East champions?
The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner since the Eagles won four straight titles from 2001 through ’04. Washington’s dominant defense gives the team a chance to break that streak — but the squad is hardly a shoo-in. The Cowboys automatically become legit contenders again with the return to health of QB Dak Prescott, who missed most of 2020 with an ankle injury. Daniel Jones has been given a plethora of weapons by the Giants as he attempts to take another step in his development as a quarterback in Year 3. Even with Philadelphia rebuilding, this division is tight enough that I won’t be surprised if the winner fails to finish with double-digit victories for the third straight season.
Predicting the NFC East in any year is almost like flipping a coin. It’s probably the same again in 2021. However, don’t discount Washington just because it won the division with a record of 7-9 in 2020. The Football Team finished No. 2 in total defense — and should improve on that side of the ball with the additions of linebacker Jamin Davis, cornerback William Jackson III and safety Bobby McCain.
Another reason to be optimistic about Washington in 2021 is the improvements it made on offense. The additions of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown almost certainly mean the WFT will be more explosive in 2021.
The NFC East will be close in 2021. The Giants will be better. The Cowboys are going to be better just by having Prescott back. And Washington made lots of moves this offseason.
It should be another wild and entertaining 2021.