The 2023 NFL games are officially scheduled and on the books, so we can finally make more accurate predictions for each team’s record this upcoming season. Let’s take a look at each team in the NFC East and break down their 2023 schedule.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The reigning NFC East champions have a much harder schedule than in 2022. This was expected, however. According to cbssports.com, the Eagles have the hardest schedule out of any team in the league. Their opponents have a combined winning percentage of 56.6%. Let’s take a closer look as we dive in week-to-week.

Two out of their first three games are on the road against the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These should be easy wins for the reigning super bowl contenders. The Eagles’ second game is against the Vikings, just like it was last year. This will certainly be predicted as a shootout; however, the Vikings are losing members on their defense this offseason, and I can’t see them stopping the high-powered offense in Philadelphia. The Eagles should continue their hot start to the 2023 season by beating the Commanders at home and then beating the deflating Los Angeles Rams on the road.

Once mid-October hits, the Eagles’ schedule gets a little more challenging. In Week 6, they play the all-of-a-sudden good New York Jets, which will be a great test for the Eagles. This Philly offense has played Aaron Rodgers before, so it shouldn’t be much of an adjustment. In Week 7, another up-and-coming team in the Miami Dolphins travels to Philly to take them on for the second primetime game of the 2023 season. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill will put the Philly defensive backs to the test.

Over the last half of the 2023 season, the Eagles will play the Cowboys twice, the Chiefs on the road, the Bills, the 49ers, and the Seahawks. The good news for the Eagles is their last three games will be against the Giants twice and the Cardinals at home.

This is what teams get when they win first place in their division, I guess. Let’s see if Philadelphia can be the first back-to-back NFC East champion since 2005. I have the Birds going 11-6 for the 2023 season.

2. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will be playing a lot of similar opponents as the Eagles, which will make things a lot more interesting if a tie-breaker needs to be used to decide the NFC East champion. Dallas kicks off their season on the road against the Giants. The Cowboys should win their first game as they head on back home to face the Jets. This should be a close game that could go either way.

According to cbssports.com, the Cowboys have the fourth-hardest schedule, tied with the Giants. Their opponents’ combined 2022 win percentage is 54.9%. If Tony Pollard can stay healthy and take on a heavy workload, the Cowboys will continue to have a lethal offense like they’ve had the last several years. Things start to get interesting in the month of November for the Cowboys, as three of the four games will be against divisional opponents. These are must-win games for the Cowboys, or else the chances of them winning the NFC East in 2023 will begin to decrease.

Out of their final six games, five of them will be against really good offenses: the Seahawks, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, and Lions. The Cowboys’ defense will be put to the test here. I have the Cowboys going 11-6, just like the Eagles. If this is the case, it comes down to if either team beat the other in both games. If they’re tied 1-1, we would look at common opponents. Regardless, Dallas should make another appearance in the playoffs.

3. New York Giants

Another playoff team from 2022 gets the same strength of schedule as the Cowboys. However, it’s hard for me to predict when the Giants will win a game. You never really know like you do when predicting the Eagles or the Cowboys’ schedule.

The Giants will most likely have a rough start to their season as they play the Cowboys, 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bills in their first six weeks. Yikes. The only game I can see them winning is in Week 2 against the Cardinals.

Compared to the Cowboys and Eagles, The 2023 NFC East schedule favors the Giants in the middle of the season. They play teams like the Commanders, Patriots, Rams, and Saints. This is where the Giants can catch momentum as they get closer to the postseason. I think the Giants will be “in the hunt” for the playoffs all year, however, they will fall short. I have the Giants finishing the 2023 season at 7-10.

4. Washington Commanders

In 2023, The Commanders will be playing a lot of teams that none of their NFC East rivals will be playing. This is more so just a fun fact, not like it matters because we all know the Commanders won’t even be sniffing the NFC East title this year.

Jahon Dotson will be returning for his 2nd year, Brian Robinson has a full offseason to recover from his pre-season accident last year, and the Commanders technically made improvements at the quarterback position by signing Jacoby Brissett and putting their trust in Sam Howell. Unfortunately, the Commanders just aren’t good enough to be a top-three team in the NFC East. They will be playing against challenging opponents too, as their opponents have a combined 2022 winning percentage of 53.5%. How about that? All NFC East teams will be playing against opponents who won more than half their games in 2022.

The Commanders will start their season going 1-5 as they play the Cardinals, Broncos, Bills, Eagles, and Bears. To top it off, the final three games of the Commanders’ season will be against the Jets, 49ers, and Cowboys. The Commanders’ best choice is to realize they need a top quarterback in 2024, which is why they will tank and go 3-14 for the 2023 season.

A Mixture of Good and Bad

The NFC East will be split into two groups: Playoff competing teams and non-competing teams. The Eagles and Cowboys will be dueling all year between their records. As always, their head-to-head matchups will be super exciting to watch. On the other hand, the Giants will be below-average and the Commanders will downright stink.

About the Author

Jon Kirkner is the host of The Eye Test: A Fantasy Football Podcast and in 2023 became a writer for Belly Up Fantasy Sports. Jon loves to cover both dynasty and redraft leagues and the various conversations that come along with them. You can follow him on Twitter to stay up to date with fantasy football news. And don’t forget to check out his most recent article on what players you need to get in your rookie dynasty draft.