The NFC East is the most challenging division in the NFL, and this season, the pressure will mount dramatically.
The season began with three legitimate potential 2025 playoff teams and numerous storylines. The bulk of the season has been completed, but the storylines will now intensify as HBO’s Hard Knocks takes an inside, in-season look at this historic division. Fans will now have an up-close look at the Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants’ quest for a division title.
Warner Bros Discovery released this back in the summer:
HARD KNOCKS: IN SEASON WITH THE NFC EAST will debut in December with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and reigning Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles, during the final stretch of the NFL season. From wins and losses to injuries and adversity, the series will capture an inside look at life in one of football’s most historic divisions. The series will be narrated by Liev Schreiber.
The award-winning series featured the AFC North last season. It debuted during the final six weeks of the NFL season, which included a playoff run for the division winner and any AFC North Wild Card teams.
The series will debut on a Tuesday in December on HBO and stream on Max. Subsequent Tuesdays will air through the end of the NFL regular season and continue into the NFL playoffs in January 2026.
With the first trailer set to be released, we’re looking at seven key storylines to watch as HBO covers a chase towards a Super Bowl repeat.
Several high-profile matchups remain.
HBO cameras have been in the facilities of all four teams for weeks now, and coming out of the bye, Nick Sirianni’s team was staring at high-profile matchups against the Commanders (Twice), Bears, Chargers, and Bills. Philadelphia had the fourth-hardest schedule entering the season, and overall, the Eagles will be the first team in NFL history to face 10 or more teams from the previous season that made the playoffs.
Brian Daboll did not survive?
The Giants have had some tremendous ups and downs, and while the roster is stacked with talent, it’s now official that Brian Daboll won’t be around to see Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers all develop together. The Giants fired their head coach following a 24-20 loss ot the Chicago Bears. Daboll becomes the second NFL coach fired this season, following the Titans’ move on from head coach Brian Callahan. Daboll, who is in his fourth year with the Giants, has a 2-8 record this season, and the team just set a staggering franchise record with an 11th straight road loss. That comes a year after the Giants set a franchise record with a 10-game losing streak in 2024.
Former NFL quarterback and Eagles draft pick Mike Kafka has been named the Giants’ interim head coach.
Christmas shopping comes early.
Black Friday is traditionally a morning rush of pre-Christmas shopping, the day after Thanksgiving dinner. The NFL has jumped into the fray, hosting Black Friday games over the past two years, and the Eagles are primed for an afternoon matchup against the Chicago Bears. It’s the first Black Friday game in franchise history and the second consecutive year with a Friday game.
Commanders are not ready for primetime.
Washington entered the season confident and appeared to be a Super Bowl hopeful after reaching the NFC Championship game. Terry McLaurin’s off-season and training camp holdout set the tone for the negative energy, and injuries to Jayden Daniels, coupled with inconsistent play, have left this franchise scrambling to make the playoffs.
Eagles fans will pay the price.
The Eagles are the first defending Super Bowl champion with no back-to-back home games in the history of the regular season. From Week 10 to Week 18, Philadelphia will go away (Packers), home (Lions), away (Cowboys), home (Chicago), away (Chargers), home (Raiders), away (Commanders), away (Bills), home (Commanders).
Road Warriors
If the Eagles want to repeat, they must be road warriors. Philadelphia will be the first team in NFL history to play seven road games against playoff teams from the previous season (Chiefs, Buccaneers (win), Vikings (Win), Packers, Chargers, Commanders, Bills). They’ll also be the first team since the Saints (2- 5) to play all their non-NFC East road games against playoff teams from the previous season (Chiefs, Buccaneers (Win), Vikings (Win), Packers, Chargers, Bills).
NFC Standings
1 Eagles 8-2
2 Cowboys 4-5-1
3 Commanders 3-8
4 Giants 2-9
Cowboys are back in the race
Dallas has added Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson to a defense that’s starting to get healthy. If the defense can match the offense over the next few weeks, Jerry Jones could look like a genius.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 7 storylines to watch as Hard Knocks goes In-Season with the NFC East
