There is no division in football quite like the NFC East. No other group of teams has won as many Super Bowls as the collective of the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles.
No division has been more volatile over the last 20 years, either. The division has not seen a repeat champion since the Eagles won it in four straight years from 2001-04.
Since that time, supremacy in the NFC East has shifted every year.
But why? What is the cause for the constant changes at the top of the division?
The answer lies in what each team is all about.
NFC East games have always been known as quirky contests where the impossible seems to happen. It also doesn't help that there seems to be a cycle between each of the four squads.
Recent history has shown that a big reason the NFC East has seemingly changed hands every year is the current path each team is dealt. For example, the Giants have great success against the Commanders. The Commanders make things hard for the Cowboys, who in turn are a matchup nightmare for the Eagles. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has owned the Giants over this current stretch.
Around and around it goes.
It's currently why the NFC East title has changed every year. If Dallas sweeps the Eagles but loses outright to the rest of the division, it's hard for them to make the playoffs.
Conversely, if the Eagles beat up the Cowboys but struggle against Washington, the door opens for the Commanders to take control.
This current cycle hasn't changed for the most part in 20 years. If a team wants to end that streak, they'll need to do away with that piece altogether.