NFC East Schedule 2012: Analyzing Giants, Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins Schedules

If you're looking for a division that could be won by anybody in 2012, I recommend taking a good look at the NFC East. Each of the four teams in the division will have a shot at winning it.

With the schedule for the 2012 regular season announced on Tuesday, we now know what kind of path each team in the NFC East is going to have to walk this season.

Per ESPN.com, the Super Bowl champion New York Giants have the toughest schedule in the NFL, while the Washington Redskins have one of the weaker schedules in the league. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are somewhere in the middle.

Let's take a few moments to break down each team's schedule.

Dallas Cowboys

Complete Schedule

The Cowboys will have a shot to make a huge statement right away, as they open on the road at the Giants in the first game of the regular season on Wednesday (yes, Wednesday), September 5th. 

The Cowboys then get to take 11 days off before heading to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on September 16th. That will be a tough assignment, as Seattle is one of the toughest road venues in the league.

After that, the Cowboys will head home to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears at Cowboys Stadium before getting a bye week in Week 5.

It's not exactly an easy start to the season for the Cowboys. They'll have to play their best football right out of the gate, lest they head into their bye week with a .500 record or worse.

The Cowboys are going to have to make good use of their bye week. Once it's over, four of their next five games will be on the road, including trips to Baltimore, Atlanta and Philadelphia. The one and only home game in that stretch will be against the Giants.

It doesn't get any easier after that.

The Cowboys will get to host three consecutive home games, but their tilts against Washington (Week 12) and Philadelphia (Week 13) are bound to be tough games. In Weeks 15 and 16, the Cowboys have to host the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back games.

There's a sense of optimism surrounding the Cowboys in 2012, but things aren't going to be easy for them. They have to play a tough schedule, and there will be no easy stretches for them.

New York Giants

Complete Schedule

As I mentioned above, the Giants have the league's toughest schedule. Their opponents combined to go 140-116 last season, a winning percentage of .547.

On the bright side, the Giants will start with two winnable home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay, and they, too, will get an 11-day break from Week 1 to Week 2. After that, their defense will be put to the test in back-to-back roadies at Carolina and at Philly.

The Giants will get a break when they host Cleveland in Week 5, but after that comes a very tough five-game stretch leading up to their bye. In order, they'll play at San Francisco, at home against Washington, at Dallas, at home against Pittsburgh and at Cincinnati.

That's a rough string of games. By the time it's over, the Giants are going to be very happy to see their Week 11 bye.

When it's over, the Giants will immediately come back and play two of their next three games at home against Green Bay and New Orleans. Then they head to Atlanta and Baltimore before wrapping up the season against the Eagles.

Yikes.

That's a very, very hard road to travel. I, for one, will be shocked if the Giants win any more than 10 games. They'll be good enough to return to the playoffs, but their road to the postseason will have its ups and downs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Complete Schedule

The Eagles were supposed to be one of the best teams in the NFL last season, but that ship sailed pretty much as soon as they lost four straight games in the early portion of the season. By the time the Eagles recovered, it was too late.

Will the Eagles get off to a better start in 2012?

It's kinda hard to tell.

The early portion of their schedule is a bit of a mixed bag. They'll alternate between road and home games through each of their first six games, and they'll face beatable opponents like Cleveland and Arizona and quality opponents like Baltimore, the Giants, Pittsburgh and Detroit.

With a schedule like that, the Eagles are going to be put to the test early. Another slow start is in the cards, but it's also a chance for the Eagles to open a lot of eyes around the league.

After their Week 7 bye, the Eagles will be faced with tough games at home versus Atlanta and then on the road at New Orleans, the latter of which is a Monday night game. That will be yet another chance to make a statement.

The Eagles will get the bulk of their division schedule out of the way after that, as five of their final eight games are against NFC East foes. They'll have to face Washington, Dallas and the Giants on the road in this stretch, and those games will have huge NFC East implications.

It all wraps up with a trip to the Giants in Week 17. That could very well be a battle for the NFC East crown, not unlike the game between the Cowboys and Giants in Week 17 of 2011.

The Eagles have the talent to make up for their disappointing season in 2011, but their schedule doesn't include many gimmes. If they want to make the playoffs, they'll have to earn it.

Washington Redskins

Complete Schedule

On paper, the Redskins look like the weakest team in the NFC East. They don't appear to be a threat to win the division.

But the draft will change everything.

The Redskins will be drafting a franchise quarterback, likely Robert Griffin III, and that will make a huge difference. Keep in mind that they were a good quarterback away from being a dangerous team last year.

Whoever ends up under center will be put to the test right away, as the Redskins open on the road against Drew Brees and the Saints. After that comes a trip to St. Louis, which will most likely be a chance for the Redskins to level their record.

Three of Washington's next four games will be at home after that, with winnable games against the Bengals and Vikings mixed in. If the Redskins can avoid disaster in this stretch, they'll have some momentum built up for back-to-back roadies against the Giants and Steelers in Weeks 7 and 8.

After that comes another winnable home game against Carolina, and then comes Washington's bye in Week 10.

After the bye, three of Washington's next four games will be at home, but they won't be easy. The Eagles, Giants and Ravens will be coming to town, and the road game in the middle will be at Dallas.

This stretch will likely decide once and for all whether the Redskins will be a playoff contender in 2012. If they completely fall flat in these four games, they're probably going to fall behind the rest of the pack in the NFC East.

Worse, it doesn't get much easier after that stretch, as the Redskins will close with road games at Cleveland and Philadelphia before heading home to play the Cowboys.

Technically, the Redskins have one of the weaker schedules in the league. But that's a little misleading, as they'll have to face a lot of quality teams who will be looking to do damage of their own in 2012.

To make the playoffs, the Redskins are going to need their new QB to make an immediate impact.