Cowboys NFC East Road Tougher vs. Commanders Coach Eric Bieniemy

The Washington Commanders are closing in on Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator with the Cowboys' road to the playoffs potentially getting tougher as a result.

NFC Least. Remember that? The Dallas Cowboys division was once the laughing stock of the NFL. Oh how times change.

The division has flipped the script and has now become one of the more challenging assignments in football. The Cowboys (12-5), the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), and the New York Giants (9-7-1) all made the playoffs last season.

The Washington Commanders missed out on a playoff berth (8-8-1) after having it in their hands, but now, the Cowboys' fierce rivals from long ago just secured a big-name signing ... and it's not on the field.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has signed on as the OC for the Commanders. What a coup for Ron Rivera's team.

But what does it mean for Dallas?

A tougher time in the division, for starters. With the powerhouse Eagles not going away and the Giants improving into a playoff team under first-year coach Brian Daboll, the Commanders were seen as the "lesser" team in the division.

Well, not now ...

In Bieniemy, Washington has a coordinator who helped orchestrate Patrick Mahomes' meteoric rise to stardom (even if Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was the mastermind of it all). There will be creativity in D.C. that didn't exist before as head coach Ron Rivera seems prepared to bend philosophically.

The NFC East is now getting some star power. Keep in mind free agency and the NFL Draft haven't started yet, either. If Bieniemy can work his magic with Washington's offense, then Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and his unit could be in for a tough time. ... with coaching hires and philosophical changes adding to the "arms-race'' vibe in the division.

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