With reigning NFC champion Atlanta struggling, the conference seems to be wide open. And an NFC East rivalry game for the conference title is a real possibility, at least according to MMQB's Peter King.

"I think it's wide open," King said in an interview with KTCK The Ticket [96.7 FM/1310 AM] on Tuesday morning. "What is absolutely incredible is that the NFC Championship Game could include two teams from the NFC East. Maybe it's too strong to say it's incredible. A Philadelphia-Dallas NFC Championship Game or whatever, it's going to be really interesting to see."

So King's bullish on the Cowboys?

"I am. I don't know how you watch that defense," King said. "Everybody knows that they're going to be able to score enough points. But I think the revelation in Dallas has been that defense. It would be one thing if they were a singular force on that front seven on the pass rush, but, man they've got a lot of weapons on that front seven.

"So to me, and again I think a lot of this depends on what happens with Ezekiel Elliott down the stretch ... But if they have him the rest of the year, they're one of the best two or three or four teams in the conference."

Compared to last week's blowout of San Francisco, King says the Cowboys will face a good test Sunday against Washington.

"I think this is going to be a much better test this week when you're talking about Washington," he said. "Particularly you're going to be taking on Washington in a game that they've really got to have. It sounds funny, but both teams really need this game. To me, it's the game of the weekend - two teams that I think are potentially really good with some really good and sort of unknown defensive weapons. And the advantage for Dallas now is Washington is going to be playing without Jonathan Allen and maybe without Josh Norman. Those are two of their five or six important pieces on defense. So this is probably a good time to be playing Washington."

King's thoughts on the rest of the NFC East?

"I think the Rams, especially the longer they play and the more that Sean McVay gets his hooks into that offense and particularly into Jared Goff, I think that is a really, really dangerous team. It looks to me like the NFC South could be a one-team playoff division, and it looks to me like the NFC North could be a one-team playoff division. I just think the Packers are going to have too many losses. Remember the last time they won the division after Aaron Rodgers was hurt, they had that really weird year where eight wins won the division. Well, it's not going to happen that way this year at all, it's not even going to be close. After watching [Brett] Hundley now for 1¾ games, I would be quite surprised if they were able to turn it around and come back.

"I think it's a really interesting year because it's such a different year. My biggest question about the NFC right now - and I know it sounds crazy - is whether Seattle will be able to protect Russell Wilson to give them a fighting chance to do anything more than, even if they make the playoffs, be one-and-done. Every time I watch that Seahawks team, I say to myself, 'How is Russell Wilson still standing right now?' That offensive line is just really, really offensive.

"Who knows? I think it's a really fascinating year because nobody expected Wentz to come on this hard. Nobody certainly expected Jared Goff to come on this hard this fast. I think it's just a fascinating season."