Why the low expectations from the pre-season mags?

I'm still waiting to hear more on that too. Other than Samuel what else did they do that's so impressive?Chris Clemons?

Same with Dallas. Everyone is acting like Pacman Jones is the missing piece of the puzzle. He doesn't make up for those safeties. Him and Newman can only cover two receivers at once. Their LBs are also a liability in pass coverage, but yet we're still hearing about how THEY'RE the new Super Bowl favorites.

I wish TO was out or suspended most of the season so we can see just how mediocre Romo is without TO taking the coverage that he did.Philadelphia sure looks like a better team than Dallas at this point.

Dallas passing offense > Philadelphia passing offense, right now, but I would take Philadelphia in every other facet of the game of football right now.

Dallas also got a really good year from their rookie kicker last year, if he comes back to the average, thats another win that Dallas loses over last year.

So Philly bringing in one DB and McNabb being healthy makes them possible favorites for the NFCE? I just don't see it.

I know a lot of people are referencing close games as how good the rest of the NFCE was last year, but you either have to take ALL of them into account or none of them, including the Redskins who were just a few away from winning them all except NE.

As goes the NFL, you're a play or two away from winning most of the time.

I noticed this too, but we've proven them wrong before.

I don't think anyone thinks that, but when they were all together last year they looked pretty good. They got their act together at the end of the season and finished at 8-8, one more win and they could have had the Skins spot in the playoffs. They improved a little on D and while standing pat on offense (and still not getting a legit receiving threat) they weren't all that bad last season.

I mean, if you look at that team last year they were a few fumbles against Green Bay away from being 9-7. Also, Donovan missed a game against the Seahawks last year, he had a pretty good year, they only lost 24-28 without him, they could have very well won that game and been 10-6.

All that said, it may be an impossibility at this point to expect Donovan McNabb to play 16 games, but that has to be what you base any prediction on. I don't see them having another down year this year, but I see the Eagles and Skins battling it out for second place.

In regards to Dallas, they didn't need to make that many upgrades. They were 11-5 last year. Granted, they're a year older, but that usually means that Romo is going to be better. Unfortunately for them they still don't have much receiving depth past TO and their safeties are liabilities, but if they can pressure the passer the way we all know they can that will take a lot of pressure off of those guys.
Actually they were 13-3 last year, but that feeds into a point I am going to make. Realistically Dallas and NYG are due to come back to the pack a little. Dallas isn't going to win 13 games again, they will likely cap out at 11.

I don't know anyone who thinks the Giants are better than or even as good as they were last year. They lost 4 defensive starters, have some chemistry issues on offense (Shockey wants out, Plex want more $) and they got hot at the right time last year, I'd be surprised if they were better than 8-8, only 2 off of what they were last year.

Philly is the wildcard. They always worry me, but don't scare me anymore. McNabb, Westbrook and Dawkins need to play 16 games in order for them to be a playoff team IMO. They are solid across the board but great nowhere.

Playing the 'if' game could have put us at 12-4 easily last year (IF Betts didn't trip, IF Moss didn't fumble, IF Campbell didn't throw the INT to Newman)..

Why isn't it August?

So Philly bringing in one DB and McNabb being healthy makes them possible favorites for the NFCE? I just don't see it.I don't even think McNabb matters. This year, we can just refer to him as "Philadelphia QB". Whomever it is McNabb/Kolb/Garcia, pretty much anyone but AJ Feeley will be successful in that offense. Successful as in above average, like last year.

Here's some interesting stats from last year:

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Pro Football Prospectus 2008 (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff.php)

Washington and Philadelphia had the exact same DVOA, the exact same strength of schedule, and were pretty much just as consistent from week to week. We split against them last year. The ONLY difference is that we won 1 more game than they did, despite that they had a bit better of a point differential (though that difference was pretty much just luck of the draw).

Point being: any 'gap' between the Redskins and Eagles last year is a figment of ones imagination. They were two equally matched teams.

Anyway, they were one of the youngest teams in the league last year, and we were one of the oldest. Which means that if all other things are equal, they will get better, and we will get worse.

Are all other things equal? Not really. They signed one of the best (albeit somewhat overrated) CBs in the NFL, which makes them even better. We didn't make any FA moves, and got a year older at every position but receiver.

Now, we do have an ace in the hole this year: Jason Campbell's development. He was an above average passer last year, if he can leapfrog McNabb and become one of the best ten passers in this league, we probably finish ahead of the Eagles anyway.

I don't want to crap all over McNabb: the guy is a good quarterback, but I think the Eagles realize that McNabb is already in or past his prime, and as long as he's their quarterback, they can't really improve any more on the offensive side of the ball. They can simply try to sustain.

The next time that the Eagles are out of the playoff hunt (Dec. 2009?), I think it will be Kolb's turn.

I'm still waiting to hear more on that too. Other than Samuel what else did they do that's so impressive?

The addition of DeSean Jackson is going to help more than people will think. They have one of the best secondaries in the league.
On top of that Brian Westbrook has really come into his own and is scary good. If Donovan McNabb can stay healthy I think they are going to come in second in the division.

Playing the 'if' game could have put us at 12-4 easily last year (IF Betts didn't trip, IF Moss didn't fumble, IF Campbell didn't throw the INT to Newman).. IF Rackers doesn't miss, IF McNabb hits Curtis after Torrence falls down, IF we lose the coin toss in OT on opening day.

Our luck did even out. As I was telling Skinsfan69 at the time, we could win our last four games if we play well. I didn't think we would, but I knew we could and we did. Lady luck is fickle, but she isn't always mindlessly working to spite us and our team.