Around the NFL: NFC East (Preseason Predicitons)

Last year's standings:

Eagles 13-3: Lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

NY Giants 6-10: A team in transition with a new head coach, rookie QB.

Cowboys: 6-10: After a strong first season, Parcells and the boys slipped to a disappointing 6 win finish.

Redskins 6-10: Another typical Snyder-era team, new coach, new QB, same old results.

Here's my predictions for 2005:

Eagles 11-5: The TO saga should tone down once the season gets rolling and the Eagles will get back to business winning games. Still the cream of the crop in this division and perhaps the entire NFC.

Redskins 10-6: The retooled offense will give the Skins just enough to compliment a strong D and running game... and compete for a wildcard. Everyone's trendy pick of the Cardinals in the NFC will suddenly change to the Redskins by midseason. ;)

Cowboys 8-8: Solid improvements have been made on defense, but I'm not sure if Bledsoe is what the doctor ordered for that offense, especially if they can't protect him.

NY Giants 6-10: Manning should be improved, but not enough to make a huge difference. The Giants still have holes up front and not enough weapons.

Eagles 10-6: I actually think the Eagles see a big dropoff this year for the first time in a long time. 10-6 may still take the division, but I think some bad luck starts to come their way. Over the past year or two, the Eagles have made an art form out of winning the lucky game......it's time that tide turns the other way. Their WR corp is very thin. One more injury to ANY of their WRs and they are in serious trouble. The RB situation could be better this year, but there are a lot of reports that C-Buck is still not 100%, and his durability is always a concern. Other than Trotter, I think their LBs are mediocre at best. The secondary is young, but overall very good. The O-line is solid, and the D-line could be solid if they work out some holdout issues. Overall though, this team has one thing over the rest of the division: continuity. There isn't a lot of turnover or new faces in this organization, and that gives them a rather significant advantage because they all know how to play together in a system that hasn't changed in many years.

Redskins 9-7: Big question: can Ramsey be THE Guy? The offense will be better with Ramsey under center, but will it be good enough in a division filled with tough games against hated rivals? I think the offense improves over last year because the O-line is healthier (Jansen), better (Raybach) and has another year under Bugel's coaching. Expect Portis to raise those YPC, and new schemes should open things up for him to have a big year. The Defense will be strong, but may need a few games to have the secondary and MLB position solidified. Overall, I fear the team gets off to a slow start, but comes back very strong for the second half of the season. Playoffs are a real possibility in a weak NFC.

Cowboys 7-9: I'm just not sold on the Cowboys. They may have gotten some better personnel on Defense, but that D needs to come a long way from last year to be competitive. I've also never been a big fan of the 3-4, and don't see it working in the NFC East. As for their offense? Well, they brought in Bledsoe, and I don't think that actually helps them that much. Maybe another game or two over last year, but that's it. The WR corp is weak. Keyshawn sucks, Glenn is ok, and God only knows who their #3 is (ok, it's Quincy Morgan.....but my point stands). The moves on the O-line, though, were very smart. Witten is still their #1 receiving weapon, and Jones looks to be a very good RB. Overall, better than last year, still not a playoff team.

Giants 7-9: Eli will be good, but it's going to take him longer than Peyton to get there. Plaxico, while talented, is a headcase, so it's hard to judge what his signing will mean. The Giants should still have a strong running game (Tiki may be one of the most underrated backs in the NFL), and the word is Toomer is looking healthy and better than last year. Shockey has also had a very good offseason, and could be in probowl form. The weakness? Their Defense doesn't scare me one bit. I'm stuggling right now to even think of a Defensive name on that team other than Strahan (getting old), Emmons (injury risk), and Pierce (playing in a new system). Young QB and weak D in the NFC East gets them a 7-9 record.

That is about how I see it.

Two things that worry me are:
- Parcells does a great job and the Cowfelons are much better

- The gints running game (their 265 lbs running back being hard to stop) does enough to help Manning.

I am less worried about the second; but Parcells on the Cowfelons sideline always worries me.

My pick for the finish:

Eagles (10-6): There is just about no way the Owens saga ends with him playing out the season. The first inaccurate pass will be cause for vocal complaints, which will mercifully ends his tenure in Philly. I'd say the over/under on his season is 10 games, and I'm taking the under. That being said, they won the East a few years ago with McNabb hurt and A.J. Feeley at QB for four games, because of a dominating defense that (while older) is still there.

Redskins (10-6) - Wild Card: This time, it's about consistancy. The same coaching staff (except the QB coach) is in place, which is about as frequent as a Halley's Comet sighting in D.C. The positional turnover at WR is troubling, but remember that the two players that left were responsible for around a dozen drops - not a healthy stat. Even if the overall receptions from the WRs goes down, if that number is reduced and the routes spread the field, the effectiveness of Portis will skyrocket.

Giants (7-9): There may actually be a two-headed monster at RB this year. Barber, who saved my fantasy season last year (like you care), should see his numbers drop because of 4th round pick Brandon Jacobs. 6'4", 265 lbs, and 4.6 speed should give Jacobs some angry yards so Barber can rest in short yardage situations. The defense, however, is old; and Eli Manning still has some growing to do.

Cowboys (5-11): Worse than last year? You bet. A team that loses 7 games by 14 or more points, then acquires (a) a slower quarterback in Bledsoe, (b) an injured offensive lineman in Rivera (who required neck surgery two days after signing), and (c) a new defensive alignment - but not necessarily the personnel to run it - well, that team doesn't rise in my brown eyes (How's that for a run-on sentence?). As for Julius Jones, an eight game season (albeit a very good one) shouldn't be enough to give every Cowboys fan the hope required to dream about a winning season.

Eagles: 11-5: Every year I say this is the year they'll falter. But they never do. I'm not sure how they'll manage without Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston but somehow they'll find a way.

Redskins: 11-5: Wild Card. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But with the defense the Skins have they only need to be slightly better on offense. And really a lot of that comes down to better clock management and fewer penalties, not just talent. I don't think there will be any "Has Gibbs lost it" talk this season

Cowboys: 8-8: I don't think Bledsoe is going to enjoy any sort of career revival in Dallas, and I keep hearing that Henson continues to struggle. And I really doubt Romo is the guy. They're going to run Julius Jones into the ground and while he's good he's not enough to carry this team. Plus I'm interested to see how all the new players gel in the new defense

Giants: 6-10: Somebody has to finish in the cellar

#1- Redskins (10-6). Someone said it once, I'll say it again...can RAMSEY be THE MAN?? He dosent have to be Peyton Manning, because our offense dosent rely on our passing game, but can he be consistant. I like how our line looked thusfar, Portis should have a good year. I dont even need to get into our defense.
#2- Philladelphia Eagles (9-7). I think they are gonna fall off. The TO saga will take its toll, and I just dont think this team is as good as they were last year. I think they fall off a little this year, and they are on the way down.
#3- Dallas Cowboys (8-8). Unfortunatley, I think this is a team on the way up. Bledsoe, while a statue, is still a capable QB. Julius Jones is quickly becoming one of hte better backs in the leauge. I dont like their recivers, and think their defnese is going to take some time to gel.
#4- New York FOOTBALL Giants (7-9). Manning still needs some time to get going. Thats really what I base my record on.

HOnestly, I dont see a bad team in the divison. I think that everyone (Dal,Was,NY) have taken some steps up, and Philly has taken some steps down. This is going to make for a nice race...won of course by the skins.

Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
I hate to admit it, but by the time the season starts, TO is going to have his mouth shut and he's going to start playing. The guy has always been a pain, but when have we ever known him to not produce. He just gets it done, and he'll do it again. You don't hear about it nationally, because TO overshadows everything else, but supposedly they're having an amazing camp. Especially the D. I hate to say it... and I mean I really hate to say it. But the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl in my book. Hopefully Carolina can stop them.

Washington Redskins 10-6
Ramsey and/or Brunell manage the offense well enough. Portis gets back to 4.5 yards per carry. And we get a goalline power back from Nemo. The chains keep moving, and that's all we need. Antonio Brown gives us a boost in the return game. GW keeps the defense rolling along, as Sean Taylor develops into an Ed Reed caliber game-changer.

Dallas Cowboys 9-7
I see big production from Julius Jones, but not from Bledsoe. And I see a strong defense. But the Skins sweep them, making the difference. Gibbs finally gets the best of Parcells, and the Redskins finally get the best of the Cowboys!

NY Giants 4-12
I just think they stink. And I don't think much of Tom Coughlin.

Someone mentioned that the two WR's we lost this year acounted for about 12 drops. I was wondering which game he was talking about. If he was talking about the saeson I think 12 drops is about half correct.

1. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6. Until proven otherwise they are the class of the division. McNabb and TO will co-exist, but it will be a bumpy ride. The defense will again be solid, but not as dominant as some key personnel begins to show thier age.

2. Washington Redskins 8-8. Inconsistency on offense will continue to plauge the Redskins. As opposed to 2004 they will win the games they should win by doing just enough to win, but will not be able to beat teams that are of equal or better talent.

3. New York Giants 8-8. Eli Manning starts to establish himself among the top young QB in the game. Paired with a solid receiving corps (Burress, Toomer, Shockey) and a strong running game, they will have to outscore teams to beat them to account for their sorry defense.

4. Dallas Cowboys 7-9. The Drew Bledsoe experiment fails due to a stagnant passing game and pourous line play. The defense is somewhat improved, but not to the level that it can carry the team.

Someone mentioned that the two WR's we lost this year acounted for about 12 drops. I was wondering which game he was talking about. If he was talking about the saeson I think 12 drops is about half correct.
That was me. I know twelve is actually a low number for the season, but I am unsure of the exact number, I didn't want to unfairly malign Coles and Gardner by inflating the number.

That number was, of course, for the season. If it were a game, both players would be dead in a Manassas ditch by now.