It’s that time again, the start of another NFL season. With the opening game just days away its time to put it all on the line and put your predictions out for the world to see, and with that we present the completely unbiased NFC East predictions.
1. Dallas Cowboys 11-5
I think we can officially call Tony Romo a poor man’s Brett Favre. He’s got the media love because of his ‘having so much fun out there’ play. He can string together some pretty impressive games particularly in mid-season. And he also can play completely out of control and cost his team some games. While playing this style can lead to impressive wins when push comes to shove in tight games, Romo’s turnovers really hurt the Cowboys.
The Cowboys are going to score points this year. Terrell Owens is still playing well (although he could slow down at anytime, he’s turning 35 in December). The effective Marion Barber should carry more of the load at running back with Julius Jones’ departure and Felix Jones is expecting to bring a home run threat to the running game. They are a bit short at wide receiver with Patrick Crayton as the only other established receiver beyond Owens but Jason Witten is one the best pass catching tight ends in the league.
The defense returns pretty well intact with a few additions. The ancient Zach Thomas will look to pull another year out of his beat up body, while Pac-Man Jones will try to stay out of trouble and on the field after his suspension from the NFL. DeMarcus Ware is key cog to the front seven, he’s one of the top pass rushers out there these days. The cornerbacks look very strong if Jones can return to form after skipping a year. Roy Williams is back at safety and will continue to be a huge liability in pass coverage.
On paper, this is the strongest team in the division. The biggest question is can Romo take the next step and move beyond being a fantasy QB star and turn into the type of QB who can win a tight playoff game. With Wade Phillips and his lax attitude back as head coach, another playoff upset could be on the way for Dallas.
2. Washington Redskins 10-6
Despite having a big run to make the playoffs last year, the Redskins have been predicted by many to finish in the basement. But besides a coaching change and adding Jason Taylor this is basically the same team that won their final four games and made the playoffs. They beat both the Giants and Cowboys handily in December; this is still a pretty solid team.
The level of success the Redskins have this year depends mainly on the arm of Jason Campbell. He’s a reasonable QB at this point (higher QB rating than Eli Manning) but if the Redskins want to take the next step Campbell is going to have to improve substantially. The receiving corp is a question mark beyond Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El and neither of those guys are a picture of health to begin with. If (when?) injuries occur, Chris Cooley could have a career year unless Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly improves their performance from training camp.
3. Philadelphia Eagles 7-9
Decent defense, no wide receivers, one man offense – sound familiar? The Eagles are living Groundhog Day over and over again. There are a few changes – the one man offense is Bryan Westbrook not Donovan McNabb. Westbrook is the most indispensible player in the division. If he were to go down, the Eagles would be in serious trouble. He’s avoided injuries thus far in his career but every time he gets tackled Eagle fans will hold their breath.
The Eagles upgraded their defense by adding Asante Samuel through free agency. Samuel replaces Lito Sheppard in the starting line-up. Sheppard isn’t happy but he’ll be the nickel back for the time being. The Eagles also added ex-Redskins Chris Clemons to add to the pass-rush and he’ll play opposite Trent Cole on passing downs.
The Eagles are a good team, but not great and in this division good isn’t going to work. This will likely be the end of the line for both Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb in Philly as they disappoint overly optimistic pundits once again.
4. New York Giants 6-10
The Giants were an average team last year that took advantage of a favorable playoff schedule to reach the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl they played the game of their lives and were full value for their victory over New England. One big week doesn’t make a powerhouse and the Giants are anything but an elite team this year.
The Giants were built around a relentless pass rush led by Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan. Neither player will play this year, and while their replacements – Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are fine players, they’ll be facing double teams they didn’t see last year and the pressure from other parts of the field – i.e. defensive tackle and linebacker will be greatly reduced.
The offense was downgraded in the off-season with the trade of Jeremy Shockey but besides that the unit returns in tact. Eli Manning will look to continue his playoff success but throughout his career he’s been very inconsistent so that it is unlikely. Ahmed Bradshaw will likely have more of a role than last year, much like the playoffs, so his numbers should increase.
This is a flawed team, the secondary isn’t that strong and without the top notch pass-rush it will exposed. It will be a tough fall this year for the Giants.
Lee, I’m almost always a bit optimistic on the Redskins, but I can’t see a 10-6 season as being the most likely. I can see scenarios that give the Redskins anywhere from 11-5 to 5-11, but realistically, I have to put them as 8-8 or even (*gasp*) 7-9 for this season, with early injuries and a killer opening schedule being the primary culprits. The Redskins play an average Giants squad that has a mile high swagger at New York to open the season. However, even with the Giant’s losses of key players, the Redskins have lost more, and are contending with the first game of a new offensive scheme that counts. Opening day jitters tell me the Redskins lose a close, but low scoring, game. If we were playing them in Week Three….
In Week 2, we play the much improved Saints at home, with Jeremey Shockey calling. I honestly don’t know what to think of this game… we could blow them out, or we could be blown out ourselves. If we win this game convincingly, I’ll change my mind and go with the 10-6 record.
In Week 3, we play the Cards at home. This SHOULD be a victory; we are, top to bottom, except at WR, more talented. But the Cards have traditionally played us tough.
Weeks 4 and 5 have us at the Cowboys and Eagles… we’ve done well in Big D over the last few years (though we’ve lost to them at home), but both of these games are dogfights, and it wouldn’t surprise me to be 4-7 point dogs for both.
If we can get out of the first five weeks at 2-3, we can probably pull out 9-7. But we have to go at least 3-2 to realistically have a shot at the playoffs, or your 10-6 record.
The schedule is easier after those first five games…. but we never really have a breather during the entire season.
Bill,
How have the Redskins lost more than the Giants? They lost zero starters in the offseason to free agency. Phillip Daniels was lost to injury but was replaced by a better player.
I think the ‘Skins get hot again in December like they did in 2005 and in 2007. Their last five games consist of: vs. Giants, @Ravens (not really an away game), @Bengals, vs. Eagles, @49ers.
The advantage of this season is that the Redskins play their toughest games at home and their easiest on the road, excluding the Seahawks whom they play in Seattle.
Those last five games are very easy compared to the first five.
This is non biased? You have placed the redskins #2. The Eagles are Number #3? The Defending Superbowl champion NYG are last in the division. I do believe this to be wrong. The Giants are no matter what going to have over 6 wins this season. The Giants have what the redskins don’t. Solid QB, Solid DL, Top notch OL, and big play wide outs. Tuck is and was the best DL on the Gmen last year. Also, considering the Gaints run a rotation at DE, and they just picked up Mcdougle to place in with Toffleson, Wynn and Tuck, they still will be Elite. If they decide to move Kiwi back in as well he is still a vaulable pass rusher. Justin Tuck as a DL he reached the QB over 10 times last season, just wait….
Gee, I have to agree with Mark. How can this be an unbias assessment if it doesn’t mirror the conventional wisdom of D, N, E and W with the Skins somewhere between 6-10 and completely winless?
What where you thinking?
Tanner, the reseason I say the Redskins have lost more is that while we will have our players back, a number of those players are either game time decisions, or badly nicked up.
That’s the point of my “If we were playing them in Week 3…” remark; if we had three weeks to get those players healthy (Shaun Springs, Jason Taylor, Rocky McIntosh, Carlos Rogers, LaRon Landry, Antwuan Randle-El, Malcolm Kelly, etc.) we would have a much easier time of it against the Giants (and yes, I’d predict based on what I’m seeing now we’ll beat New York when they come to D.C.) But we HAVE lost more than the Giants at the moment, at least for tomorrow night’s game.
That said, if I was put on the spot, I’d peg the Giants as an 8-8 team, too, or perhaps a 7-9. The were a mediocre team last year that got lucky and hot at the right time in the playoffs… but they were headed for a 5-11 record before the Redskins let them off the hook by choking in the second half of Week 3, especially when we didn’t punch it in for that final TD. Redskins win that, and the Giants are working on a top 5 draft pick….
Oh, and Tanner…. I agree, the schedule is easier late in the season, but there are no back to back breather games to rest players and get healthy…
I have been a die-hard Redskins fan since 1983 and have grown to hate the Giants, Eagles and (especially) Cowboys. Therefore, I am thrilled to see someone pick the Redskins to finish this high in the division. However, I find one thing you said in your article to be totally ludicrous. You said that the Giants, “took advantage of a favorable playoff schedule to reach the Super Bowl.” If I were a Giants fan I would find this insulting. As a matter of fact, as a Redskins fan I still find this insulting to the Giants. As much as I hate them, I don’t see how ANYONE could take away from what they accomplished last year. And I definitely don’t see how they had a FAVORABLE playoff schedule. They had to play three games instead of two since they where a wild-card team. They had to play all three on the road in hostile environments and two of them where against the number one team in the NFC (Cowboys) and number two team in the NFC (Green Bay). The Green Bay game was filled with emotion from the Packer fans with is supposedly being Brett Favre’s swan song to end with a Super Bowl appearance and the Packer fans created a vibe in the Stadium that was very hard for any visitor to overcome. Then they faced the Patriots in the Super Bowl; a team that walked through an UNDEFEATED season, crushing anyone in their path. The Patriots had already beaten the Giants in the last game of the season. A game that most would say truly meant more to the Giants than the Patriots. I don’t remember ever seeing a Super Bowl where one team was as heavily favored as the other and yet the Giants still shocked the Country. How can that be favorable? As a matter of fact, I don’t think any team in the history of the league has played through a more unfavorable playoff schedule to win a Super Bowl.
I don’t think you would get much argument from most people if you said that New England was a more talented team last year. But, they were not the best because the Giants won the game. It’s as simple as that. That is what makes the NFL so great and why we all watch the games.
I don’t really have time to read the essays posing for comments above b/c I’m at work so, forgive me if this has been already been mentioned, but how did the Giants take advantage of a “favorable” playoff schedule last year? At TB, at Dallas, and at Green Bay doesn’t sound favorable to me.
10-6 is a stretch for the Skins but they will be above .500.
Well.. its obviously biased being as I’m a complete Redskin fan who spends hours a week writing about them for no return.
And unless you think Zorn is going to fail… I don’t see why you’d think the Redskins are going to be worse than last year. Its the exact same team as the one that ran off 4 wins to make the playoffs.
As for the Giants playoff schedule… what I was saying there is that I would have figured the Redskins would have beat Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay (with Favre giving the game away) in the NFC playoffs. I don’t think they would have beaten New England however… I give them full credit for that game.
Hey lee. I bet it was nice for you to see Jason Campbell get sacked on the first snap of the game to the monster that is Justin Tuck. Not bad for his first starting snap at DE this year was it ? Well i guess your right the GMEN only have 5 more wins left this season. (I am being sarcastic) Well it will be nice to see the redskins in the postseason this year while us giants fans sit at home watching all the other teams. HAHA joke. The skins line looked a little bit soft on a serious note. I mean the most physical player on the field was Clinton Portis, and Thats not good. The Skins Defense did look good in the red-zone though. I hope to hear back from you soon. Keep up the great work, and keep those hit articles coming.
In closing I would like to start the revolution early cause I know the controversy is coming
COLT BRENNAN FOR PRESIDENT !
-SportsRoids