A gun-toting receiver is headed to prison, while a jackass is headed where the Buffalo roam. One offensive line is a M*A*S*H unit rebuilt by Hawkeye Pierce, while a defensive line hopes a Cowboy-stomping coward takes them to the promised land. Welcome to the NFC East, dailyphiladelphian.com‘s final stop on the NFL preview tour.
New York Giants (11-5). She-li Manning will never be confused with Peyton even if he has the same number of Super Bowl rings. The team is still without a true stud receiver now that Plexiglass is headed for prison. Derrick Ward has left for Tampa Bay, leaving Ahmad Bradshaw as the only viable back-up to battering ram Brandon Jacobs. Add to that the fact that former defensive whiz Steve Spagnuolo is now running the sip in St. Louis and you have to winder why they are the division favorites. The prediction is not a vote in favor of the Giants as much as it is an indictment of the rest of the teams and the question marks that surround them.
Will Shawn Andrews and the offensive line gel in time to take the Eagles to the top of the division?
Philadelphia Eagles (10-6). By far, this team is the hardest to get a read on going into the season. The Eagles started out the offseason like wildfire as they traded for Jason Peters, then acquired speedy receiver Jeremy Maclin and tough running back Shady McCoy in the draft. Not much has gone right since then. Shawn Andrews injured his back the first day of training camp and his brother, Stacey, is still recovering from knee surgery a year ago. Peters has also been bitten by the injury bug, and we have yet to see Brian Westbrook play this year following offseason ankle surgery. On defense, Jim Johnson succombed to melanoma cancer (R.I.P., JJ), Brain Dawkins left for Denver, and Stewart Bradley tore his knee to shreds. Then, there is always the issue of how and where some dude named Vick fits into the offense. There are just too many questions to put the Eagles at the top of the division. If the offensive line gels and the defense plays the way it has in the past, this team could compete for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. If everything falls apart, the team could go 6-10. We say the defense plays well, and the offensive line gels in time to get this team to the playoffs, just not to the top of the division.
Dallas Cowboys (7-9). Terrell Owens is in Buffalo, Tony Romo is without Jessica Simpson, Marion Barber is a wuss and Wade Phillips somehow still has a job — for now. The Cowboys have underachieved and not much will change. Sure, the team sent locker room cancer T.O. out of town, but who is going to step up in his place. Roy Williams? Umm, no. He’s a guy who has not and likely never will live up to his potential. Tony Romo won’t look as good without T.O. to throw to. Felix Jones will step up and become a true featured back, but that may be the only positive for Jerry Jone’s Jackasses. The defense has been solid, but won’t be enough to make up for the lack of offensive firepower, or the coaching of Wade Phillips. Much to the delight of many, Jones will finally get to send Wade to the unemployment line at season’s end.
Washington Redskins (5-11). Dan Snyder likes to spend money on crap. This offseason, he spent it on a player with crappy sportsmanship.
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Albert Haynesworth can stomp on all the Cowboys he wants now as a member of the Deadskins. Of course, he is also he type of player who will deomonstrate a poor work ethic now that he has his big payday. The defense has some talented players and will keep the team in some games. However, the offense has question marks starting with quarterback Jason Campbell. Outside of Santana Moss, the receivers don’t scare anyone. Clinton Portis has been hit a lot in his career and will slow down this year. In the end, Snyder will look for yet another head coach next offseason and then piss his money away all over again. God, dailyphiladelphian.com loves having him in NFC East as there is always one less team to worry about each year.
