NFL Preview: NFC East

This should be one of the more competitive divisions in the league. Last year, both wild card teams in the conference (Cowboys, Giants) came out of the East. This year, almost any team has a chance to compete...except for the Giants.

NFC East
1. Philadelphia (12-4)
2. Dallas (10-6)
3. Washington (7-9)
4. N.Y. Giants (5-11)

Philadelphia Eagles: This team is all set up to win the division and face off against Chicago for the conference title.

They have a terrific offensive and defensive line. They have a solid secondary featuring a couple of Pro-Bowlers. Head coach Andy Reid finally realized that he has one of the top 5 most talented running backs in the league in Brian Westbrook (who can kill you catching AND running teh ball) and that using him more than 30 percent of the time might not be such a bad idea.

I just wish Donovan McNabb (pictured, left) wouldn't whine so much of the time. He sorta whined when people fell in love with Jeff Garcia's play as he led them to their playoff run last year. He sorta whined when the Eagles drafted a QB in the second round of the draft this year. He's also coming off a knee injury, though he's ahead of schedule. The last quarterback I remember coming back ahead of schedule from a serious injury like that was Daunte Culpepper...and things didn't turn out to well for him.

Still, McNabb has a MUCH better team around him overall, full of players who are hitting their peak. I expect them to win the division over the...

Dallas Cowboys: Eh, I'm just not 100 percent convinced Tony Romo's "the guy."
I mean, sure he set the world on fire when he came in and somehow made the Pro Bowl on the strength of basically six games (before he completely went into the tank). One of those games was a Thanksgiving rout against the Bucs in which he threw five TD passes. I don't even count that game.

Personally, I think he's more the guy who's a little wild a little too often and will throw picks that'll kill his team at certain time. Fortunately for the 'Boys, former coach Bill Parcells, who Cowboy players are currently trashing since they were too scared to do so while he was actually around, left the team with more than enough talent to make up for Romo's up-and-down play.

They're stacked at receivers, with T.O (shudder)and Terry Glenn, they have a really good tight end (Jason Witten) and TWO solid running backs (Julius Jones and Marion Barber). They also have a very good defense.

Still, much like what happened with San Diego, the Cowboys lost their coach and replaced him with someone who, no offense to Wade Phillips (pictured, right) who seems like an ok guy, is inferior. If things start to go bad at any point during the season, expect the team (led by T.O.) to walk all over him. Even if that happens, I think they still have enough talent to win and snag the other wild card spot (along with New Orleans).

Washington Redskins: For too long, they've been the team that spends way too much money on big name (old, past their prime) free agents, throws them together and expects them to win.

This offseason they made the drastic choice of keeping things relatively the same and allowing their young players to play together for an extended period of time and get used to each other. What will they think of next.

Mark Brunell notwithstanding, the Redskins have a good core of relatively young guys. The most important young player is QB Jason Campbell (pictured, left), who I expect to take over the team this year. I don't expect him to set the world on fire with his stats, but I like this guy...he's just seems like a winner.

They've also still got Clinton Portis and a Hall of Fame coach in Joe Gibbs who's probably in his last year with the Skins and does NOT want to go out as a perceived failure. I don't expect this team to make the playoffs, but I do expect them to give almost anyone they play a tough time.

New York Giants: Now this is the team I expect to have a complete and utter meltdown.

It all starts with head coach Tom Coughlin (pictured, right), who all the players hate. They do. They hated him last year. Former running back Tiki Barber took shots at him all the time. Tight end Jeremy Shockey openly said his team had been outcoached at certain points. The players complain his training camp is too hard (pansies!) Last year Coughlin criticized Barber for being critical in the media, then later in the season Coughlin himself criticized several Giants players, including QB Eli Manning, to reporters after a tough loss to the Titans. The Giants hated Coughlin and quit on him LAST YEAR. So naturally, the front office brought him back.

This season has disaster written all over it. Star defensive end Michael Strahan is skipped training camp and held out for more money, I mean, contemplated retirement. Yeah, that's it! He just decided he might want to retire a few days before teh team was scheduled to start their camp. Methinks someone can sense a sinking ship and is trying to get his while he can.

And as for the aforementioned Eli. He's never gonna be his big brother Peyton, and that's fine. Peyton's gonna be an all-time great. Eli can still be a really good quarterback. Unfortunately, he's got nutcases like Shockey and receiver Plaxico Burress in his ear, and I just don't think he's going to take the big leap his team needs from him (with Barber's abscence) to be successful.

It's going to be a long, LONG, season for the Giants. They'll be entertaining to watch as they melt down though.