Breaking Down the NFC East: Power Rankings

The NFC East is the best division in the NFL. That is a fact. No questions about it. There is no need to get into statistics, because all four of these teams are Super Bowl contenders year in and year out. Let's examine each offense, defense, special teams, and the coaches to take a look at each team to see who the true "Beast of the East" is.

Offensive Rankings:

(1) Philadelphia Eagles—The Eagles have rebuilt their offense this offseason, with the acquisition of Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters from Buffalo. They also added Stacy Andrews, the brother of the Eagles Pro Bowl guard, Shawn Andrews. The Eagles added Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy through the draft, who should have an immediate impact in the offense.

Then comes Donovan McNabb, who endures criticism from the Philly faithful, but always puts the Eagles in a position for a playoff run.

The one downside of the Eagles offense is the wide receiver position, outside of DeSean Jackson, but they feel that has been solved with Maclin on the opposite side. Brian Westbrook is as good as they come and is the perfect fit for the offense. Andy Reid often gets into trouble when calling plays because he will get away from the run.

(2) New York Giants—The "Jints" come in second place, due to the fact their offense is the perfect complement to their defense. The grind-it-out style the Giants offense runs beats up on opposing defenses and wears them down.

The Giants line is regarded as one of the best in the league, which paves the way for Brandon Jacobs. He is the biggest running back in the league at 6'4'', 264 pounds.

After wearing down the defense with his bruising style, the Giants bring in a smaller, more agile back to make defenders miss, also known as Ahmad Bradshaw. Eli Manning, Super Bowl winning MVP, is at the helm of the offense and manages the game. Coming into this season, the Giants have unproven wide receivers but should be able to use short, intermediate routes to keep the defense honest.

(3) Dallas Cowboys—With the loss of Terrell Owens, the Cowboys offense falls solely on the shoulders of Tony Romo.

The Cowboys have a good running game with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, and a solid offensive line.

Roy Williams, who was acquired in a trade last off season is now the No. 1 receiver for Romo. Williams was a disappointment for the Cowboys last season after they gave up virtually their entire draft to obtain Williams.

Jason Witten is a great tight end, and gives Tony Romo a safety valve. Tony Romo is "America's" quarterback and dates Jessica Simpson, so it is tough for him not to be in the limelight.

With the pressure on this season, and with no Owens and all eyes on him, it should be interesting to see how Romo responds.

(4) Washington Redskins—There is no shame to be in this position, but the Redskins lack the offensive firepower the other teams have.

Clinton Portis is the main attraction of the offense, with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley playing as the sidekicks. Moss' speed is able to open up the field for the rest of the receivers, which allows them to get underneath the safeties and give Jason Campbell short intermediate targets. Chris Cooley is an H-back who creates mismatches between him and linebackers.

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