2008 NFC East Preview

There are several burning questions concerning, arguably, the most competitive division in football over the past few seasons. The NFC East is known for its great rivalries and smash-mouth style of games when any of these teams square off.

You have the defending Super Bowl champs in the Giants, and you wonder just how well they will respond to such a playoff run. Will Eli build off his excellent postseason performance and have a solid season? Can the Giants' defense perform at the same high level, despite some departures?

Aside from the Giants, all eyes are on Dallas again. Dallas made some interesting pick-ups this offseason by acquiring the troubled Pacman Jones and injury-prone veteran MLB, Zach Thomas.

Dallas fans are growing impatient with the team's lack of postseason success, and Wade Phillips can feel the heat from the front office as well.

The Eagles had a poor season, by their standards and are really hungry to return to grace in the City of Brotherly Love. Can a healthy McNabb orchestrate another playoff-bound season or is his time in Philly coming to a close?

The Redskins have officially moved on from the Joe Gibbs era and look forward to getting started with a clean slate. Can new HC Jim Zorn revive an offense that has been lackluster the last couple of years? Will Jason Taylor bring a spark to an aging defense?

Here's how they will finish when all is said and done.

1) Dallas Cowboys

Dallas looked like the team to beat in the NFC for the majority of the 2007 season. They didn't even get a chance to get the ball rolling in the playoffs, as the Giants came into town and pulled off the upset.

Jerry Jones was livid that they were bounced by their division rival, as they had handled the Giants both times during the regular season. He promised changes would come.

He controversially brought in Adam "Pacman" Jones in an attempt to give a boost to a secondary that was exposed at times. We all know Jerry Jones doesn't really care about the person he signs, just about the player.

Tony Romo really took big strides under the wing of OC Jason Garrett, and he looks to build off his sensational year. T.O. is still not slowing down, despite getting up there in age, and Jason Witten is one of the best TEs in the league.

Marion Barber is the primary back finally, and he will be joined by first-round pick, Felix Jones.

The defense was inconsistent last year, but overall they are above average. DeMarcus Ware keeps improving every year, and Greg Ellis won't stop sacking QBs. Roy Williams is becoming a liability in the pass game, and some even speculated he would be moved to LB or possibly even a cap casualty.

Big D will have another solid regular season, but what remains to be seen is if they can get it done in the postseason. There is a lot of pressure on this team to make some postseason noise, and Wade Phillips' job is most certainly on the line with Jason Garrett waiting in the wings.

I see them finishing above the division, but they will not live up to expectations again in the playoffs; Romo hasn't proved he can get a big W when it counts.

2) New York Giants

The Giants are once again getting no love. In the aftermath of their Super Bowl victory, the Giants have heard nothing but doubters for this coming season. There are more people talking about how they will fall than those that say they will be a force to be reckoned with, but the Giants wouldn't want to have it any other way.

Many are overreacting to the offseason losses that the Giants had. Michael Strahan is irreplaceable on and off the field, but the other players that left on the defense were not part of the team's core.

Gibril Wilson was a solid player, but he was also very inconsistent in his tenure with the G-Men. He excelled when he was brought on the blitz and was a decent run stopper, but was viewed as a product of the system. Jerry Reese would have liked to keep him, but not for the ridiculous price the Raiders gave him.

Kawika Mitchell really came on strong in the latter part of the year, but he too was not a major piece in the puzzle for the defense. Reggie Torbor was a career backup for the team until an injury to Mathias Kiwanuka opened up playing time.

These guys will not be as missed, as many would like to believe.

The emergence of Aaron Ross and Corey Webster gives the Giants a solid up-and-coming secondary, and first-round draft pick Kenny Phillips is expected to make an impact right away.

Justin Tuck is a prime candidate for a monster season now playing in a full-time role. Osi and Pierce will do their thing, and they also need to assume the new leadership position now that Strahan is gone.

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