Ah, can you smell it? No, not the sorry excuse for food you’re brewing in your kitchen—the NFL season genius! There’s a hint of fall in the air, and all of the locals are wearing the current player bandwagon jersey.
Labor Day has finally arrived, and it’s officially okay to start planning how to bogart your children’s Halloween candy. It all hints at the same thing, with that thing being the official arrival of the NFL season (a.k.a. the only sports season that really matters).
For whatever reason, this particular offseason seemed especially rough. But it’s okay now, because we’re officially less than 72 hours from opening night.
Speaking of opening night, we’ll kickoff this year’s NFL season with two teams from the NFC East, which is arguably the toughest division in football. Well, save for the Redskins, who are like the redheaded step-child of the division, but even they are better than most other teams.
Would there be a better place to start off an NFL preview than with the toughest division in the sport? I submit that there is not.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins
The Dallas Cowboys are the popular pick here and with good reason; their team is stacked and they are the token most-played-as-on-Madden team of 2008. However, the only team that can go blow-for-blow with them on offense in the division are the Eagles.
The Eagles improved on both offense (DeSean Jackson) and defense (Asante Samuel), not to mention that they have a threat to top 2,000 yards from scrimmage in Brian Westbrook. Barring a Donovan McNabb injury, the team will be a serious competitor in both the division and the entire league.
Usually, defending Super Bowl champs get a bit more respect, but not when they’ve lost two integral parts of the winning team. Michael Strahan retired to follow Tiki Barber’s blazoned career path towards television, whereas Osi Umenyiora has been lost for the year thanks to a torn lateral meniscus. And no, I have no idea what a meniscus is.
Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are talented, but not enough so to completely fill in the aforementioned players' cleats. Not even close. It also remains to be seen which Eli Manning is going to show up this season. Either the Super-Vendetta Eli or the Aw-Shucks-That-Was-My-Fault-You-Dropped-That Eli.
Likely to end up in the cellar is the Washington Redskins. Jason Campbell and company will be making the transition into the West Coast offense this year and will be working out all the kinks. Again, being in the basement of the NFC East isn’t even that bad. I see it being like a refurnished basement complete with ping pong tables, a mini-fridge, and a nice, sports-watching section. Just like the AFC South would have...
2 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Bob Baumbarger 10 months ago
I just want to say thank you very much that FINLEY!!!!!smeone thinks the Panthers will make the playoffs I think the will too maybe not win but wil be there.as for the rest of your picsks I agree with execpt one I do not beleave the cowboys will make it top the big dance oh they will be there but as history has shown they can not win a playoff game to save there lives so I think that the Saints will be there I do not like them bye know means but they are loaded for bear.but we will see the one thing for sure the teams everone thinks will be there in the end don't show up.
Anyway THANK YOU again for given my panthers some credit .glad someone not a Panther fan thinks they will make the playoffs.
I think NFC south will be
Saint 11 and 5
Panters 10 and 6
Tampa Bay 8 and 8
Atlanta 4 and 12
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Bob Cunningham 10 months ago
the cowboys? the havent-won-a-playoff-game-in-ten-years cowboys beat the iggles in the playoffs? eh, dont think so. other than that tho good job.
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