The NFC East Is Still the Beast to Watch

As the 2009 NFL season approaches their initial kickoff into preseason games, fans eagerly await to see who may be ready to contribute towards their favorite teams goal of winning the championship

One thing is certain about training camp and preseason, a team can have their entire outlook changed drastically over this time.

Injuries are an obvious factor, one that stays in a team's game plan until they are done playing that year. Another is the progression of the already known commodities on each team. Many mature in mind, as well as body, as they learn the game. Some end up being tagged "over the hill" as well.

Then there is the exciting factor of the new members of a team, especially the rookies. Whether a player is drafted by the team or not, every season sees at least one newcomer have a significant impact on their teams fortunes.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia was less than two minutes from a Super Bowl appearance last year. Some may say they took the league by surprise, others say they just were doing what was expected.

Head coach Andy Reid has smartly drafted on his area of expertise, offensive line, the last few years. The foundation appears to be set for many more years ahead.

Donovan McNabb had an up and down season at quarterback in 2008, but there is the thought he may be at his peak as a football player right now. The Eagles seem to think so, considering they gave him a lot more money and weapons for the upcoming season.

There are two big questions ahead for the Eagles that may end up costing them a chance at the franchise getting their first championship since 1960.

The defense is very talented and has interchangeable parts. The only thing that may be missing is their leader. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Johnson was the "mad scientist" who concocted schemes that confounded and confused opponents. He passed away due to cancer recently, so it remains to be seen how the team will react with his absence.

The other question is the same question Philadelphia had last season. The running game is an issue may have cost the Eagles their chance of making it to the Super Bowl in the 2008 season.

Brian Westbrook is the only proven running back on the team, and he appears to be heading into his twilight years as an NFL player. Westbrook, not a big back, has gotten more out of his abilities than most running backs have in Eagles history.

Like all things that must end, we might be seeing his swan song as a featured back. He has battled injuries the past few years, and may best be served being used as a pass catching type mainly.

If it is, in fact, Westbrook's time to no longer be "the guy", the Eagles need rookie LeSean McCoy to step up immediately. McCoy, being a rookie and a small back himself, is not a known commodity right now. Though he was successful in college, that does not always translate at the professional level.

With both men not being the type who can get it done on the fourth and one type of plays, the Eagles still have that question as to who will be their short yardage guy. There are no players on the roster now who certainly will fill the role. The best option may be a journeyman named Kyle Eckel.

Getting the job done in short yardage is critical to winning games. It shows superiority in the trenches, which is a must in the NFC East. One can expect the Eagles to roll up yards in the air, but the length of their season may be determined by the effectiveness of their ground attack.

 

New York Giants

The Giants step into 2009 just one season removed as the defending champions. Many of those key performers are still on the roster, thus making them a force to be reckoned with.

The main force the Giants employ is their offensive line. It is one of the best in the league, and none are considered old yet. If they all stay healthy, this unit has a few more years left together. Still, the team has smartly stocked the roster with youngsters to learn from the veterans.

The media loves to point out the loss of wide receiver Plaxico Burress, but the bigger loss to the unit may be the departure of Amani Toomer. Toomer was the consistent weapon the Giants could rely on, while Burress was the explosive, but maddeningly inconsistent, headcase the team never knew what to expect of.

The team will now employ a group of young and unproven receivers, and this could be the downfall of their upcoming season.

The defense, as always it seems, will be solid. They are deep, versatile, and smart. Trying to exploit them with a balanced attack is not easy. The only real weakness might be at safety, and that is a weakness most teams would love to have.

The running game is led by Brandon Jacobs, but this will be the first year of his pro career where he is the only consistent threat on his team. Ahmad Bradshaw had been used sporadically up until now, so he may have a chance to show he can handle an increased role.

Then there is a group of Danny Ware, Andre Brown, Allen Patrick, and Dwayne Wright. Ware might be the leading candidate of this group, and could end up being the guy to spell Jacobs.

Brown is a versatile back with little mileage on him, mainly because he was injury prone in college. Wright has talent, but has yet to realize it. Whomever emerges from this group could push the G-Men back into a Super Bowl.

One thing is almost a certainty. The Giants will be in the running for the playoffs come season's end, barring a major rash of injuries. The length of their run will be determined in the depth and balance of their offensive attack.

 

Dallas Cowboys

Trying to rebuild while being competitive is not easy. Especially when you are a team that tries to pass itself off as championship caliber each year that passes. Dallas has been caught in this mire, and hopes this is the year they back the hype with results.

Addition by subtraction appears to be the overlying theme for 2009. When the Cowboys dumped future Hall Of Famer, and member of the Headcase Hall Of Fame, Terrell Owens, they basically handed the keys of the passing game to Jason Witten and Roy Williams.

Both are capable of doing the job, and hopefully offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will start to use the wondrous receiving skills of running back Felix Jones to add that explosive dimension the team has lacked for several seasons.

The Cowboys main weakness, however, has been in the trenches the last few years. Though they did address this on the defensive side, by acquiring defensive end Igor Olshansky, the offensive line remains the same for now. Dallas did pick up some youngsters to develop, but none are expected to help this year.

The inconsistency of the blocking not only affects the passing game, but it has hindered the running game. Dallas must rely on a strong running attack to be contenders, and Marion Barber is being counted on being the feature back.

Tashard Choice is an intriguing prospect, and he could end up taking a lot of pressure off of Barber. Jones is electric, but is best employed if used in increments on the ground. 

The Cowboys are expecting their linebackers and defensive backs to be stellar this year. Led by All-Pro linebacker DeMarcus Ware, they have added All-Pro Keith Brooking to help an assorted group of linebackers.

Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Spencer are former first round draft picks who have yet to substantiate their selections. If they realize their abilities, Dallas could end up having one of the better linebacking units in the NFC.

There are many talented cornerbacks on the Cowboys roster, but safety still is a huge concern. Gerald Sensabaugh is being counted on being the consistent and complete strong safety the team has not had since Darren Woodson retired. It is questionable that he is that guy.

Wide receiver Roy Williams is the face of the receiving corp, but there is some concern about the rest of the group. A group that seems full of guys that are not considered starting material, for the most part. Patrick Crayton needs to really step up his game, or the team might find itself turning to a bunch of questionable players.

Then there is hope that Isaiah Stanback, a former college quarterback, is ready to show why the Cowboys drafted him in 2007. If he emerges, it could be a critical wrinkle to the Cowboys offensive attack.

No one will ignore Dallas this year. The media won't let that happen. The talent is there as well, but it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys can start holding their own at the line of scrimmage. If this happens, they are capable of getting to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

 

Washington Redskins

The Redskins still appear to be a team in flux. They enter their second season with Jim Zorn as the head coach, and are a roster mostly full of guys selected by previous head coach, and Hall Of Famer, Joe Gibbs.

The mess of the front office continues, led by owner Dan Snyder and his stooge Vinny Cerrato. The Redskins may have cost themselves their future quarterback by trying to acquire other players to fill his position.

Jason Campbell got off to an excellent start in 2008, despite playing in his fifth offensive system in five years. He set a team record of passing attempts without an interception. Things began to fall apart for him as the season progressed, and it was no coincidence that the Redskins offensive line was bereft with injuries during this time.

Campbell wasn't the only player whose production significantly decreased with the offensive lines woes. Running back Clinton Portis soon followed with an injury of his own, and his backup, Ladell Betts, also had his own injury issues. The Redskins lack of running attack exposed their weakness through the air. Even with All Pro tight end Chris Cooley as the main weapon.

Santana Moss is the teams main wide receiver, but he is known as a player who can make the tough catch and drop the easy ones. His inconsistency has cost Washington chances at wins.

The second receiver, Antwaan Randall El, is best utilized as a third receiver in the slot. The rest of the group is an unknown commodity, though Devin Thomas did show some promise in his 2008 rookie campaign.

Washington has pinned their hopes of defensive improvement on the broad shoulders of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth was given a huge contract of $100 million to play with the team, and he is expected to provide the run stopping ability the team sorely needs.

The real question will be the back seven of the defense. The team's depth at linebacker is dreadfully thin. Other than middle linebacker London Fletcher and weakside linebacker Rocky McIntosh, the team has no proven players they know can be relied on.

Washington has three veteran cornerbacks in Fred Smoot, Carlos Rogers, and DeAngelo Hall. Depth was still needed, and they drafted a potential future starter in Kevin Barnes this year.

Safety was considered a concern last season, yet rookie Chris Horton was excellent at strong safety. If he can avoid the proverbial sophomore jinx, the team has a versatile and experienced backup in Reed Doughty to lean on for quality depth.

The kicking game has also been a mess in Washington for several years. They wasted a draft pick on a punter last year, and ended up cutting him a few weeks into the year.

Their placekicker, Shaun Suisham, was one of the worst in the league in 2008. They have brought in only journeyman Dave Rayner to push Suisham, and brought in veteran Hunter Smith to handle the punting duties.

Washington heads into the season with as many questions as they had last year. Will the veterans be able to make Zorn's West Coast offense work? Will they finally stay healthy for a complete season? If injuries occur, will the depth be able to provide quality play? Will the Redskins crawl out of the NFC East cellar? Of course all this gets answered after kickoff, but few pundits are answering "yes" to any of those questions.