NFC East Predictions: 8 Games You Don't Want to Miss

The NFC East hosts some of the most compelling football games of the NFL season every year. There's a reason it earned the nickname "The Beast." Every game in this division has a rich storyline to it.

Four revenue monster teams battle it out every season to see who takes home the crown. Network broadcasters love this division. Ratings for inter-division games soar through the roof, especially for prime time matchups.

Here's a list of NFC East games that will make you want to, as one division alumnus famously said, "get your popcorn ready."

Week 1: Sept. 11, Giants at Redskins

NFL Sundays kick off on what will surely be an emotional day throughout the country. New York City and Washington D.C. will be the epicenter of remembrance for the 10th anniversary of the tragic events that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.

Two teams will put their differences aside during the moving pregame spectacle at FedEx Field. Both the Giants and the Redskins have fans, players and faculty directly affected by the tragedy.

What should certainly be a stirring display of appreciation for all the fallen heroes, this game is worth tuning in for. In a time where the country has been divided by politics and a poor economy, this game represents an opportunity for not only Giants and Redskins fans to stand as one, but the entire football viewing nation.

A real sense of patriotism should run through your veins on this particular Sunday. For the NFL's post lockout return, the first Sunday of the regular season full of football will be taking a backseat to this historic day in our great country's history.

Week 2: Sept. 19, Eagles at Falcons

Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. This game will be one heck of a ride. A battle of the birds takes place on this Sunday night prime time event. Both teams are oozing with preseason potential.

The buzz that surrounds this game in Atlanta is palpable. Having witnessed Michael Vick’s first return to the "dirty south" two years ago, there was an unmistakable buzz in the air due to the man being in the building.

Vick returned as a third string quarterback in 2009 and threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to the delight of the Atlanta faithful.

The Georgia Dome nearly had its roof lifted off. The Eagles must have felt at home when Vick took the field, as No. 7 jerseys were scattered throughout the dome—most of which were red and black—providing a comfy atmosphere for the visitors.

This time around the Michael Vick experience rolls into town fresh off his redemption tour of 2010 and his second $100m contract signing from this past week. Both teams are included in the handful of NFC teams favored to win their division and make a run at the Super Bowl in 2011.

Two teams that boast enough speed to make Al Davis’s 4x100 team over in Oakland look obsolete. These two offenses run on high octane and will find an extra gear on the artificial turf of the Georgia Dome.

Sit back and prepare to watch a good ole fashion shootout in this one. This should be one of the funnest games of the entire season.

Week 3: Sept. 25, Giants at Eagles, Redskins at Cowboys

What’s better than one NFC East matchup for the week? Two NFC East matchups during the same week.

The New York Giants travel down the New Jersey Turnpike to face the new look Philadelphia Eagles. It will be the first divisional matchup the Eagles host for the 2011 season. This 1 p.m. kickoff time provides the perfect appetizer for a weekend of NFC East football.

Eli Manning and the Giants get their first shot of revenge against the Eagles after their fourth quarter collapse from a year ago. Michael Vick leads the Eagles into their home opener versus the Giants after an offseason full of trash talk.

LeSean McCoy and Giants training camp holdout Osi Umenyiora got into a Twitter tiff over the summer. There was some name calling by Umenyiora after some tweets sent out by the Eagles running back that called the defensive lineman "overrated and soft."

Umenyiora’s response included the following:

“I refer to him as she because that is something a woman would do…I have always referred to him as that (“Lady Gaga”) because he is a woman…a guy like LeSean McCoy, he’s a nobody. He just needs to be quiet.”

Oh yeah, this game will have a nice edginess to it for a Week 3 game. Do not forget the Steve Smith factor either. He chose to move onto greener pastures at the other end of the turnpike.

Then you follow up a very tasty appetizer on Sunday afternoon with the Monday night match-up between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.

The Washington Redskins travel down the “Big D” to face their hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo returns from a long absence during 2010 to prove to the entire NFL that he has fully recovered.

This game presents an opportunity for the Redskins to prove that they intend to compete this year and not be the division's whipping boy.

These are two games that you do not want to miss during this NFC East divisional doubleheader.

Week 4: Oct. 2, Lions at Cowboys

These two Thanksgiving Day staples faceoff for this intriguing Week 4 matchup. A battle between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions presents a fun Week 4 showdown in “Big D.”

Matthew Stafford leads the Lions down to Dallas for what could very well be an early defining moment for both teams. The Lions have their franchise quarterback healthy (maybe) for the first time in two years and are ready to take the next step.

Tony Romo comes off of his long hiatus, trying to lead the Cowboys back to the top. After going 6-10 many had the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl at their own stadium. Now Romo and his new head coach Jason Garrett need to prove they’re capable of winning together early-on.

Both teams may look to this game late in the season as a defining moment. Both will be expecting to, at minimum, compete for a wild card slot. Not too many Week 4 games have season long implications, but this game could prove which team's ready to make a statement in 2011.

It may not be the sexiest match-up in the entire season—you can look at the previous slide for thatbut this game presents a ton of personnel headaches for both sides.

Besides who doesn’t want to see Ndamukong Suh chase down Tony Romo? Let the big dog, err, cat eat.

Week 8: Oct. 30, Cowboys at Eagles

One of the most entertaining rivalries in all of football takes center stage on Sunday Night Football in the last weekend of October. At the pivotal halfway point in the season, the Cowboys make a trip up to the "City of Brotherly Love."

Except there will be no affectionate exchanges between these two teams. Both will be looking to further enhance their chances at a division title during this showdown.

The Cowboys and Eagles have offered some of the more entertaining prime time matchups over the years.

Who can forget Terrell Owens standing in the Dallas star in the endzone after scoring a touchdown as an Eagle? Or DeSean Jackson as a rookie flipping the ball backwards in a premature celebration prior to crossing the goal line?

What about DeSean Jackson taking a backwards plunge into the end zone after out running the entire Cowboys secondary the length of the field last season?

Really, you should watch just to see what DeSean Jackson does next. He’s had quite a few memorable moments versus the Cowboys during his three year career.

Not to mention, it’s the night before Halloween. All the kooky fans will be dressed for the occasion. This is just one of those games any football fan can enjoy.

Week 11: Nov. 20, Eagles at Giants

This Sunday night game has all you need for entertainment and back-story drama. A late season showdown between the two clubs sees the Philadelphia Eagles making the trip up the New Jersey Turnpike this go around.

The last two seasons have witnessed wildly entertaining matchups between these two teams at the Meadowlands. Both of which saw New York Giants fans turn blue in the face with anger and disbelief.

We all remember what happened last year. The Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter from a 31-10 deficit to take the division lead and open their account at the new Meadowlands.

Tom Coughlin recalled the feeling for the Giants after the game:

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“I’ve never been around anything like this in my life…It’s about as empty as you can feel in this business.”

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All of this could have been avoided in the last two seasons if the Giants would adhere to one simple rule: do not punt to DeSean Jackson.

Week 12: Nov. 27, Giants at Saints

The New York Giants follow up their prime time divisional game versus the Philadelphia Eagles with another prime time game down in the “Big Easy.” The New Orleans Saints welcome the Giants to the Super Dome for a Monday Night Football showcase.

What could very well be a playoff preview, these two teams square off for the entire country to see.

Every conference game during the season counts, but in the second half of the season they become crucial victories. A team can be bounced out from playoff contention because of one inferior loss to a conference rival.

Drew Brees and the high-octane offense of the Saints face a Giants squad that, going into the season, seems to be watered down—quite the opposite from what the Saints did during the offseason.

The Giants’ division rival, the Eagles may have stolen most of the free agency headlines, but the Saints, with moves for Darren Sproles and others, quietly improved their team.

What else can be said? Tune in for this one. It’s got some serious football sex appeal.

Week 15: Dec. 17, Cowboys at Buccaneers

This game could either be a stud or a dud depending on how these two teams fair up until this point late in the season. We’re going to go ahead and assume the former, obviously.

The Dallas Cowboys ride into Tampa to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on this Saturday night prime time special. Two of the more exciting quarterbacks in the NFC face off for yet another essential conference showdown.

Tony Romo and Josh Freeman remain on two opposite sides of the spectrum as far as age goes, but are similar when it comes to playing style. Both can air it out. Both can scramble and make a play when needed. And both will be looking to keep their respective teams in the playoff hunt.

When it gets this late in the season there are no excuses. Go execute and win games, period.

Both of these two teams play in a division with multiple teams capable of making the playoffs, so they need to win this game. This, of course, is assuming both teams remain in the hunt at this late stage in the season.

If both teams linger within touching distance of a playoff spot, expect this game to be as entertaining of a game you’ll see all season.