NFC East is Once Again The NFL Powerhouse

While I am certainly not a great prognosticator of all things Football, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Now that my ironclad credentials have been firmly established, let’s talk some gridiron.  Just two weeks into the regular season it is clear that 3 of the 5 best teams in the NFL; the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants, hail from the NFC East.  Honorable mention goes to the Washington Redskins who could probably reign as division champs in some of the lesser divisions around the league – I’m talking about you NFC West.

Prolific Offenses

Last week, the Big Three (Dallas, Philly, and New York) combined for 119 points

• Dallas is 2nd in the NFL in total offense, averaging 433.5 YPG (Yards Per Game)
  • The Cowboys are averaging 34.5 PPG (Points Per Game), fourth best in the NFL.
  • QB Tony Romo has thrown for 632 yards to the tune of a 113.1 passer rating which is good for seventh in the league.
  • Terrell Owens will be eating plenty of popcorn this year.

• Philadelphia is 3rd in the NFL in total offense, racking up 429.5 YPG
  • The Eagles are putting up a staggering 37.5 PPG, second best in the league.
  • Maligned QB Donovan McNabb, who many wanted traded during the off-season, is leading a dynamic aerial attack.  McNabb has hung 642 passing yards on opposing defenses to the tune of a 114.1 passer rating, ranking him 6th in the league.
  • By the way, McNabb is doing this with both of his starting wide-outs sidelined to start the season.
  • Idiotic premature Touchdown celebration aside, WR DeShaun Jackson is a stud.
  • Brian Westbrook possess all of the physical assets that made TiVi Barber a great natural running back.

• New York is 4th in total offense, piling up 397.5 YPG
  • The Giants are sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 28.5 PPG – slackers…
  • QB Eli Manning who was unremarkable in his first start leads the entire NFL in fourth quarter passer rating with a 150.1 mark! Say what you want about little Eli and his wounded ducks, but he is clutch.
  • The three-headed monster of Earth, Wind, and Fire (Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Amhad Bradshaw) easily make up the best running back trio in football.  Defensive coordinators around the league have been put on notice.

• Bringing up the rear, Washington is 11th in total offense with 332 YPG.
  • The Redskins are twentieth in the NFL scoring only 18 PPG.  Remember, the Giants held them to 7 points in week 1, but they responded nicely beating a tough New Orleans Saints team in an exciting week 2 match-up.
  • QB Jason Campbell is progressing nicely this season and is sporting a 94.3 passer rating, putting him just ahead of division rival Eli Manning

This is the NFC East and they Also Play Defense

All four NFC East teams rank in the top 14 in Total Defense

• The Giants rank 3rd giving up 205 YPG
  • Player to watch: Defensive End Justin Tuck – he just might be one of the most physically gifted defenders in the game.  As an able student of Michael Strahan, Tuck’s combination of speed, power, and awareness make him unstoppable.
  • The Giants formidable pass rush and underrated secondary has been molded by Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who in my opinion is the most gifted coordinator in all of football.  This unit is once again feared as it was in the 1980s.

• The Cowboys are 10th yielding 271 YPG
  • Player to watch: Outside Linebacker DeMarcus Ware – he is the anchor to the Cowboys 3-4 defense.  He is a natural pass rusher that is underrated in his ability to play the run.
  • The acquisition of Zach Thomas gives Dallas one of the best linebacker corps in the league.

• The Eagles are 11th at 273 YPG
  • Player to watch: Former New England Patriots Cornerback Asante Samuel – he brings big play potential to the Eagles secondary which is still anchored by the Hall of Fame lock Brian Dawkins.
  • Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Johnson, who was Spagnuolo’s mentor in Philadelphia knows how to build a blitz happy defense.  He will have his troops performing at a high level all season long.

• The Redskins are 14th with 302 YPG
  • Player to watch: Jason Taylor – this pass rushing Defensive End was brought in from the Miami Dolphins, while the ladies might remember him from Dancing with the Stars, Quarterbacks remember him for his skillful pass rushing abilities.  As an undersized DE, his one weakness is playing the run, which may be a problem in the NFC East.
  • Will an aged defense be able to hang in there for the long haul of the regular season?

• Note: the higher numbers yielded by Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington result from the fact that they have already faced the potent offenses of other NFC East teams early in the 2008 season.  With tremendous talent and coaching on the defensive side of the ball, those numbers will almost certainly improve against less prominent offenses.

Question Marks Surrounding Each Team

Can the Dallas Cowboys, a team of superstars, build the chemistry to go the distance? This team may likely suffer from the post dynasty New York Yankees syndrome; a team of great individuals will get you wins but it will not go the distance.

Can Donovan McNabb stay healthy? There is death, taxes, and a McNabb season-ending injury. With Donovan playing better now than he has in years, McNabb is more vital to the success of the Eagles than ever before.  There will be no back-up quarterback heroics this year; however, with McNabb demonstrating more pocket passing tendencies than usual, things are looking up in Philadelphia.

Can the Giants withstand the loss of Jeremy Shockey, Michael Strahan, and Osi Umenyiora while contending with a Super Bowl schedule? Skeptics are still convinced last year was a fluke and with many of their best players gone, doubt New York has what is takes to repeat.  However, this team is well-coached, disciplined, and has tremendous team chemistry.  They are much better than some people refuse to realize.

Can Jason Campbell adapt to another offensive scheme? The Redskins change offenses annually it seems, and young Jason Campbell now finds himself learning the West Coast Offense under Jim Zorn.  Football is complex and there are always growing pains learning a new system.  I had heard that this is the seventh scheme Campbell has had to play under since his Freshman year in College – that is amazing.