The NFC East is always one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Each team has held the division crown in the past four years, and the NFC East title has been decided by a Week 17 prime time showdown the last two years. The division is home to six of the best rivalries in football, past and present. Don't expect any love to be lost between these four teams in 2013.
Many questions surround all of the NFC East teams. How will the Giants respond to missing the playoffs just a year after winning the Super Bowl? Will Robert Griffin III be able to change his style of play and stay healthy for the Redskins? Will Tony Romo finally be able to get the Cowboys over the hump? How will the Eagles perform under new head coach Chip Kelly? Find out the answers to these questions and more in my 2013 NFC East season preview!
1. New York Giants (10-6) (Win division based on better divisional record)
In 2011 the Giants won the NFC East with a 9-7 record. Their momentum carried them through the playoffs all the way to Super Bowl XLVI where they defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 to capture their second championship in five years. In 2012 the same 9-7 record kept the Giants out of the playoffs.
The Past two years the Giants have seemed to play their hardest and at their best when their backs were against the wall. This worked in their favor back in 2011. However, it was their downfall in 2012. The NFC East and the conference overall were much more competitive which resulted in the Giants watching the postseason from home. Head coach Tom Coughlin is one of the best in the business at what he does, and I believe that he will fix this issue and have the Giants bringing their A game week in and week out in 2013.
When you have a great quarterback like Eli Manning you are always a threat to make some noise in the NFL. Give a great quarterback one of the best wide receiver duos in the league with Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and they are nearly unstoppable.
The only weaknesses the Giants really have are their cornerbacks. Their running game is questionable, however running back David Wilson has a lot of speed and has looked very good in the preseason. As long as Wilson can protect the football, he will most likely win the Giants' starting running back job.
A lot of key players for the Giants have been sidelined due to injuries during training camp. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is still recovering from back surgery and may miss some time in the regular season. They had to reshuffle their offensive line because of so many injuries on the interior of their line. Safeties Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown are both hurting, and wide receiver Victor Cruz suffered a foot injury, but should be back in time for the start of the regular season. Assuming the Giants get healthy and can stay relatively healthy they are my pick to win the NFC East in 2013.
2. Washington Redskins (10-6)
The Redskins were one of the more fascinating stories of the 2012 season.
After years of irrelevance and lackluster performance at the quarterback position, the Redskins drafted former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III second overall. Griffin immediately resurrected the franchise, and won the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the process. The Redskins finished the regular season with a 10-6 record which was good enough for them to win their first NFC East division title since 1999.
The Redskins' season ended in the wild card round at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks who beat them 24-14. In that game, their franchise quarterback who normally left the football world in awe with his blazing speed and play making ability was playing hurt, and it showed. It was a gutsy performance by Griffin, but at the end of the game his knee buckled and he suffered a torn ACL. Head coach Mike Shanhan received a healthy amount of criticism for leaving Griffin in the game.
When it comes to Robert Griffin III, there is no question that the young man is one of the most gifted athletes and hardest working individuals in sports. However, their are questions pertaining to his durability as a franchise quarterback. Griffin brings the rare combination of arm strength, accuracy, Football IQ, and athleticism to the table as a quarterback. The downside is Griffin is so competitive that it puts him at risk for injury. He's everything you want in a leader, he always dives for that extra yard and isn't afraid to put himself in harm's way to help the team. Unfortunately, Griffin will have to change certain things about his game, otherwise he will not last in the NFL as a quarterback. RG3 knows he has to tweak certain aspects of his game, but my question is: being the competitor that he is, in the heat of the moment of a close game will he actually be able to tell himself to slide rather than put his body in harm's way for the extra yardage?
The Redskins have most of their core players from 2012 returning, including two key players whose seasons were cut short by injuries. Tight end Fred Davis is coming back from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in Week 7 of 2012 against the Giants, and linebacker Brian Orakpo will be back after missing most of 2012 with a torn left pectoral muscle. Running back Alfred Morris is one of the best young backs in the league and his presence is essential in Washington's read option style offense.
Overall, I would say that this year's Redskins squad is a little bit better than last year's team. However, when you win your division you get rewarded with tougher opponents. For that reason, I have the Redskins going 10-6 once again. Sadly, 10 wins may not be enough for a wild card birth this year in the NFC, but if they sneak into the postseason they will be dangerous.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
After starting the 2012 season with a 3-1 record, the Eagles lost 12 of their next 13 games to finish the season 4-12. A day after the end of the 2012 regular season, the 'Andy Reid Era' came to an end after 14 years when the Eagles fired their head coach.
Reid's successor Chip Kelly is not only installing a new system in Philadelphia, he's integrating a new culture. Kelly wants his players to eat, sleep, and breathe football. With Kelly's up-tempo offense that he brought with him from Oregon, offensive players will need to have a lot of endurance. Kelly has enforced every aspect of his players' daily routine, from their diet to their sleep schedule, to ensure that his players can keep up with the pace of his offense.
Kelly made the decision to go with Michael Vick as his starting quarterback. I personally believe that Vick will thrive in Kelly's system which should allow him to showcase his full potential. After a lackluster 2012 season filled with turnovers and injuries, I am picking Vick to win the 2013 comeback player of the year award.
I believe the Eagles will surprise a lot of people and be a much improved club in 2013. However, losing Jeremy Maclin for the season to a torn ACL injury will hurt them on offense, and there are too many weaknesses on defense for the Eagles to contend.
4. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
2012 was the second year in a row the Cowboys went into Week 17 with a chance to win the NFC East title. And for the second year in a row, they lost.
After losing the season finale to the Redskins 28-18 and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones made some very questionable personnel decisions. First he fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan who was replaced by Monte Kiffin. The Cowboys' defense was disappointing in 2012, but to be fair to Ryan, they were missing a lot of pieces on defense because of injuries. In March, Jones gave quarterback Tony Romo a six-year $108 million contract extension despite throwing yet another late game interception in a win-or-go-home game. Romo is a very solid quarterback, but how many times must a fanbase watch the same player choke in a big moment before you decide to go in a different direction?
When you consider that the Cowboys, the NFL's most popular team, have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, it is strange that Jerry Jones did not make any big moves in the offseason to improve his club. The Cowboys lost depth at running back when Felix Jones signed with the Eagles in free agency (He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers). Their lack of depth in the running game could be very problematic for the Cowboys. Demarco Murray is a solid running back, but has proven to be injury prone throughout his career.
The Cowboys lost too many valuable pieces in the offseason and didn't do enough to fill the voids for me to consider them to be contenders in 2013. I have the Cowboys going 7-9 and I do not see them improving any time soon unless, A.) Tony Romo finally fights off his inner demons and delivers in the clutch, or B.) Jerry Jones steps down as general manager.
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Many questions surround all of the NFC East teams. How will the Giants respond to missing the playoffs just a year after winning the Super Bowl? Will Robert Griffin III be able to change his style of play and stay healthy for the Redskins? Will Tony Romo finally be able to get the Cowboys over the hump? How will the Eagles perform under new head coach Chip Kelly? Find out the answers to these questions and more in my 2013 NFC East season preview!
1. New York Giants (10-6) (Win division based on better divisional record)
In 2011 the Giants won the NFC East with a 9-7 record. Their momentum carried them through the playoffs all the way to Super Bowl XLVI where they defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 to capture their second championship in five years. In 2012 the same 9-7 record kept the Giants out of the playoffs.
The Past two years the Giants have seemed to play their hardest and at their best when their backs were against the wall. This worked in their favor back in 2011. However, it was their downfall in 2012. The NFC East and the conference overall were much more competitive which resulted in the Giants watching the postseason from home. Head coach Tom Coughlin is one of the best in the business at what he does, and I believe that he will fix this issue and have the Giants bringing their A game week in and week out in 2013.
When you have a great quarterback like Eli Manning you are always a threat to make some noise in the NFL. Give a great quarterback one of the best wide receiver duos in the league with Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and they are nearly unstoppable.
The only weaknesses the Giants really have are their cornerbacks. Their running game is questionable, however running back David Wilson has a lot of speed and has looked very good in the preseason. As long as Wilson can protect the football, he will most likely win the Giants' starting running back job.
A lot of key players for the Giants have been sidelined due to injuries during training camp. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is still recovering from back surgery and may miss some time in the regular season. They had to reshuffle their offensive line because of so many injuries on the interior of their line. Safeties Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown are both hurting, and wide receiver Victor Cruz suffered a foot injury, but should be back in time for the start of the regular season. Assuming the Giants get healthy and can stay relatively healthy they are my pick to win the NFC East in 2013.
2. Washington Redskins (10-6)
The Redskins were one of the more fascinating stories of the 2012 season.
After years of irrelevance and lackluster performance at the quarterback position, the Redskins drafted former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III second overall. Griffin immediately resurrected the franchise, and won the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the process. The Redskins finished the regular season with a 10-6 record which was good enough for them to win their first NFC East division title since 1999.
The Redskins' season ended in the wild card round at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks who beat them 24-14. In that game, their franchise quarterback who normally left the football world in awe with his blazing speed and play making ability was playing hurt, and it showed. It was a gutsy performance by Griffin, but at the end of the game his knee buckled and he suffered a torn ACL. Head coach Mike Shanhan received a healthy amount of criticism for leaving Griffin in the game.
When it comes to Robert Griffin III, there is no question that the young man is one of the most gifted athletes and hardest working individuals in sports. However, their are questions pertaining to his durability as a franchise quarterback. Griffin brings the rare combination of arm strength, accuracy, Football IQ, and athleticism to the table as a quarterback. The downside is Griffin is so competitive that it puts him at risk for injury. He's everything you want in a leader, he always dives for that extra yard and isn't afraid to put himself in harm's way to help the team. Unfortunately, Griffin will have to change certain things about his game, otherwise he will not last in the NFL as a quarterback. RG3 knows he has to tweak certain aspects of his game, but my question is: being the competitor that he is, in the heat of the moment of a close game will he actually be able to tell himself to slide rather than put his body in harm's way for the extra yardage?
The Redskins have most of their core players from 2012 returning, including two key players whose seasons were cut short by injuries. Tight end Fred Davis is coming back from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in Week 7 of 2012 against the Giants, and linebacker Brian Orakpo will be back after missing most of 2012 with a torn left pectoral muscle. Running back Alfred Morris is one of the best young backs in the league and his presence is essential in Washington's read option style offense.
Overall, I would say that this year's Redskins squad is a little bit better than last year's team. However, when you win your division you get rewarded with tougher opponents. For that reason, I have the Redskins going 10-6 once again. Sadly, 10 wins may not be enough for a wild card birth this year in the NFC, but if they sneak into the postseason they will be dangerous.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
After starting the 2012 season with a 3-1 record, the Eagles lost 12 of their next 13 games to finish the season 4-12. A day after the end of the 2012 regular season, the 'Andy Reid Era' came to an end after 14 years when the Eagles fired their head coach.
Reid's successor Chip Kelly is not only installing a new system in Philadelphia, he's integrating a new culture. Kelly wants his players to eat, sleep, and breathe football. With Kelly's up-tempo offense that he brought with him from Oregon, offensive players will need to have a lot of endurance. Kelly has enforced every aspect of his players' daily routine, from their diet to their sleep schedule, to ensure that his players can keep up with the pace of his offense.
Kelly made the decision to go with Michael Vick as his starting quarterback. I personally believe that Vick will thrive in Kelly's system which should allow him to showcase his full potential. After a lackluster 2012 season filled with turnovers and injuries, I am picking Vick to win the 2013 comeback player of the year award.
I believe the Eagles will surprise a lot of people and be a much improved club in 2013. However, losing Jeremy Maclin for the season to a torn ACL injury will hurt them on offense, and there are too many weaknesses on defense for the Eagles to contend.
4. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
2012 was the second year in a row the Cowboys went into Week 17 with a chance to win the NFC East title. And for the second year in a row, they lost.
After losing the season finale to the Redskins 28-18 and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones made some very questionable personnel decisions. First he fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan who was replaced by Monte Kiffin. The Cowboys' defense was disappointing in 2012, but to be fair to Ryan, they were missing a lot of pieces on defense because of injuries. In March, Jones gave quarterback Tony Romo a six-year $108 million contract extension despite throwing yet another late game interception in a win-or-go-home game. Romo is a very solid quarterback, but how many times must a fanbase watch the same player choke in a big moment before you decide to go in a different direction?
When you consider that the Cowboys, the NFL's most popular team, have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, it is strange that Jerry Jones did not make any big moves in the offseason to improve his club. The Cowboys lost depth at running back when Felix Jones signed with the Eagles in free agency (He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers). Their lack of depth in the running game could be very problematic for the Cowboys. Demarco Murray is a solid running back, but has proven to be injury prone throughout his career.
The Cowboys lost too many valuable pieces in the offseason and didn't do enough to fill the voids for me to consider them to be contenders in 2013. I have the Cowboys going 7-9 and I do not see them improving any time soon unless, A.) Tony Romo finally fights off his inner demons and delivers in the clutch, or B.) Jerry Jones steps down as general manager.
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