NFL Season Preview #2: NFC East

The Eagles will soar or crash according to Michael Vick’s health. As long as he is on the field the Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL with stars on both side of the ball. Unfortunately, Vick was on the field for like 10 seconds in the preseason and got hurt twice. LeSean McCoy established himself as one of the premier running backs in the NFC with his 1300 yard, 17 touchdown effort a season ago. The defense struggled for much of the year, blowing five 4th quarter leads, but figured it out towards the end to help them win their last four games. Year Two of the Juan Castillo should be better. Eagles need better years from DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek, but that is also contingent on Michael Vick. If all goes right they could be in the Super Bowl.

Elite quarterback and elite pass rush, that’s what the Giants bring to the table every week and gives them a shot in every game. Eli Manning raised his game to a new level last year. His record-setting 15 fourth quarter touchdown passes and second Super Bowl MVP set him alongside the most clutch quarterbacks in NFL history. Victor Cruz busted out in a big way in 2011 as a Pro Bowl complement to Hakeem Nicks. Big Blue has an amazing pass rush with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka, perhaps the best the NFL has ever seen. The secondary was spotty last year and the ground game was dead last in the NFL. The Giants can beat anybody but they can also get beat by anybody; they tend to play up or down to their opponent. Last year featured losses to the Seahawks (at home), twice to the Redskins, and a game they ultimately should have lost to the Cardinals.

I don’t know what to think about the Cowboys. Tony Romo can do some amazing things and put up amazing numbers but he also makes gigantic mistakes late that cost games. Witten has an injured spleen, Miles Austin has a bad hammy, and Dez Bryant has issues with his knee. That’s a bad start. Rob Ryan tended to make things too complicated last year and the defense was regularly confused, but like the Eagles, the second year should be improved. The Cowboys wouldn’t surprise me if they win 10 games but I’m going to aim low, especially with a rather challenging schedule.

Unlike most rookie starting QBs, the Redskins actually have some nice pieces around RG3, including Fred Davis, Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, and Santana Moss. Not household names, but we’ve seen worse. Mike Shanahan has his traditional crowded backfield with Royster, Morris, and Helu and who knows where that will go. The defense has a lot of big names on it and they will need to play big in the NFC East and with other games against the Saints and Falcons.

Miller’s Fearless Forecast

Eagles 9-7
Giants 9-7
Cowboys 7-9
Redskins 7-9