NFC East Preview: Bloggers battle it out
by Ed Valentine on Sep 8, 2009 11:00 AM EDT
in New York Giants News
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With the NFL season starting for real this week, I reached out to the other NFC East bloggers for their thoughts and predictions about the upcoming season. Below are my predictions, and my reasoning. Following that are the picks and explanations from the SB Nation bloggers for the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
These picks will be running on each of the team's blogs. Feel free to visit each site and join in the discussion. But remember, behave yourself.
My Picks
- Giants (11-5)
- Eagles (10-6)
- Cowboys (9-7)
- Redskins (7-9)
I have spent the entire off-season listening to 'experts' sing the praises of the Philadelphia Eagles. I know the Eagles are good, but I don't get the media man-crush. Let me remind everyone which team won the Super Bowl in 2007 -- the Giants. Defending NFC East champs? Giants. Considered the best team in the NC most of last season? The Giants.
No, things did not end well for the Giants last season. They wore down defensively last season, but with all the new faces on defense that should not be an issue this time. They should be able to control the line of scrimmage. Offensively, they still have that terrific offensive line and a great running game. Yes, they have a question at wide receiver. They have talent there, however, and the other pieces of this team should give them time to answer the receiver question.
Ken (Hogs Haven, Redskins)
- Giants (11-5)
- Redskins (10-6)
- Cowboys (9-7)
- Eagles (8-8)
I see the Eagles being the good team that disappoints this season in the NFL. The Eagles simply do not look sound on defense right now. Their recent performance against the hapless Jags leaves me scratching my head. The losses of both Bradley and Jim Johnson (R.I.P.) will be too much to overcome this year. The Cowgirls have all the tools they need this year and by season’s end they should be in position to make the NFC East a 3-playoff team division once again. That assumes that Wade Phillips can get his defense under control. They underachieved last season and the pressure is on him to get the defense playing up to their potential.
As for the Redskins, nobody has them picked to do anything. They are precisely the exact kind of team that sneaks up on the league every year. They have some veteran skill players, and they have a few young players who could be ready to contribute this season in Devin Thomas, Malcolm, Kelly, Fred Davis, and Brian Orakpo. If Jason Campbell plays within himself, the early schedule favors a quick start. It is important to note that nobody is picking the Skins to finish last in the NFC East because they suck. Everybody just thinks that the rest of the teams in the division are very, very strong. This Redskins team is capable of being the surprise in the NFL this year. It happens every year. Coach Jim Zorn is definitely more comfortable and the defense is going to be as strong if not stronger than last year. A homer pick? Maybe. But who besides Falcons’ fans picked them to go to the playoffs last year?
My take: Can't blame Ken for being a homer on this one. He is right about Washington, actually. The Redskins are generally looked at as the bottom-feeder in this division, but it's not because they are a bad team. They aren't. Could they make a move? Sure. Do I think they will? No. I just don't think they have the talent of the other three teams.
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Aaron (Blogging the Boys, Cowboys)- Cowboys (10-6)
- Eagles (10-6)
- Redskins (9-7)
- Giants (7-9)
Playing the NFC South will push the Beasts to play solid defensive football against some of the most talented offenses in the conference. All should do well against the AFC West, but I don't see any one team dominating the division.
Losing Spagnuolo to St. Louis will hamper the Giants more than it will help the Rams. Several heartbreaking losses hand the Giants a disappointing season record. Philadelphia will also lack continuity on defense as the loss of Brian Dawkins and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will force the offense to pick up the slack. A late season surge gets them in the playoffs. The Redskins will show improvement and be a pain to the rest of the division, but won't get enough wins to be a contender. Quietly, the Cowboys work all season on controlling the ball, eliminating mistakes, and playing good defense. They strike quickly when needed, which helps them defeat Philly in Week 17 for the division title.
My take: Oh, Aaron. I know your fearless leader, Dave Halprin, is ceding more and more responsibility to other folks at BTB, but this response made me yearn for Dave's more realistic mindset. I would expect you to pick the Cowboys to win the division. But, the Giants at 7-9? That's just silly.
Jason (Bleeding Green Nation, Eagles)
- Giants 11-5
- Eagles 9-7
- Dallas 9-7
- Redskins 7-9
I'm not exactly sure which experts Ed has been listening to, but every media outlet and their mother has picked the Giants to not only win the NFC East but the NFC as a whole, despite the fact that it was the Eagles who beat them in their house in the divisional playoffs and made the NFC title game ... that said, I still think the Giants are the best overall team in the division. No doubt that their lack of notable pass catchers makes their offense less scary than in year's past, but I don't buy the talk of their WRs being so bad. I think they're good enough to win with.
Last year I actually picked the Redskins to make the playoffs and be the surprise team of the NFC... They didn't exactly repay that faith. I honestly thought Jason Campbell was ready to "take the next step." He didn't. I think he'll be the same player this year and I think the Redskins will be generally the same team as last year. Not bad, but mediocre.
The Dallas Cowboys have done us the favor of writing their script over the past few years. They'll impress early and get all the national media excited, only to fade in December. I kid, kind of... I do think Dallas is a good team, but I don't really see how they're any better than they were last year. I still see them as a team capable of very high highs, but I think their inability to deal with adversity will still see them reach some low lows. Their running game will still be good, but their passing game will probably regress. I still think their defense will be inconsistent. I still question Wade Phillips as a coach and Tony Romo in big spots.... I find it kind of tough to predict the Cowboys this year. I don't think they're a bad team by any means, I just don't know if I have any confidence in them.
Speaking of scripts... Will we again see the Eagles flatter to deceive early on and be written off as dead only to make an improbable run in December that sees them ending up in the playoffs? It would be a lot easier for me to predict how the Eagles will play this season if I'd actually seen them together at some point this summer. Injuries have kept pro bowlers Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews out of the preseason. One of the newest Eagles, pro bowler Jason Peters, was knicked up earlier in the preseason and didn't play a ton. Sheldon Brown hasn't really played in the preseason, neither has Omar Gaither who start at middle linebacker... Kevin Curtis has been knicked up on offense. Starting LG Todd Herremans hasn't played. According to the Eagles, most of all these players will be ready by opening day... but until I actually see them on the field I'll remain skeptical. I think it's a very talented team on paper, but we don't play the games on paper.
My take: I should have expected this from Jason. A very reasoned, solid breakdown which does not look at his team through rose-colored glasses.
It's going to be a bruising, hard-fought race in the NFC East. Your thoughts on the division, and on the predictions of the bloggers from our division rivals?
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7-9?!
That’s just ridiculous. Sounds like something you could expect from a Cowboy fan.
"We're only going to score 17 points?!" - Tom Brady
7-9?
Hog Heaven – Perfectly fine to admit their team is a sleeper hit. As said, there are no weak NFC East teams.
Bleeding Green Nation – Very humble in predicting the Giants will have a better record when the debate still rages about who has the better team.
Blogging With The Boys – Clearly hasn’t gotten the memo about how losing Spags is our biggest concern anymore. Keep in step guys. You’re supposed to complain about the inexperienced wide receivers.
yeah he's a biased fool
at least the eagles blogger didn’t pick his team to win just to make his readers happy. and i can’t wait til the season starts. i really feel like the WR problem is not that big of a problem at all. we got talented, young receivers. i’d rather have 5 guys catch 3 or 4 balls a game than 1 stud WR catch 9 while others catch 1 or 2. it makes the receiving game less predictable
Bleeding Green Nation
didn’t pick his team because of the injuries they are facing with the loss of Stewart Bradley and Jim Johnson(R.I.P.) which is why I would put them a few steps behind us. When everybody was healthy I’d say they were as good as the Giants with the same question mark in the recievers area, but with all the nagging injuries to their players he made the smart choice to put us above them for the time being because he is skeptical. I’d put us above them just because they lead in the injury count and the key importance of those players compared to our losses of Andre Brown and Jay Alford.
Cowboys fans are just lacking sense if they’re following the Blogging the Boys guy, trying to succeed Texas from the “Union” and voting for President Bush two terms.
Wow, what a joke. Have fun with that one, I'm going to Quiznos!
by MRoztheGreat777 on Sep 8, 2009 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
must have hit his head on the jerrytron…
by catsmeat84 on Sep 8, 2009 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
7-9 sounds like the Cowboys record not the Giants
I mean the ‘Boys have wideout concerns of their own to go with concerns about Romo winning clutch games and Wade Phillips actually ’coaching up’ a team that is aging and not as filled with stars.
Perhaps Jerry Jones really see’s the team as we do. Which is why he ordered the huge scoreboard to make up for the rather small performances on the field.
by Major on Sep 8, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I expect nothing less from a Dallas fan, I just can’t believe he didn’t pick Dallas to go 15-1 or 16-0.
Make sure he is willing to come back in December for a big helping of crow and humble pie
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Sep 8, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Dallas have looked soft for years
any team that reliably collapses at the crunch point of the season can be described as soft
by catsmeat84 on Sep 8, 2009 11:23 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
the picks
BBV: Seems in line with the media in general. Ed, you’re becoming the establishment!
HH: We can forgive the homerism because it’s acknowledged and shoot, what do skins fans have if not hope?
BtB: Disappointing here, but hey: It would not be impossible for the Giants to go 7-9, nor for the ‘Girls to go 10-6. It’s possible. No reason to be offended. Of course, it is, again, homerism.
BGN: Hate to say it, but this guy is the the only one here who didn’t pick the best-case scenario for his team. Good analysis. You’re going to Hollywood.
You play to win the game!
I'm not mad, but...
I’d like to see a better reason for the Giants going 7-9 than the loss of a DC and a number of heartbreaking late game collapses. You know, cuz Eli’s never led a 4th quarter comeback or anything.
I almost wonder if the Eagles guy is trying a little reverse psychology or something.
I could see the skins sneaking up. They should have an easier schedule because of their finish last year (I didn’t look) and they do have some intriguing pieces. I’m not sold on any of the other 3 Beast teams O-lines, I think they all have holes and I think that favors us in the division matchups.
eli
has been every clutch in the no huddle. i wish they would sometimes go to the no huddle occasionally early some games just to catch the defense off guard and to get them winded
The only problem with the no huddle...
Is that it goes against everything the Giants try to accomplish on offense…which is ball control, and time of possession. Three and outs are all to common in the no huddle, and if it’s three passes, you may not even take up 10 seconds.
"We'll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we try to do every day, Kick Pedroia's ass in cribbage and try and win a baseball game."
by tito (eight and oh) on Sep 8, 2009 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I honestly
have no idea what’s going to happen this year. I just shared my opinions on the Redskins, I really like what the Cowboys have done, shedding the talented personality problems (well, I don’t like it, but from a football standpoint it was a great move IMO), and the Eagles looked great down the stretch last year and arguably made their team better this offseason. I wouldn’t be shocked if any of these teams win the division and I certainly wouldn’t be shocked if 3 teams made the playoffs. That said, each team has some serious question marks:
Redskins: can their offense step up?
Eagles: can they survive the loss of Jim Johnson and Dawkins, and will they stay healthy enough to win?
Cowboys: can Wade Phillips coach a winning team, can Tony Romo win big games, will Roy Williams become a legit #1 receiver?
Giants: Can they survive loss of Spags, will the receivers step up, was the stretch run last year just them getting tired or was it indicative of something else?
We better not overlook the Redskins.
Their defense is better. They’re hitting people. Ready for prime time? No. Ready to upset somebody? Definitely. Eagles will be right there, but they’re mighty thin. Dallas doesn’t scare me that much. They’re too dumb to use Marion Barber the way we use Jacobs, and Roy Williams sucks. They’ll look like worldbeaters at times, but…they don’t scare me.
I left my swagger in my other pants.
by HughG16 on Sep 8, 2009 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
the fact that the Tony Romo led Cowboys are 4-1 against this Giants team means nothing to you I guess.
Blah blah blah we won the one that mattered…..whatever
Win a playoff game since 96, then we'll talk, kay?
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
wow, no real response, just a different form of what I predicted you guys would say.
The point is that the Cowboy’s should concern the Giants, because we have had your number with Romo at the helm. 4-1. That is a fact.
13 years without a playoff win is also a fact
you can’t just arbitrarily choose which facts you can keep and which ones can be nicely tucked away and forgotten about.
Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!
by bigbluethruandthru on Sep 8, 2009 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I am not trying it just isn’t relevant to the point being discussed here. Try to keep on topic. The poster said he was not worried about the Cowboys at all, I simply pointed out the Cowboys have had the Giants number in recent match-ups.
I also pointed out that the Giants have won when it counts most.
So yes, I believe that was relevant to the discussion of “fearing” Dallas. I don’t really fear them right now, because even if they win one of the matchups in the regular season, they won’t win when it counts.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
I assume you mean in the playoffs by when it counts, because with only 16 games I think everyone of them counts pretty significantly. And my only point is that we have a very good record against your current Giants team. Expect that to continue.
Who's we?
You got a mouse in your pocket?
They Cowboys can own the Giants in the regular season year in, and year out, but the fact remains when playoff football comes around “we” have a QB with ice water in his veins, who knows how to take his offense down the field and win a ball game, whereas the Cowboys and there fans are usually left wondering how Romo duped them into believing he could perform in a high pressure situation yet again.
"We'll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we try to do every day, Kick Pedroia's ass in cribbage and try and win a baseball game."
by tito (eight and oh) on Sep 9, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
ice water in his veins really? he stepped up once, and has been one and done the other three times if memeory serves me correctly. Our QB has marched down the field and led us to victory many a time, so Eli isn’t the only QB that can do it.
I will make no apology for being a “we” fan, I have always used that term and many others do too.
Note...
he stepped up once……….Actually, it was stepping up four times in a row (Tampa, Dallas, Green Bay, and finally, NE).
Other than key injuries to the G-men
I can not see the 7-9 being right. 9-7 I can buy. 11-5 I can buy. A healthy enough G-Men team though at 7-9? No way.
Giant Questions
None on D – really. Lots of depth. If one does not perform or gets hurt there is another – except for safety.
1. When Brandon Jacobs gets nicked up can Bradshaw and Ware hold things together?
2, Can they win with receiver by committee until one steps up?
3. Can the Giants OL stay injury free?
Yes. yes, and if not then 7-9 could really be a possibility.
The health of the OL makes or breaks the season because of no depth. If GMen cannot run the ball and win the possession war then other dominoes begin to fall. If I could criticize JR it would be for no OL depth.
One benefit of receiver by comittee may be
that it’s harder for the opponents to defend. I’m not an expert on the receivers, but I’ve heard a few experts indicate that the Giants’ receiving corp has a mix of different skill sets, making it harder to plan against. I hope they are right.
Unless something bad happens to the OL...
The Giants look like a lock-in in 1st place; however, my one concern is the lack of depth in the OL. Receiver wise I think although no clear superstar, there is a lot of talent around so if Eli spreads the ball well it shouldn’t be a concern.
Behind the Giants I see the Eagles, which should have an explosive attack.
Third, the Cowboys who have enough talent to get into the playoffs but lack the necessary coaching to do anything meaningful with what they have. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Phillips gets fired before the season ends.
The Redskins are not a bad team, but clearly a couple of levels below the rest of the division.
all of the above are sound cases for their team...
except for the guy from dallas. even if some things do go wrong for the giants, like say their defense starts out slow without spagnuolo or the receivers dont start to pan out til mid to late season, there is no way i see this team finishing with a losing record. i say 8-8 is the lowest they go, with the potential to get as high as 11 or 12 wins. realistically i think they land somewhere inbetween, like 10-6 or 11-5. the eagles are the only team i think will chase them for the division, theres too many question marks for both the redskins and the cowboys.
by GiantsReignSupreme on Sep 8, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions
Who's it gonnaa be?
U really could make an argument for each and I wouldn’t be surprised. What hurts these teams the most is that they have to play each other. And w/ having to play the very talented NFC South, plus the Chargers, each team will earn their spot. Then we have the Cardinals and the Vikes. No, it’s not going to be a cake walk. Still, I think the Giants have the best team in football.
Giants 13-3
Cowboys 10-6
Redskins 8-8
Eagles 7-9
I agree except
I think the skins go 7-9, eagles 8-8
Those are really pretty pictures!!
They almost made me read what these morons had to say!!..but I was forced to just stare at the pics!
Finally!
A comment about the pretty pictures! After I spent all that time agonizing over which pictures to add.. LOL!!
Wow, Ed...great pictures.
LOL.
but in all seriousness I was talking to someone that was up there for the entire training camp.
Ed, maybe you can weigh in on this. He was telling me Beckum on a few occasions was lined up in the backfield and even split wide. the giants even lined him and bradshaw up wide at one point.
I know the giants weren’t going to tip their hand in Pre Season but what can we expect from Beckum this year? and in what capacity? So far during pre season i only saw Beckum lined up in the slot once…every other time was on the line (not i could be mistaken) but that’s the only time i noticed it.
Beckum
I really don’t know. He has terrific hands and he is a tough cover for linebackers. But, how/if the Giants are able to incorporate him this season is a mystery. I would expect to see some situations where he is used in the slot, but I just don’t know how much he is going to play. At least early on.
I second that...
i was actually expecting little to nothing from TB this year because i thought he was too small to play on the line…and to my knowledge I thought he wasn’t getting many reps lined up wide or in the backfield.
He would be an awesome target coming outta the backfield…i hope KG finds a way to incorporate him this year. He’s a match-up nightmare.
Who beat the "best" team in the NFL in their house -- twice?
The Eagles. The media has more of a man crush on the Giants if anything. The media just sings the praises of our POTENTIAL on offense — which could be pretty good if it all comes together and our rookies end up being as good as they say. It’s a “what have you done for me lately league,” not what did you do two years ago league.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
I ask again..where is your trophy..where are the rings?..Hmmm nowhere..
by Bobbiblue on Sep 8, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The only thing you have won..is nothing
by Bobbiblue on Sep 8, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No one cares about a championship you won in 1960
when there were like 12 teams in the league and it wasn’t even called a Super Bowl. Winning something 49 years ago does not count, son.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
Lately?
So “what we have done lately” is win our division last year. Is that “lately” enough or is that “too late?” I suppose recent super bowl winners are irrelevant…. We have the experience for playoff runs.
Now im even more pumped to beat the cowgirls
Gary Thorne=Simply the Best!
by The American Mr.Hockey on Sep 8, 2009 4:36 PM EDT reply actions
The Eagles
just don’t win the big game. McNabb always ends up puking or getting confused. They play well against the Giants because the teams are so familiar with each other, but let’s not forget that the Eagles backed their way into the playoffs. They were a hotter and healthier team than the Giants last year, not the better team…
by Aceholioo on Sep 8, 2009 4:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Just wondering
I see a lot of comments about how you can’t possibly imagine going 7-9. Why is this? I am not trying to start an argument about the Cowboys, so leave this about your team. Why is it so impossible?
How did the season end for the Giants? You can’t see playing like that for a whole year? The Giants did not have any significant upgrades (they tried on defense, but have ended up with a good number of injuries in those positions) to their team from the end of the year, where they played poorly so why would it be only because of injuries that they finish under .500
silly..
For one thing, they get a pro bowl DE back from injury (Osi) – the other players will start making contributions. Some will get healthy just as the depth is needed.
When you say that they played so poorly at the end of last year – really? they looked pretty good against the Panthers, and were one dropped pass from beating the Eagles
by NYERinSF on Sep 8, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Did the rules committee come up with some sort of 12 point touchdown that I didn’t hear about?
I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.
That's a momentum changing play, sorry.
That would have at the very least tied up the game. And which squad has done more in big, close games?
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
The Eagles dominated that game especially in the second half. I wouldn’t be so sure that one cheap TD would have changed that.
I'm not drunk I'm just drinking.
I don't think that would possibly be cheap if that pass was caught.
More like bad defense.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
You would need an amazing number of things to go wrong.
Snee and Seubert would have to get hurt, as would Eli and Jacobs. Possible? Sure. But that’s not really the point of these predictions. Playing at reasonable strength, how will your team do? We have a legit shot at anything between 9 and 12 wins. So 11 is not at all an unreasonable number.
I left my swagger in my other pants.
but my point is that not that many things have to go wrong, you guys played some not so good games last year, all you have to do is play like that. It is not that far fetched, you guys over here really are that delusional that you have the NFL’s best team and there is no way, outside of injuries or some unforeseen act of God, that you could finish below .500.
My personal prediction is that you will not be below .500, but just accept the possibility it makes you seem like you have a clue.
The whole point of PREDICTIONS are to say what will most likely happen, leaving behind injuries.
As currently constructed, the Giants are not a 7-9 team, not by several wins. And the real delusion would be to say otherwise.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
no, it is not. If the Giants do not play better in some areas (WR-LB) this year than last year they could easily be 7-9, this is the NFL not college where you can just assume USC, Florida, Texas, and some others will only have 1 loss
Easily?
No team in the Beast is “easily” finishing with a sub .500 record. I didn’t say that about the Cowboys, but you seem to think that about the Giants. Sounds like you’re the one “assuming” things.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
read everything I have written, I don’t think they are going to finish below .500, I have said that several times, but this is the NFL, shit happens. Good teams lose to worse teams and that is the point
So you're point is basically argument for the sake of argument.
The Eagles could go 5-11. Because this is the NFL, and shit (like benching your franchise QB mid-season) happens.
"We'll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we try to do every day, Kick Pedroia's ass in cribbage and try and win a baseball game."
by tito (eight and oh) on Sep 9, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
my problem is not with the idea that you are unlikely to go 7-9, but with the bravado and attitude that there is no way on God’s green earth the Giants would go 7-9 without injuries
I don't think the Cowboys would go 7-9 without injuries.
Neither would the Giants, who are a better, deeper, better coached, more talented team. That’s all there is to it.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
Where are you deeper? Where are you better? I give you coached, by a decent margin too.
We can go position by position and I would say we have the better offense, you have the better o-line though, and you have a better defense, we have the better LBs.
The bottom line is in this part of the argument no one is going to win, even trying our best to objective we will fail. You think your team is better and I think mine is better. Good luck this season, I am going a little stir crazy waiting for kick-off
I'll strike better off the list, just because it would be difficult to debate that.
And yeah, depending on positions the Cowboys are better or the Giants are better. But honestly, besides perhaps the Patriots, there is no team that has stockpiled a better 53 man roster than the Giants. There are a couple weak links in depth, but all teams have that. But top to bottom, there are very, very few teams that are better prepared for injuries than the Giants. Yeah, of course, any team can have star players get hurt and derail that season. So of course the Giants COULD go 7-9. But that’s not happening without a lot of things going wrong. So again, the whole argument is whether or not the Giants would play the way they ended the year. That was mostly caused by two things:
1) Lack of targets at reciever without Plax.
2) Fatigue on the D-Line
This year, the Giants have the deepest D-line in the league. So cross #2 off your list. And not only do they have new targets at WR, but the playbook is much better suited for them this season as well. Remember, last year, when Plax was gone, Gillbride just inserted guys like Hixon into Plax’s plays. That didn’t really work, and they couldn’t handle all of the pressure they got in that role. But this year, with new, redesigned passing options, and a more diverse group of recievers who will all participate, that won’t be as much of a problem either. So with one of the main factors of the downspin at the end of last year mostly reduced and the other completely eradicated, I reiterate the point that a lot of things would have to go wrong for a 7-9 season. It could happen to any team. But if someone had to bet which team it’s happening to…let’s just say it wouldn’t be the Giants.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
a lot of fun but...
The basic truth is that everything depends on which team stays healthiest.
A few key injuries will knock an otherwise elite team from contention. On the other hand a team that stays mostly healthy (doesn’t lose key players) can go deep into the playoffs
That's true
The only way the Giants go 7-9 is with injuries at the wrong places. And those things you simply can’t predict.
predictions
albeit the NFC has been long lastingly sluggish and somewhat less competitive then the AFC counterparts in recent seasons the NFC this year holds not too many surprises. Changes in personal and via the UFA period along with new rookie draftees being added to the already supporting casts here’s how i see this year panning out.
Giants-12-4 Giants over Green Bay Giants over Eagles Championship
Green Bay 11-5
Eagles10-6-wild card Eagles over Arizona
Falcons-10-6
Arizona-10-6 AFC
BEARS-9-7 wild card Steelers 12-4 Chargers-10-6 Colts over chargers
Pats 11-5 Texans 10-6 Texans over bengals
Colts-10-6 Bengals 9-7 Steelers over colts
Steelers over NE
NFC champs Giants AFC champs Steelers
SB44: Giants ova Steelers (24-17)
Wow.
Just for that prediction, I’m rooting for the Cowboys to lose out to the Eagles.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
Giants record
To be honest I think most Giants fans are being humble about an 11-5 season. The Giants have one of the most talented teams in the league with: experience in previous years, and an influx of new talent makes me think the Giants are primed for a better season than 11-5. I personally think that this team is better than last years team and we are actually are loaded with playmakers at the WR position. These guys will make plays. I don’t see why we won’t win 13 games.
I tend to agree...
but I think it’s hard to ever pick 12+ wins for your team because you are going to need key guys to stay healthy for every game and probably a few breaks along the way as well, not to mention relatively error-free ball regarding fumbles, ints, blocked kicks, etc.
Looking at the schedule, I can see the Giants losing in the big opener in Dallas, probably one of the Philly games if history’s taught us anything. Other than that… I dunno, in NO is tough, San Diego may be tough, but I think their record is more a product of the crap in their division. Favre will be on IR by the time we go to Minny, Carolina doesn’t look as good as they did last year… I mean, it’s not hard to see them winning 12+, but I also know how well the Gmen have historically played when there were high expectations, so I think we all have to temper our excitement until we see how things unfold, if everyone stays healthy, if a few WRs emerge, if the D is as good as we think it can be, etc.
I think Aaron bumped his head on that new scoreboard.
by long time listener on Sep 8, 2009 6:25 PM EDT reply actions
Scoreboard
My one thing about the scoreboard… if you’re going to go to a live game and spend the whole game effectively staring at a TV, why not just save up for the giant HD flatscreen and enjoy the comforts of climate control, private facilities and a 12-pack for the cost of a single beer at the stadium?
by TNYFBG on Sep 8, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Division champ
The NFC division teams are so close in talent,
The team that will win the division will depend on the intangibles:,
such as:
1: The Luckiest.
2: Have the Best turnover-rations.
3: Have the least injuries.
Anything can happen
As I live in England I only see game highlights (I do not subscribe to FOX etc).
What the end of the last regular season showed us is that anything can happen. The Giants lost to the Cowboys and Eagles, The Eagles lost to the Redskins but beat the Cowboys and the Cowboys beat the Redskins.
My point is any of these forecasts can prove to be true as all of the above games were not decided by one play – in most cases they were a beatdown – so form does not come into the equation when it is a divisional matchup.
The Redskins, Eagles and Giants have added to their squad with offseason trades and FA signings, whereas the Cowboys have improved their squad by removing elements that were not team players.
I think which ever team can go 4-2 or better in the division will win the division.
If we ignore injuries which are random, I think that the Giants (and I would say that as a Giants fan) have the best squad in terms of balance between offence and defence and depth with the Eagles a very close second, the Cowboys third and the Redskins last simply as I am not totally convinced that their offence can score points on a regular basis.
I do however accept that their are parts of other teams or individual players that are better than what the Giants have, but I am looking at teams as a whole rather than the parts.
I am more interested in reaching the playoffs than winning the division and I think the Giants are good enough to get there.
by G Fan in England on Sep 9, 2009 5:36 AM EDT reply actions
7-9 is totally possibility for the Giants this year
Personally I think they win 8 or 9, but I don’t think it’s ridiculous to predict only 7 wins. Also, Eli is the 3rd best QB in the East, just sayin.
It's not a ridiculous possibility.
It’s a completely ridiculous prediction. Completely different. You can’t “predict” unforseen injuries.
"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw
I could definitely see how one might argue McNabb is better than Eli...
…Even though Eli has done more with his team in 4 years than McNabb has done with his in more than twice that time period.
But how you gonna go and put Cambell ahead of him?
Manning’s easily better than Cambell. So he’s second.
"We'll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we try to do every day, Kick Pedroia's ass in cribbage and try and win a baseball game."
by tito (eight and oh) on Sep 10, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Some NFC East thoughts and a hat/tip to John Madden
Going back some, for years, announcers on NFL games would all say, “Lawrence Taylor changed football.” Now while LT remains my favorite defensive player of all time (and the reason I refuse to acknowledge Ladainian Tomllinson as LT. I mean, I like Ladainian but LT is TAKEN!) it took John Madden one Monday night to explain just how he changed the game. In a nutshell, LT was the atomic bomb who went where he wanted and blew things up. His combination of size and speed and savvy was unseen and the teams in his division, the NFC East, all had to start tailoring their offensive lines and their tight end schemes and their basic offenses to deal with him. After Taylor came the Hogs of D.C. and other giant offensive lines and the success of the NFC East in Super Bowls after Taylor entered the league is well known. All those teams learned from watching and playing against LT. And they built teams that won Super Bowls. Thank you, Lawrence.
Which brings me to this year – we learned from the Giants in 2007, that the pass rush using a group of rotating players is the single biggest key to success. We have a chance this year to have a memorable defensive front, using 7 or even 8 players on a rotating basis when called for. But that’s not enough in my estimation. We need the wild card, the extra added attraction. For me that is Clint Simtin. Line this kid up wherever and let him go. They can’t possibly block Tuck and Osi and Canty and Bernard and Kiwi and whoever else is in that front… and Simtin. Just the threat of him coming will cause offenses to change. We won’t have to worry about our d-line getting tired or wearing out (even with our numbers) if we have a stud backer with great pass-rushing skills. Let the kid loose. That’s my first thought.
Ease up on Eli. He’ll be fine. We’re in the playoffs every year, we’ve won the greatest Super Bowl in history. Marino with his 8 million yards passing – one SB appearance, one loss. Dan Fouts none. Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers – none, none and none. And they all throw the ball beautifully. Who cares? It’s about winning, in the playoffs and in the SB, and Eli has proven that he can do both. Yes, he’s the QB of the New York Football Giants and he should expect some flack, but ease up. He’ll be fine. Defense wins championships. Just ask Marino and Fouts and Brees and Palmer and so many others.
So, needless to say I’ve got the Giants winning the division. They’ve gotten better – Canty, Boley, Nicks, etc. We’ll be fine.
Now for the rest – The Cowboys. Really? Why do we never speak about their substandard set of wide-outs? Roy Williams to step up this year? Why this year? They lost T.O., they lost Canty, Flozell Adams is another year older, slower and fatter. His holding skills will be on full display on the giant video scoreboard above the field. Watch the second halves of their games when he’s winded and the holding calls start cause the refs just can’t ignore them any more. And their defense? How did their defense get better? We have Canty now. Who replaced him? And Romo? He can date all the blondes he wants, he can pass for 4,000 yards like so many of those named above, but what he can’t do is win a playoff game. He’s got more persoanlity than Eli. Big deal. Eli has the ring and the chance for more.
The Redskins. Once again, they’re building a team to beat the Giants. It worked when they built the Hogs to stop LT. But now they’re building a D line to stop Jacobs, and Barber, and Westbrook. Good idea but it will fail because on offense Jason Campbell is still their QB and he’s shown very little in terms of progress.
Which brings us to the Eagles. The press loves the Eagles. They signed the only man rehabilitated ever in the US penal system, Mike Vick. But they lost Dawkins, they lost their MLB, they won’t have a full-speed Westbrook for the first few games. And they still have the weird marriage of Reid and McNabb. They love, they hate, he sits, he starts – they’re Philly’s version of a tabloid Hollywood romance. And they have yet to win the big one. We have. The Giants have. Eli has. And now they’ve got the WildCat. Big deal. Show me the WildCat teams that have won Super Bowls. There are none.
So, Giants fans, relax. It will be a great year in the best division in football. We’ll win some and lose some. And in February we will be the last team standing.
by nybaseballgiants on Sep 9, 2009 10:24 AM EDT reply actions
Not too sure about your criticism of the Cowboys or Eagles...
I don’t believe our receivers are any more “sub-standard” than who the giants have playing for them – I understand Hakeem Nicks and Barden have a lot of potential, but they’re still first year wideouts. On the other hand, we obviously overpayed for Roy Williams, but I’m not looking for him to replace TOs production, just to move the chains on third downs and command some extra attention. With Hurds hands, Austins speed, and Felix as our gamechanger in the backfield (I won’t even mention the tandem of Witten and Marty B.), I think we’ve got a pretty imposing offense. You certainly can’t boil it down to holding pentalties and Romo’s choice of women. Hell, Romo has better or comparable stats at this point in his career to the elder Manning, and I don’t think anyone will argue that Eli is a better quarterback than Peyton.
On defense we’ve still got the best defensive player in the league, and after getting rid of Greg Ellis we’ve opened it up for some of our younger, faster players. Chris Canty was never a good fit for our defense, he was pretty underwhelming for most of his career here. The linebackers were upgraded – in my opinion drastically – and if Newman can stay healthy, we will have comparable secondaries with either of the “top two” teams in this division – and that will finally allow Wade to get the pass rush going like he would have liked to last year. I don’t keep up with the Eagles to provide any reliable commentary on them, so I’ll let someone else do it.
I certainly don’t believe the Giants will go 9-7, I just think you’re severely underrating the rest of this division if you think it will be so cut and dry. These teams are going to beat up on each other and I don’t think the last couple years history will have any bearing on what happens this season.
Can you imagine
If the Giants had gone to the Western Div. Instead of the Cardinals? It would be us, the Seahawks, and the Niners. Now THAT is cut and dried. Of course, we’d be in a lame division with no pride or good teams, with apologies to Mike Singletary.
You play to win the game!
Rams were so bad I forgot them
You play to win the game!
by Simms-McConkey on Sep 9, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
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