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At the ESPYs recently Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott guaranteed his team would win the NFC East because “We’re the Cowboys.” Well, now Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles has chimed in on the topic of which team will be the division’s best.
"We have high expectations around here," Wentz said in a radio interview on WIP on Thursday, via CSN Philly. "We hope and we expect to be playing into January and then to see what happens. I think that's the biggest thing.
"Our goal is to win the NFC East and we believe we have the guys to do it.
"We just have to now go put the work in and go make things happen. We have high expectations. ... 7-9 is never good enough. I never want to be done after the regular season again. That doesn't sit well with me and it never will. We definitely have high expectations to be playing into January and then hopefully get hot and see what happens."
Is Rookie Evan Engram The Right Weapon In Giants Attack?
Eyebrows were raised when the Giants selected tight end Evan Engram in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, choosing a pass catcher over a blocker to add talent to their offensive line. Former NFL scout Matt Williamson points out, though, that while Engram can’t be counted on as a blocker his presence actually will help the Giants’ offensive line.
Linebackers will not be able to cover Engram. Therefore, and this is very important, when New York aligns in its base personnel of a running back — preferably Paul Perkins, who is adept in the passing game — Engram and three wide receivers, the defense is forced to counter that with as many defensive backs as possible. The Giants should see a lot of dime defenses in 2017.
Why is that so important? Because the Giants can’t block well. New York’s linemen should have fewer big people to block because of the problems its receivers create. In a league where offensive linemen are vastly overpaid, this is an extremely interesting approach to that economic problem. The Cincinnati Bengals have taken a similar approach, so how it works out for both clubs will be intriguing to watch.
This one isn’t a Giants story, but I had to pass it along. Former NFL exec Mike Lombardi makes it pretty apparent he doesn’t think much of Dallas coach Jason Garrett. Basically, Lombardi calls Garrett a glorified cheerleader.
“I don’t see Jason besides clapping and cheering players," he said. "Losing to Green Bay was a revealing loss in this sense. It showed that his team wasn’t ready to play and couldn’t play a different style. I don’t see how Jason Garrett’s going to get better," he said. "He’s in the prime of his life and I don’t think he’s a good enough head coach.”
“If I’m a Cowboys fan, I have real questions about Jason Garrett as the head coach," Lombardi said. "He’s supposed to be in the prime, he’s had six years to be a head coach. He was an offensive guru that never had a lot of roo in his goo. He was never really never this innovator offensive guy."
2017 Fantasy Football Outlook: NFC East - Fake Teams
SB Nation takes a look at the Fantasy Football value of players in the NFC East. Here is how they break down the Giants, with players top 200 ranking in parenthesis:
Fantasy Names: Odell Beckham Jr (7), Brandon Marshall (81), Sterling Shepard (132), Eli Manning (142), Shane Vereen (169)
Sleeper: Evan Engram (180)
Disappointment: Paul Perkins (64)
Here is something to consider. It’s up to you whether or not you consider it a valid concern:
I’m very hesitant about this Giants offense. One, because there are a lot of pass catchers here who will all want the football and two because when they aren’t getting what they want, they will complain. Odell Beckham has done this in his career. So has Brandon Marshall. I’m willing to bet Sterling Shepard will do it at least once this year.