WeownU
August-22nd-2006, 03:27 PM
Sorry if this is a repost. I couldn't find it.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9604552
NFC East: The great wide open
Team previews: Cowboys | Eagles | Giants | Redskins
By David Fischer
Special to NFL.com
(With the NFL regular season set to kick off on Thursday, Sept. 7, NFL.com has put together an eight-part series previewing each team division by division. Next up is the NFC East.)
Overview
Between 1986 and 1995, the NFC East was unquestionably football's toughest division. It produced six Lombardi Trophy winners during that 10-year span, from the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXI to the Cowboys' third title in four years in Super Bowl XXX, and with the exception of Dallas during the transitional period from Tom Landry to Jimmy Johnson, and the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals throughout, it felt like every team was in contention every year.
Division previews
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
But by the beginning of the current decade, the NFC East was arguably least. Only the Philadelphia Eagles, playoff entrants for five straight seasons between 2000 and 2004, were consistently competitive, as the Giants waxed and waned, Dallas drifted through an extended championship hangover, and the Redskins perennially disappointed. An influx of coaching genius helped turn things around, as legends Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells returned to the sidelines for Washington and Dallas, respectively, and longtime Jacksonville head man Tom Coughlin took the helm for the Giants.
In 2005, all three of those teams emerged as contenders, with the Giants and Redskins returning to the playoffs. At the same time, the Eagles, riddled by injuries and controversy, fell from their longtime perch to last place by going 0-6 in divisional play. A year later, all four clubs entertain legitimate playoff hopes -- but the intra-divisional competition could prove so fierce that no NFC East team has great prospects of securing home-field advantage or even a bye for the postseason.
Earlier this summer, NFL.com national editor Vic Carucci wrote, "This division looks too close to call and is easily the most competitive in the league. You could make an equally strong argument for any of the four teams to win the crown and make a serious run to reach the Super Bowl." As Kickoff Weekend approaches, the statement still holds true.
Predicted Order of finish (record)
1. Cowboys (10-6)
2. Giants (10-6)
3. Eagles (8-8)
4. Redskins (8-8)
Movers and Shakers
Terrell Owens returns to Philadelphia on Oct. 8.
Two players changing uniforms within the division gathered the most ink this offseason. Wide receiver Terrell Owens, once the most despised man in Dallas for some on-field acting out during a 2000 visit while playing for the 49ers, now dons the starred helmet after an exceptionally bitter falling-out with coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. And linebacker LaVar Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowler with Washington, saw his Redskins career end after six seasons as he relocated to New York. The Redskins, as usual, made a big splash by adding receivers Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd as well as safety Adam Archuletta, while the Eagles moved to strengthen their defensive line with former Pro Bowl defensive end Darren Howard.
What to Watch For
Pain and parity: In 2004, when it finished seven games ahead of all three division also-rans, Philadelphia went undefeated in NFC East play. Last year, when it was their turn to visit the division basement, the Eagles went winless in division play. Neither is likely to happen, for the Eagles or any of their rivals, this time around. Each of these teams has serious question marks -- the Cowboys' pass protection, the Giants' secondary, the Eagles' talent at the offensive skill positions, and the Redskins' quarterback depth. Each of the four teams faces one stretch of the schedule that should have their coaches in night sweats, assuming they sleep. And the head-to-head games should be vicious: Already pretty evenly matched, the NFC East clubs should be even more fired up given the bad taste left by the Owens and Arrington moves.
Can the Cowboys hold the fort? Dallas enters the season with exceptional talent at the offensive skill positions, led by veteran receivers Owens and Terry Glenn, running backs Julius Jones and Marion Barber, and tight end Jason Witten. At 34, Drew Bledsoe still has plenty of arm to connect with them. But will he have time to find the targets? Last season, the Dallas line allowed 50 sacks, fourth-most in the league. Parcells is hopeful that the return of right tackle Flozell Adams, a veteran mainstay and two-time Pro Bowler who was lost for the 2005 season on October 16, will shore up the protection. At the other tackle position, second-year man Rob Petitti looks to improve after an inconsistent rookie year -- and to hold off free-agent addition Jason Fabini, an ex-Jet. Larry Allen, the veteran guard who was the last link to the Cowboys' mid-‘90s championship teams, was released for salary reasons.
The Giants need Tiki Barber to continue to power their offense.
Tiki vs. time: Last season, Giants running back Tiki Barber had his best season at age 30, rushing for 1,860 yards and averaging 5.2 per carry. A stronger, more physical runner in his 30s than in his 20s, Barber might be the best all-around back in the league and is building an impressive case for Hall of Fame enshrinement. But how much longer can he keep it up? For an example of how quickly a ball-carrier can lose it, Barber need look no farther than the other home locker room at the Meadowlands, where Jets back Curtis Martin suddenly started acting his age last season: After compiling 1,697 yards and 4.6 per carry in 2004, Martin's numbers dropped to 735 and 3.3 in 2005. On defense, sack master Michael Strahan faces a similar challenge at age 34.
In Philly, blip or burial? In the parity-driven world of the NFL, sustained success is the gold standard. Between 2000 and 2004, the Eagles won 60 regular-season games and six more in the playoffs. Was last year's splatter an aberration caused by Owens' antics and a devastating rash of injuries -- or has the window closed on Philly's championship chances? Hopes for a return to the playoffs rest on a full return to form by Donovan McNabb, rapid development from a half-dozen possible starters from the 2005 and 2006 draft classes, and full recovery from an Eagles defense that sent five members to the Pro Bowl two seasons ago, but allowed more than 24 points per game last year.
The Redskins revamp: When Joe Gibbs was building his Canton credentials in the 1980s and early ‘90s, an explosive offense was his calling card. But since returning to the Washington sideline, Gibbs concluded that what worked for his Redskins in the salad days is no longer quite as effective. To complement acclaimed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (himself retained with a three-year, $8 million contract extension), the ‘Skins brought in another highly regarded coach this past offseason in Al Saunders, the former offensive mastermind in Kansas City, to call the plays, and agreed to pay him head-coaching money ($6 million for three years) to do so. Saunders has suggested that the Redskins will be "a little bit more vertical in the passing game" -- good news for big-play receiver Santana Moss and new additions Antwaan Randle-El and Brandon Lloyd.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9604552
NFC East: The great wide open
Team previews: Cowboys | Eagles | Giants | Redskins
By David Fischer
Special to NFL.com
(With the NFL regular season set to kick off on Thursday, Sept. 7, NFL.com has put together an eight-part series previewing each team division by division. Next up is the NFC East.)
Overview
Between 1986 and 1995, the NFC East was unquestionably football's toughest division. It produced six Lombardi Trophy winners during that 10-year span, from the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXI to the Cowboys' third title in four years in Super Bowl XXX, and with the exception of Dallas during the transitional period from Tom Landry to Jimmy Johnson, and the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals throughout, it felt like every team was in contention every year.
Division previews
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
But by the beginning of the current decade, the NFC East was arguably least. Only the Philadelphia Eagles, playoff entrants for five straight seasons between 2000 and 2004, were consistently competitive, as the Giants waxed and waned, Dallas drifted through an extended championship hangover, and the Redskins perennially disappointed. An influx of coaching genius helped turn things around, as legends Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells returned to the sidelines for Washington and Dallas, respectively, and longtime Jacksonville head man Tom Coughlin took the helm for the Giants.
In 2005, all three of those teams emerged as contenders, with the Giants and Redskins returning to the playoffs. At the same time, the Eagles, riddled by injuries and controversy, fell from their longtime perch to last place by going 0-6 in divisional play. A year later, all four clubs entertain legitimate playoff hopes -- but the intra-divisional competition could prove so fierce that no NFC East team has great prospects of securing home-field advantage or even a bye for the postseason.
Earlier this summer, NFL.com national editor Vic Carucci wrote, "This division looks too close to call and is easily the most competitive in the league. You could make an equally strong argument for any of the four teams to win the crown and make a serious run to reach the Super Bowl." As Kickoff Weekend approaches, the statement still holds true.
Predicted Order of finish (record)
1. Cowboys (10-6)
2. Giants (10-6)
3. Eagles (8-8)
4. Redskins (8-8)
Movers and Shakers
Terrell Owens returns to Philadelphia on Oct. 8.
Two players changing uniforms within the division gathered the most ink this offseason. Wide receiver Terrell Owens, once the most despised man in Dallas for some on-field acting out during a 2000 visit while playing for the 49ers, now dons the starred helmet after an exceptionally bitter falling-out with coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. And linebacker LaVar Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowler with Washington, saw his Redskins career end after six seasons as he relocated to New York. The Redskins, as usual, made a big splash by adding receivers Antwaan Randle El and Brandon Lloyd as well as safety Adam Archuletta, while the Eagles moved to strengthen their defensive line with former Pro Bowl defensive end Darren Howard.
What to Watch For
Pain and parity: In 2004, when it finished seven games ahead of all three division also-rans, Philadelphia went undefeated in NFC East play. Last year, when it was their turn to visit the division basement, the Eagles went winless in division play. Neither is likely to happen, for the Eagles or any of their rivals, this time around. Each of these teams has serious question marks -- the Cowboys' pass protection, the Giants' secondary, the Eagles' talent at the offensive skill positions, and the Redskins' quarterback depth. Each of the four teams faces one stretch of the schedule that should have their coaches in night sweats, assuming they sleep. And the head-to-head games should be vicious: Already pretty evenly matched, the NFC East clubs should be even more fired up given the bad taste left by the Owens and Arrington moves.
Can the Cowboys hold the fort? Dallas enters the season with exceptional talent at the offensive skill positions, led by veteran receivers Owens and Terry Glenn, running backs Julius Jones and Marion Barber, and tight end Jason Witten. At 34, Drew Bledsoe still has plenty of arm to connect with them. But will he have time to find the targets? Last season, the Dallas line allowed 50 sacks, fourth-most in the league. Parcells is hopeful that the return of right tackle Flozell Adams, a veteran mainstay and two-time Pro Bowler who was lost for the 2005 season on October 16, will shore up the protection. At the other tackle position, second-year man Rob Petitti looks to improve after an inconsistent rookie year -- and to hold off free-agent addition Jason Fabini, an ex-Jet. Larry Allen, the veteran guard who was the last link to the Cowboys' mid-‘90s championship teams, was released for salary reasons.
The Giants need Tiki Barber to continue to power their offense.
Tiki vs. time: Last season, Giants running back Tiki Barber had his best season at age 30, rushing for 1,860 yards and averaging 5.2 per carry. A stronger, more physical runner in his 30s than in his 20s, Barber might be the best all-around back in the league and is building an impressive case for Hall of Fame enshrinement. But how much longer can he keep it up? For an example of how quickly a ball-carrier can lose it, Barber need look no farther than the other home locker room at the Meadowlands, where Jets back Curtis Martin suddenly started acting his age last season: After compiling 1,697 yards and 4.6 per carry in 2004, Martin's numbers dropped to 735 and 3.3 in 2005. On defense, sack master Michael Strahan faces a similar challenge at age 34.
In Philly, blip or burial? In the parity-driven world of the NFL, sustained success is the gold standard. Between 2000 and 2004, the Eagles won 60 regular-season games and six more in the playoffs. Was last year's splatter an aberration caused by Owens' antics and a devastating rash of injuries -- or has the window closed on Philly's championship chances? Hopes for a return to the playoffs rest on a full return to form by Donovan McNabb, rapid development from a half-dozen possible starters from the 2005 and 2006 draft classes, and full recovery from an Eagles defense that sent five members to the Pro Bowl two seasons ago, but allowed more than 24 points per game last year.
The Redskins revamp: When Joe Gibbs was building his Canton credentials in the 1980s and early ‘90s, an explosive offense was his calling card. But since returning to the Washington sideline, Gibbs concluded that what worked for his Redskins in the salad days is no longer quite as effective. To complement acclaimed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (himself retained with a three-year, $8 million contract extension), the ‘Skins brought in another highly regarded coach this past offseason in Al Saunders, the former offensive mastermind in Kansas City, to call the plays, and agreed to pay him head-coaching money ($6 million for three years) to do so. Saunders has suggested that the Redskins will be "a little bit more vertical in the passing game" -- good news for big-play receiver Santana Moss and new additions Antwaan Randle-El and Brandon Lloyd.