NFC East - No Scrubs (that means you - Steve Lawrence)

The best, the bleeping best...Stay off camera Lawrence!!!

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Yours Truly. The Rat Pack had quality from top to bottom, just like the NFC East. Even the Giants (who I have ranked last) could be a second place team in a lot of the other divisions. There’s no Steve Lawrence wannabe dragging this group down with bottom of the barrel talent and a megaphone for a mouth.

Philadelphia Eagles - 11-5 – Division Winner

The Eagles have the best QB in the NFC East. One assumption I am making is that all players healthy at the beginning of the year will be healthy through the end of the year. That’s how I have always done these predictions. I have a feeling Donovan McNabb actually stays healthy this year, call it a hunch, but he looks good in camp, in preseason games and seems to be comfortable as the leader of the team. After years of saying he was the leader, I believe he now actually is the player leader on the offensive side. His difficulties with the front office, and speaking out after the drafting of Kevin Kolb has helped McNabb come into his own, and not be seen as a ‘company man’. Brian Westbrook had a fantastic year last year. He won’t repeat those kind of numbers this year, but he doesn’t have to. Lorenzo Booker will give opposing defenses something to think about with Westbrook on the field at the same time, he’ll be on the field with Westbrook as often as he is on the field spelling Westbrook. Kevin Curtis is hurt, but recovering quickly, LJ Smith is in a contract year (if he’s ever going to step up, it will be this year) and Reggie Brown is a serviceable #2 WR. DeSean Jackson has Eagles fans excited, I see a quick start for him, but he’ll cool off a bit as teams learn to defend him.

Defensively, the Eagles have a decent LB corps (when’s the last time someone thought that before game 1?) and the best secondary in the NFC. Lito Sheppard is crying now, but he has to play for the Eagles or only hurt himself. The Eagles have a very good set of DTs and either Broderick Bunkley or Mike Patterson should make a case for themselves for the Pro Bowl. Their DEs are solid, but in the class of the Cowboys. All around a very solid group. Their special…BZZT… teams were horrible last year, and while I still have questions about their coverage teams, they have an explosive return tandem with Quintin Demps on kicks and Jackson on punts.

The Eagles will win the East because McNabb will stay healthy all year, and they have an easier schedule than anyone else in the East.

Dallas Cowboys – 10-6 – Wildcard Winner

Sorry Cowboys fans, the Cowboys have one main problem, Wade Phillips. More specifically the Jerry Jones/Wade Phillips/Jason Garrett dynamic. Phillips is on his way out; unless the ‘Boys win the Super Bowl, I know it, you know it and more importantly, the Cowboys players know it. Leggy Mountbatten, who once managed a little rock band from England was their manager, their boss. But soon the boys in the band lost respect for him, and before they all knew it, they found themselves on the cusp of the Seventies, fragmented and wondering what the bleep happened. I see that lack of respect for Phillips coming…this season. I believe Phillips will lose this team, and it will cost them games. Make no mistake, the Cowboys are the most talented team in the NFC East, but their leadership problem and the questionable character of their most recent free agent additions (Pac Man, Tank, Two Letter Acronym) make for a poisonous potion. Tony Romo is a fine QB, and as long as Jason Witten is able to run free, the Cowboys will score points. Believe me, Witten is the key to the offense, not Marion Barber (TD scoring machine that he is), not Two Letter Acronym…Witten.

Pac Man will be…BZZT… a fine punt returner, but he looked rusty in the preseason, he’ll get back to his old form eventually, but it may take half a season. Tank Johnson was another fine addition, and of all the oddly named free agent additions the Cowboys recently made, he is the one least likely to upset the apple cart. The Cowboys have the best OLBs/DEs in the NFL (since the Giants recent problems in that department), and a fine a good set of top 2 CBs, but their safeties are not good enough against the pass.

Will Jason Campbell flourish?

Washington Redskins – 9-7

This may be the most surprising pick for the NFC East, more surprising than the Giants at the bottom, more surprising than the Eagles at the top; but I kinda bleeping like what I see in Washington. As far as talent goes, the Redskins are at the bottom of the division, but that’s not saying much, all 4 teams are pretty talented, but the Skins added in an…BZZT…BZT… area of real need, and kept a reasonable corps of defensive players. The area of need was the WR corps, which had James Thrash seeing significant time in 2007. Thrash is a warrior, a d a good special teams guy, but he shouldn’t be lining up at scrimmage unless a Hail Mary is called and you need 5 receivers on the field. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas join the Skins as rookies. Yes, they have been battling injuries all preseason, and I know that in said preseason they were not impressive – but one of them will be getting significant playing time in t he slot by the end of the year. Chris Cooley is a very good TE, and if new coach Jim Zorn is smart, Cooley will be the focus of the offense as Witten is for Dallas. Let Cooley run free, get open and all the other players should be OK. Clinton Portis is back, but has a nagging injury history, Ladell Betts should get some carries to lighten Portis’ load. Santana Moss should have a good year with Jason Campbell, as I believe Campbell should blossom under Jim Zorn’s tutelage.

A note about Zorn, he was a controversial pick. I do believe that Steve Spagnuolo would have been a better pick (depending on which rumors you believe – Spagnuolo bowed out because he wanted more seasoning…right, or one party or the other just didn’t like what they I saw). I think Spagnuolo bowed out, sensing a dysfunctional owner/GM/coach relationship. Hopefully Danny Snyder and crew learned from this rebuff, if not, they’ll be back to their normal ways soon enough. I think that Zorn may be good for this team, as he will be a more relaxed coach and be a breath of fresh air for the team. They have enough veterans/good citizens to keep the team on an even keel.

The Skins of course added Jason Taylor, who immediately makes a difference, he and Andre Carter should improve a mediocre Skins pass rush. There’s nothing that really stands out for me as far as the Skins defense goes. It’s a very average team, and that’s not really a knock – they’re OK. As a matter of fact, the Skins defense may be the most bleeping bland unit in the entire league. London Fletcher is a solid MLB who will be the leader of the unit…but beyond that…eh. Solid, boring; just good enough to ensure a winning record.

New York Giants– 8-8

Losing Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora are losses this team simply can not recover from.

Eli Manning and company will be a bit better than last year, but not good enough to make up for the loss in pressure the two bookends provided last year. Brandon Jacobs is a solid, if unspectacular RB. Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw provide the change of pace backs. Plaxico Burress will catch the jump balls that come his way, and Amani Toomer will gradually lose production to Steve Smith, who is an intriguing second year player. Although I think Manning is better than he was this time last year, I am simply not impressed with his play, I view Manning as an average starting NFL QB, and nothing more (believe me this is an upgrade from what most people thought of him a couple years ago), but this is it for him, he will never be anything more. He was in the right place at the right time last year , and was good enough to let the defense win playoff games for him and the Giants. Sometimes in the NFL, that’s all it takes. The Giants are better off without Shockey, but Kevin Boss won’t replace his production.

The Giants DEs ain’t what they used to be. I expect Steve Spagnuolo to be very…BZZZT… creative in using his secondary (especially rookie Kenny Phillips) to create more pressure on opposing teams. While this will lead to sacks, it will also create more big play opportunities for opposing…BZT…offenses. Justin Tuck and Matthias Kiwanuka will be all right at DE, but their previous positions will suffer too much from their absence.

I also believe that the kinder, gentler Tom Coughlin will struggle with have to be a bit more strict with his players given the long season the Giants had and the youth on the team in general. Unfortunately, the Giants will not be able to recover form the loss of their two key defensive playmakers.