NFC East Preview

Last week, the Sports Guys previewed the AFC. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the NFC, the stronger of the two conferences. We’ll begin with the NFC East, one of the toughest divisions to predict annually.

NFC East

Division Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Division Cellar: New York Giants

Other Playoff Teams: None

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Dallas Cowboys (Andrew) or Washington Redskins (Greg)

3. Washington Redskins (Andrew) or Dallas Cowboys (Greg)

4. New York Giants

Andrew – Of all the divisions in the NFC, this one is potentially the most balanced, but it’s also the most mediocre. I view these teams as fairly even, but wouldn’t classify any as elite. Philly seems to be the best bet for the playoffs due to solid play on both sides of the ball. Dallas can’t play defense, Washington has a lot of new pieces to work in, and New York was bad last year and I don’t see that changing. All four QB’s have a chance to be solid (as we’ve seen in the past), but none are locked in as elite players. They have a lot to prove!

Greg – This division should be better this year than last, but will still be one of the weaker divisions in football. The Giants brought in a brand new OC and their offense could be weak during the first half of the year, but should flourish as the year goes on. Look for rookie Andre Williams to break out as well. He looks to have more burst than the rest of their RB corps. The Redskins should be better offensively as well, as long as RGIII continues to improve. Their defense should be better too. The Cowboys have already started selling playoff tickets, so there are at least a few people in this country rich enough to waste money. I give them about a 5% chance of making the playoffs. The Eagles will be the class of the NFC East, as the offense should really take off in year 2 under Chip Kelly. The defense should be good enough to keep them from losing games.

Preseason Division Awards

Offensive MVP: Lesean McCoy (Philadelphia) or Nick Foles (Philadelphia) – One way or another, we expect Philly to light it up on offense. Andrew believes it will be because McCoy carries them all year (as he did last year). Greg thinks Foles will continue his high level of play that he ended the last season with.

Defensive MVP: Brian Orakpo (Washington) – When Orakpo re-signed in the offseason, Washington fans rejoiced because this man is special. So now can he back up the hype?

Rookies to Watch: Odell Beckham Jr. (New York), Jordan Matthews (Philadelphia), Andre Williams (New York), Demarcus Lawrence (Dallas)

Free Agents to Watch: Desean Jackson (Washington), Darren Sproles (Philadelphia), Henry Melton (Dallas), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (New York)

By: The Sports Guys