The NFC East is still one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, and should be one of the closer races come December and January. Here’s a breakdown of the NFC East and predictions.
Being a fan of the Dallas Cowboys has not been easy the last decade. Between the Eagles dominating the conference in the mid 2000s, the Giants winning two Super Bowls in the last six years, and now the Redskins getting back to their winning ways with RG3, the Cowboys have been underachieving for many years now. Here is how I think the division will shake up.
1. Redskins (9-7)
Strength: Running Game- With Alfred Morris and RG3 the Redskins have turned into one of the better rushing teams in the NFL. Although it is still a passing league, you have to be able to run the ball to be successful. If the Skins can do what they did last year on the ground it will be very beneficial for their passing game.
Biggest Concern: RG3- If you have watched Sportscenter in the last few months this one should be fairly obvious. Without playing any preseason games, it may take a couple games for him to get into game shape so the Redskins may get off to a slow start. However, if he stays healthy they should have a late charge and could easily take the division.
2. Cowboys (9-7)
Strength: Wide Receivers- With the emergence of Dez Bryant and the consistency of Jason Witten the Cowboys have a very good group of receivers. If Miles Austin can stay healthy they should be very tough to cover and should give Romo some options. If Romo can cut back on the mistakes, and they can work in the running game this should be a high scoring team.
Biggest Concern: Defensive front 7- Switching from the 3-4 defense to a 4-3 can sometimes take a couple years to implement, but Monte Kiffin is looking to do it in one summer. This means that Demarcus Ware is now a full time defensive end which should help since he will not have to worry about dropping back in pass coverage. It also helps Sean Lee because now he can be a true middle linebacker and take control of this defense. Turnovers were a big concern after last year and hopefully switching up the defense helps.
3. Giants (8-8)
Strength– Wide Receivers- The Giants also have a great group of receivers coming into 2013. If Victor Cruz’s heel can completely heal up and Hakeem Nicks can put a full season together they can be very dangerous. Now with Rueben Randle in the mix, if teams decide to cover Cruz and Nicks tightly, Eli has another target to look for.
Biggest Concern: Defensive Backs- Starting cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Corey Webster both had very disappointing years last year and this could be the deciding factor on whether the Giants fight for the division title or not. Amukamara has not played up to his potential coming out of Nebraska and Webster is just looking to have a bounce back year which is very possible.
4. Eagles (6-10)
Strength– Running Game- This all depends if Michael Vick can stay healthy, because when he is, he is still a fantastic running quarterback. With him, along with Lesean McCoy and Bryce Brown the Eagles should be a good ground and pound team. This can allow Vick to stay in the pocket more and take fewer hits.
Biggest Concern: Defense- The Eagle’s defense has just look absolutely terrible in the preseason. I know it is just the preseason but there was still not much to be optimistic about. With Nnamdi Asomugha gone, and Cary Williams already causing problems, it could be a long year for Eagles fans. If Chip Kelly cannot find a way to just plain out score opponents like he did at the University of Oregon, it looks like they will be at the bottom of the division again.
Josh Sisco
Josh was born and raised in Westerly, Rhode Island. He graduated from Western New England university with a degree in accounting. He's a huge fan of almost every sport (including golf and NASCAR), and a personal fan of Red Sox, Cowboys, and Mavericks.
