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The NFC East is ripe for the plucking


E-Dog Night

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We all know that in today's NFL things can change in a hurry. A 6-7 win improvement from one season to the next is very possible. That said, let's take a look at the NFC East, where may be more room to move than perhaps seems immediately visible to the casual observer.

The Giants are in trouble right now. They were absolutely terrible since the Saints crushed their spirit in week 6. They finished 3-8 and the only team not to put up 40+ points against them in their last 4 games was the, uh, Redskins. While they can conceivably turn it around like anyone else, it doesn't seem like they are in the midst of an upward trend. They could outright suck next season.

As for the Eagles, at some point, the air is going to go completely out of the McNabb/Reid balloon. It's been leaking a little bit since their Super Bowl appearance, but with talent like McNabb, Westbrook and DeSean Jackson and an always solid defense, they have been able to remain highly competitive. But I get the feeling like the end of an era is nigh. Next season could be the one when age, injuries - and that Sisyphean syndrome of trying so hard to validate their efforts without getting the boulder to the top of the hill - will finally wear them out. It's gotta happen sometime.

Now we have the Cowboys. Barring injuries (always the X factor) to guys like Ware and Romo sits to pee, they should be a serious playoff contender again. But why do I get the feeling that they are satisfied with getting the playoff win monkey off their back, and they might rest on their laurels a little bit? Sure, they will talk about taking the next step, and yes, they do have a very solid defense which will ensure a certain degree of success, but we know that Wade Phillips is not post-season material. He's been a coach in the NFL for 9 seasons with 4 different teams and just got his first playoff win against an injury-riddled Eagles team that had pretty much given up hope. I don't see them taking a step forward; they'll probably remain static or take a step back.

Not saying it will definitely happen or that it be easy, but the Redskins are in a better position than most people realize to leap-frog into the top slot in the division. There is a certain amount of talent on this team; the wheat just needs to be separated from the chaff, with an eye on a longer term construction. If the coaching staff is good for 3-5 wins, and the offensive line can be significantly improved, then 10 or 11 wins is possible. That could be good enough to win the division.

Call me crazy but I see it happening.

:) :logo:

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I see where you're coming from, and agree with you on most points, but a ten or 11 win season is a little bit of a reach, IMO. I can easily see an 8 or 9 win season, and definitely in contention for a wild card spot. I just don't see us as "there" yet. Give it a year or two, when the air has left the Eagles balloon and the G-men are floundering, and I can see us win the division.

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I agree that we can make a play for the division. I mean, i know this is a VERY optimistic view, but, we could have won a few division games last year, and we all know how bad we were.

1. 1st Eagles game. What was the final? 27-17? Their 3 TD's came from a trick play, a broken coverage on 3rd and forever, and a tipped ball INT...those are 3 mistakes that coaching CAN fix

2. 1st Dallas game. With a good kicker, we win this game 12-7. With a good coach, we allow our QB to throw the ball from the 20 with over :10 left in the half, so maybe we get a TD there and win 16-7. I also believe a tip ball ended our final drive of the game?

3. 2nd Eagles game. We had an 8 point lead, on the road, in the 4th quarter. If LaRon Landry simply tackles Jason Avant (rather than going for the death shot...and failing) who knows if McNabb can actually complete enough passes in a row to drive the length of the field in crunch time.

All of these could have been wins (if we look with an optimistic view), and 3-3 in our division is not bad at all.

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I'd be shocked if the Redskins won 7 games. We have holes at just about every position -- and there is a dearth of talent on the offensive line especially.

This is not going to be a quick turnaround...don't get your hopes up...

Everyone has holes at every position. The Colts don't have a #2 QB, for example.

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I agree to the point that a turn around will be quicker than we think. Even though our record stank, we were in alot of close games.

The NFC East has become the most over rated division in the NFL. A couple of years ago, the intrigue of divisional games in took on a playoff type atmosphere. Not so much anymore.

The one thing the Skins have going for them, is that their issues are glaringly obvious.

I think the Gnats are in more of a quandry. They have needs all over the team (except qb). Coaching has quickly become an issue there, and they also need defensive help, and receivers on offense.

Philly is a couple of injuries away from disaster. This is true to any team however. I think they will be at the top of the division this coming year.

That leaves Dallas. They are a franchise in trouble IMO. Jerry has his new stadium, and it has a huge price tag. There is a ton of pressure on the organization to fill the seats. The expectations are high. I dont think Romo sits to pee will ever be able to handle the stress. Barber has proven he cant handle being a feature back. The Oline has had issues for a while. They are large, but teams can exploit that size. The secondary has needs as well.

I fore see us as a wild card playoff team next year. After that who knows.

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I agree that we can make a play for the division. I mean, i know this is a VERY optimistic view, but, we could have won a few division games last year, and we all know how bad we were.

1. 1st Eagles game. What was the final? 27-17? Their 3 TD's came from a trick play, a broken coverage on 3rd and forever, and a tipped ball INT...those are 3 mistakes that coaching CAN fix

2. 1st Dallas game. With a good kicker, we win this game 12-7. With a good coach, we allow our QB to throw the ball from the 20 with over :10 left in the half, so maybe we get a TD there and win 16-7. I also believe a tip ball ended our final drive of the game?

3. 2nd Eagles game. We had an 8 point lead, on the road, in the 4th quarter. If LaRon Landry simply tackles Jason Avant (rather than going for the death shot...and failing) who knows if McNabb can actually complete enough passes in a row to drive the length of the field in crunch time.

All of these could have been wins (if we look with an optimistic view), and 3-3 in our division is not bad at all.

We were close in some other games, too. The Saints game comes to mind immediately. Hopefully the coaching change will get us over the hump for this year coming up and even further in the long run.

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Call me crazy but I see it happening.

:) :logo:

The only thing I see happening is you being carted off to the loony bin.

The division is ripe for the plucking for sure, by the Eagles, Giants, or Cowboys. The Redskins simply will not have the talent to match any of these teams and will finish a distant last.

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We are about 10 years away from being respectable.

Not sure why you think it should take 10 years to be respectable, let alone great. The Saints went from worst team in the league (or close to it) to Superbowl champions in four years. We aren't the worst team in the league. Why shouldn't we expect a quicker turnaround than a decade?

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