The NFC-East Smackdown: Part Two

The Boys (Continued from Part One)

Let's start this discussion with Tony Romo. As much as I like to make fun of him, he's pretty darn good. He has one of the quickest releases of any NFL quarterback, one of the best receivers in TO, and a reliable ally / vacation partner in Jason Witten. And now that he has a massive contract making him one of the highest paid NFL players, he’s poised to be even better than last year, which is scary because he threw for 36 touchdowns and 4,100 yards. Watch out, NFC East.


You have to assume TO is going to be nasty this year because he usually ends up surpassing expectations. The guy seemingly thrives on people doubting him. I literally hate the guy, but I'll admit he's one of the best receivers in the league (he's also a physical freak of nature). Marion Barber, who made the Pro Bowl despite splitting carries with Jones, is now the sole running back on the Cowboys offense, and if he stays healthy, the 'Boys offense is going to kick major ass. Round out the crowd with Witten and you have quite an arsenal for Romo.

But the Cowboys' offense is not without holes or chinks in the armor:

- Barber can go down with an injury at any time because he runs so damn hard. Add on extra carries and you have to assume the guy will tone it down a bit since he's so much more valuable to the franchise healthy. How will that affect his production?

- Aside from TO, the Cowboys receiving corps is mediocre at best. Yes, Witten makes up for this, but the team lost Terry Glenn and Crayton isn't the most reliable option. Sam Hurd is apparently impressing people at training camp, but that's pre-season propaganda in my mind. I'll wait to see him play well over a consistent stretch of time to believe the hype. So here’s the problem: if Owens goes down, the Cowboys receiving corps looks pretty anemic.

- Terry Glenn is gone now. Say what you want about Jones’ stance in the contract negotiations, the guy is a fairly substantial loss for the Cowboys despite his age and speed (or lack thereof). How do you make up for Glenn? With Curtis? Joe Horn was just released from the Falcons so maybe the Cowboys will bring him in for a career rival. It would certainly bolster their receiving corps.

Moving onto the Cowboys defense – the team improved itself across the board, which again is scary because they were so nasty last year (3rd in sacks, top ten in yards allowed). Want some examples?

1. The team added Zach Thomas who, despite his propensity for injuries, is still very good and can provide leadership within the 3-4 system Wade Phillips is implementing this year.

2. The team signed Pacman who was nasty on the Titans as a kick returner and zone-coverage corner. Watch Pacman have an excellent season, prove everyone wrong and make Jones look like a genius. Swell.

3. The team drafted Mike Jenkins who is nasty at corner. Many people claim he’s the best cornerback taken in the draft this year. I somewhat agree with that assessment.

Of course their defense was sick to begin with. Ware, Ellis, and Spencer round out a fantastic pass-rush, which will keep teams off-balance when they try to throw. (And if they do throw, they have to deal with Newman, Jones, Jenkins, and Williams in the secondary.) Throw in Tank Johnson at NT, Spears and Canty rushing up the middle, and you get a defense which kicks major ass. I'm actually not looking forward to our Cowboys match-ups this year when I sit down and think about it now. These guys are legit. They remind me of the Ravens in all honesty and that’s saying a lot.

Plot-lines / Players to watch

How thirsty is this team for revenge and face-saving? To my delight the Cowboys were humiliated last year when their star-QB and tight-end went on vacation before the biggest game of their lives. Of course they lost this game and I couldn't stop laughing as a Redskins fan. Will the Cowboys make up for this gaffe last year? Will their coach break his reputation as a first-round playoff master and choke-master in the playoffs? Stay tuned, folks.

TO and team chemistry. What's that you say? TO is happy with the 'Boys and the days of his off-the-field antics are over? Think again. TO will always be TO and the guy is a bona-fide asshole. One thing can go wrong and the guy can erupt, burning down the entire franchise in a lava of selfish pride. A part of me is astonished that TO has lasted this long with the Cowboys. Maybe Jones has a special contract clause which allows him to release Owens if he even sneezes improperly. And judging by his treatment of Terry Glenn, a good guy by most accounts, this wouldn’t surprise me. (Please let there be an Owens breakdown this year…)

The 'Iggles

Most experts can’t agree on the strength or potential of the ‘Iggles this year. Some people laud the Eagle’s decision to bring in depth to running back and receiver, while others point to McNabb’s declining production and increasing age. Talking heads rave about the addition of Samuels, but I'm skeptical for many reasons. Since the Eagles have been defined by the play of McNabb in recent years, let’s start with the aging veteran.

The Eagles are at best a mediocre team in the NFC without Donovan McNabb. He missed two games last year and the team went 8-8 in the NFC. Conversely McNabb hasn’t been playing too well in recent years. Last year he threw almost ten interceptions and both his yards per throw and total passing yards were well below his career averages. You also have to worry about injuries to McNabb because it limits his running game which made him special to begin with. If I remember correctly, last year he took many more sacks than usually because his running game was limited by injuries and age. Added sacks to an aging and already injured veteran does not bode well for the Eagles team.

The Eagles running game more than makes up for the declining production of Donovan McNabb. In Westbrook you have one of the best running backs in football. (With the exceptions of AP and Tomlinson, I don’t think you can find a better running back.) Behind Westbrook you have Booker, Buckhalter, and Hunt – three guys who can effectively substitute for third downs or goal-line situations. This type of depth and talent across the board gives the Eagles options to deal with their fading quarterback and dubious receiving corps. If these guys stay healthy, expect the running game to keep the Eagles competitive for a playoff run.

The Eagles receiving corps, with the exception of LJ Smith and Kevin Curtis (when he's not being jammed at the line), is terrible. I would even argue their starters, Brown and Curtis, are not very good because neither of them consistently put up more than 1,000 yards per season nor do they stay healthy with any consistency. For example, Curtis became the 2nd (or 3rd?) Eagle in the past ten years to put up more than 1,000 yards. And Brown, despite all the hype, barely had 600 yards as a starter. Both are under 6 feet tall and even with the addition of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles have a Redskins' version of the mighty-mites. I'll conceed LJ Smith is nasty, but can he stay healthy for more than a game? And what were the Eagles thinking when they tagged him franchise player? Catching a few touchdowns and staying injured each year shouldn't warrant that decision. Ted -- any insight here?

The Eagles defense also confuses me. Why did they sign Samuels when they had Sheppard and Brown holding down the fort? With a healthy Brian Dawkins, the Eagles secondary is pretty damn good and intimidating. Was the signing of Samuels related to the Eagles lack of defensive takeaways or turnovers (I think they ranked dead-last in the league last year in these categories)? Maybe. But was it necessary to spend all that money on an aging veteran when they had two very good corners? Debatable I guess.

Another weakness in the Eagles defense is their relative youth at linebacker -- Bradley, Gaither, and Gocong. How well will these guys play with added responsibilities and the expectation that they'll be responsible for three downs every time they hit the field? I won't go into the Eagles pass rush / d-line because I think it's above average across the board. Trent Cole is nasty and I expect him to kick ass as usual, so I'll leave it there.

Plot-lines / Players to watch

Injuries: McNabb, Sheppard, Samuels, and LJ Smith. The Eagles need all of these guys healthy to regain their prior form. Will Samuels be worth the money they paid?

Linebackers: can the youth movement step up to the plate? Especially without Spikes this year.

McNabb's quaterbacking: can he return to past form and lead the Eagles to glory? Can he stay in good shape? Will the Eagles fans turn against him?