 (By Gerry Wang)
NFC
EAST
1.) Arizona Cardinals - It kills me to say this because the Cowboys have
been my team since the early 90's, when they went 1-15. For some reason, I always like
underdog teams. But now, I think the torch has been passed to Arizona, which is amassing a
good team. The d-line is scary, w/ Andre Wadsworth and Simeon Rice on each end wreaking
havoc. Plus All-Pro Eric Swann should be healthy after missing much of last year. Aeneas
Williams is back at the CB, shutting down 1/4 of the field for his opponents, and Adrian
Murrell is a sure 1,000 yard bet. And the receivers, whoa. David Boston, their 1st
rounder, joins Frank Sanders and Rob Moore. All they gotta do is sign Moore and the Cards
are in good shape.
Players to watch:
-> Jake Plummer - He is the next Captain Comeback. He's has that drive to win games by
pure will. It was amazing watching lead the game winning drives against the clock.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> David Boston - A big receiver who should pound the smaller cornerbacks in the
league. Plus he's got enough self-confidence for the whole team.
Predicted record: 10-6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.) Dallas Cowboys - My team is getting old and crickety. I blame it on
the greed of the players. They all want fat contracts, and Jerry Jones is forced to pay it
out. So the lesser players on the team bolt, leaving the Cowboys devoid of depth. And it
also kills any chances for adding depth through youth, because well, the Cowboys can't
afford it! So we are left w/ an aging core of veterans in Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith,
Michael Irvin, and Deion Sanders. These guys are good, but they can't do it alone.
Players to watch:
-> Deion Sanders - He is the best CB in the NFC, hands down, but is battling a TOE
INJURY?! C'mon man. Get on the field.
-> The offensive line - Year after year the Cowboys have the best o-line in the NFL. I
think they single-handedly made Emmitt Smith look good.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Raghib Ismail - He's showing why he's called the "Rocket" during this
preseason. Let's hope it carries over into the regular season.
-> Quentin Coryatt - This guy was the #2 pick in a draft before, but has fallen. But he
has the potential to become a big play guy.
Predicted record: 9-7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.) Washington Redskins - This is a make it or break it year for the
Redskins. Norv Turner's job is on the line, since he hasn't been able to reach a winning
record or create any continuity. This year there's a new starting QB in town, Brad
Johnson, and he just might be the answer to the Redskins' prayers. But alas, the running
game is pathetic, and the defense is relatively inexperienced, save for Darrell Green,
who's almost 40 but still can out run the fastest young uns in the league.
Players to watch:
-> Michael Westbrook - This guy has a tremendous upside. But he always gets into
trouble. I remember a few years ago he beat up a teammate. Last year he got injured. Look
for him to finally make a contribution to his team.
-> Champ Bailey - Probably my favorite dude in the draft. He plays WR and CB very well,
plus he returns kicks. He's already returned an INT for a TD this preseason. He got
skills.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Larry Centers - He had 101 receptions before. And he's a fullback! Look for this
deadly weapon to be used more frequently in the passing scheme.
Predicted record: 8-8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.) New York Giants - They started going downhill as soon as Jason Sehorn
was lost for the year last year. This year they'll bounce back, but Sehorn is still out.
Plus the Giants are weak at the RB position. LeShon Johnson? Gary Brown? Charles Way?
Gimme a break. However, their passing game is relatively intact, w/ the addition of Kerry
Collins complementing Kent Graham at QB. Although they lost WR Chris Calloway, New York
still has Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard, two young receivers ready to make their mark on
the league. But the Giants will have to rely on their defense, which features Michael
Strahan and Jessie Armstead, two strong men who are defensive cornerstones.
Players to watch:
-> Pete Mitchell - A TE that catches passes. Every team can use one of those.
-> Amani Toomer - Another one of my rotisserie sleepers. Hey, they had to have resigned
him for a reason.
-> Jason Sehorn - Can he bounce back from a serious knee injury? It's already been
acting up on him. We'll have to wait and see if he'll ever be back to normal-- a standout
CB.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Kerry Collins - Should Kent Graham suck or get injured, this former star QB for the
Panthers will step in and take over the starting job for the rest of the season.
Predicted record: 7-9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.) Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles have such a terrific defense, it's a
shame it gets wasted due to a piece of shit offense. Doug Pederson is the starter for now,
until Donovan McNabb, the #2 pick in the draft, is ready. But if you look at the RBs and
WRs, you'll see that this ain't Philly's year. New coach Andy Reid will have a bitch of a
time w/ Duce Staley as his primary RB. But the Philly secondary, particularly CBs Troy
Vincent and Bobby Taylor are the best CB duo in the NFL, and the d-line boasts such
talented players as Mike Mamula and Hugh Douglas, a perennial Pro Bowler.
Players to watch:
-> Charles Johnson - He brings an ability to grab those hard to catch balls. Look for
him to finally give the Philly offense some punch.
Significant offseason pickups:
-> Donovan McNabb - Drafted #2, he's along the mold of Akili Smith, but w/ more big
game experience. Plus he's big. His arm is questionable, however.
Predicted record: 4-12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFC EAST RECAP
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
Washington Redskins (8-8)
New York Giants (7-9)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-12)
|