NFC EAST PART IV: EAGLES

Last, and yes the least, the NFC East last place team the Philadelphia Eagles.  Don't let the last place fool you though, this team is for real.  

The Philadelphia Eagles have struggled against their division rivals going 0-3 so far this season but have had success outside of the NFC East going 5-1.  I can't say that I hate the Eagles more than the Cowboys right now, but make no mistake, I'm no Eagles fan.  Regardless, it would be a shame if such a great team like the Eagles don't make the playoffs because the division is that strong.  I believe that the Cowboys and Giants will definitely be playing at least an extra week of football but I think the meeting between the Eagles and the Redskins in Week 16 will determine which team makes it as the last Wild Card team in.  

The Eagles are currently ranked as the 9th overall defense and the 7th ranked offense.  This is a team that many are scared of when it comes to the post season mainly because of QB Donovan McNabb.  McNabb has spent his whole career with the Eagles and has led them to 4 straight division titles and a Super Bowl appearance.  Be that as it may, they have to play perfect football for the rest of the season.  McNabb, who is one of the best big play makers in the league, has made a nice come back after a torn ACL last year and looks as sharp as he did in the year he led the Eagles to an NFC Championship.  Running Back Brian Westbrook has recently returned from injury and has shown he's back with a 167 yard 2 TD performance but looked dismal against a superb Giants Defense last week.  Although McNabb is the leader of that offense, Westbrook is their best player and key to success.  When Westbrook gets going, the rest of the offense flows well and produces points.  It's on the offensive line to make sure they provide the holes and gaps for Westbrook to burst out of and to give enough time to McNabb to make plays.   

There's not much that the Eagles are doing wrong but they can't win the big games this year.  They beat who they're expected to beat and struggle against the competitive teams.  They need that clutch, season saving moment to push them forward and possibly on to the playoffs.  The next 2 games are against the pathetic Bengals and good-but-not-great Ravens, 2 teams they should easily beat.  They need to blow out these next two teams and gain some momentum and confidence going into a rough stretch of games.  I might not like these Philadelphia Eagles but I can see the great upside and potential of this team and if they get it together they will be a serious threat in the post season; nobody wants to play an experienced and driven team on a hot streak at the end of the season.  

NFC Beast Part II: REDSKINS

Phil Choi on the NFC East

Continuing from the previous blog which briefly discussed the outstanding NFC East beginning with the first place NY Giants.  Next up is the Washington Redskins.  

Not many people expected the Redskins to be this good after an embarrassing loss and performance in Week 1 against the Giants.  In the weeks following they proved that they are no fluke and they are a true contender.  

There was a lot of ups and downs for this team in the pre-season and it looked as if they'd end up a mediocre team once again.  With the departure of former Head Coach Joe Gibbs and the addition of Jim Zorn, a first time NFL Head Coach, there were many skeptics.  Pundits also predicted QB Jason Campbell to be a bust and show no signs of improvement; that the Redskins can't win games with him at the QB position.  But not all was so bad for the 'Skins as they picked up a Pro-Bowl defensive end in Jason Taylor and addressing the lack of depth in the WR position by picking up Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the draft.  But questions still rose asking if this team would be able to come together early on in their development and not fall apart.  

It didn't look good when they loss in a demeaning fashion in Week 1 against the Giants but the Redskins picked up their slack winning the next 6 out of 7 games, proving they are for real.  Jason Campbell was playing absolutely mistake free football, not having turned the ball over halfway through the season and playing like a big time QB.  Next to him in the huddle is Running Back Clinton Portis.  Portis is second in the league in rushing, along with the greatest pass blocking he's ever managed to accomplish and has been incredible for Washington this year, not only in playing but being a leader and mentor to the younger players.  Portis has been mentioned for the League's MVP so far, and deservedly so.  The 'Skins Number 1 WR, Santana Moss, was only a mere forgotten thought of last year's season but has made a great comeback from a poor season a year ago.  Leading the team in Yards (672) and receiving TDs (5), Moss has most certainly been a big part of the Redskins great season so far but knows there's a whole half season more to go.  

The offense though can't do it all by itself and it sure hasn't.  The Washington defense has stepped up and is ranked 4th in overall defense.  Giving up a mere 18.7 points per game, it's tough for teams to score on the Redskins defense.  On paper, their defense doesn't stick out and certainly won't surprise anyone but the key stat is only letting opposing QBs complete 55 percent of their passes.  By not allowing the passing game to get going, the defense is forcing a lot of 3-and-outs, punts, and short times of possession, letting the offense get to work and keep the defense fresh and ready to rumble.  By only allowing a 55 percent completion rate, opposing defenses get tired and restless and also creates frustration and forced errors.  Taking care of the ball and letting the opponent make the mistakes is what the Redskins are all about.  

What seems to be an unstoppable game plan was put to shame in their last game against the Steelers in a devastating 23-6 loss at home on Monday Night Football.  It was the first game where Campbell turned over the ball, throwing 2 INTs.  It was also the first time Portis was held to under 20 carries, rushing for 51 yards on 13 attempts, his season low for both.  The defense let up 70 percent of Steelers back up QB Byron Leftwich when starter Ben Roethlisberger injured his shoulder and was out for the game.  It was in this game the tables turned and the Redskins were the ones making the mistakes.  But this is the type of loss that the Redskins may have needed to put them back on their toes.  Following this game came a well-needed bye week to rest and re-evaluate their shortcomings and come back stronger than ever.  

NFC Beast Part 1: GIANTS

Phil Choi on the NFC East

Like the saying goes, "To be the best, you must beat the best."

Case in point for the NFC East.  The New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles are all a part of the NFC East, and each team has a winning record.  Regarded as the toughest division in football, and quite possibly all of sports, this division is intimidating and feared.  The teams combined are 16-5 against non-division opponents, while they also combined for 6 losses within the division.  They've lost more games in the division than against anyone else which only speaks volumes of how good this division really is.  

Growing up in Northern New Jersey I am a die-hard Giants fan, have been for life and will for the rest of it.  So appropriately starting the first part of 4 upcoming blogs in regards to the best division in all of football, leading the pack is the defending Super Bowl Champions NY Giants.  The Giants are 8-1 for the season and looks even sharper than they did in the post season last year.  With the retirement of future Hall of Fame Defensive End Michael Strahan and the season ending injury suffered by Defensive End Osi Umenyiora, the team's only pro-bowler last year, it's amazing that the Giants rank 3rd in the NFL in overall defense.  How do they do it?  Well, even with the deteriorated defensive line, players like Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins are playing exceptional football and are getting constant pressure on the opposing team's QB.  With the pressure coming from the D-Line it makes the jobs of cornerbacks like Corey Webster and Aaron Ross much easier, giving opposing QBs and WRs less time to develop plays and force passes which allows the corners to make plays in short amounts of time.  Getting to the quarterback is key to an efficient defense and it all starts there for the Giants D.  

But the best defense is a great offense and that's where Eli Manning and the Giants running game come into play.  Enough has been said of Manning and his superb, mistake-free football, making big plays when needed, trusting his WRs, and picking apart defenses.  But give credit to Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw a.k.a. "Earth, Wind, & Fire."  This trio leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (168.9 yds/pg) and is the heart and soul of this offense.  The aforementioned "Earth, Wind, & Fire" nickname given to the trio by teammates is very fitting for their individual styles of running.  Jacobs represents Earth, being a big landmass that will truck opposing defenders into the dirt.  Ward represents Wind, with his bending and twisting jukes and spins, sweeping right by tacklers.  Bradshaw represents Fire, having that explosiveness right through the hole, knowing that on any given play he can break loose for a long one.  The key to their success is the great relationship and respect each have for each other and the breaks they give each other during game time.  

With all this talent, someone has to manage it and that's where Head Coach Tom Coughlin and his staff come in.  Just years ago, it was the NY media and fans that were trying to run him out of town, disappointed with his team's performance in the playoffs.  All it took was a few years of adjusting and getting his system fully installed to make this team so great.  The team always had the talent, it just needed to be focused into the right direction and that is where they are right now.  Coughlin, known for his disciplinary style, has more or less become into "player's coach" whom the team really believes in.  Alongside Caughlin is Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spanaola.  Gilbride, the former QB coach, was promoted to coordinator this season because of his great relationship with Eli Manning.  That relationship has blossomed into beautiful play and tallies in the win column.  Spagnaola, a former defensive coach on the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, learned a few things from his mentor Jim Johnson:  pressure the quarterback.  That is exactly what he's done, implementing confusing blitz schemes for opposing offenses to read and leaving the QB on his bottom most the time.  It is the combination of all these players, coaches, philosophies, and relationships that make this team the best in in the NFC being 8-1.  There is still plenty more football to play and the Giants look to be a promising team in the upcoming weeks and look to make lots of noise in the playoffs and will have a big bullseye on their backs.  

Blogs on the rest of the NFC East will follow.  

NFC BEAST Part III: COWBOYS

Next up, the Dallas Cowboys, otherwise known as "America's Team."  Being a giants fan I naturally hate division rivals but #1 on that list would have to be the Dallas Cowboys.  The battles that the Giants and Cowboys had in recent years have been physical, exciting, and downright insane.  Watching these two division foes go at it when both teams have been playing at a very level and witnessing the physicality and competitive nature can't get any better for a football fan.  

The Dallas Cowboys were Super Bowl favorites going into this season but things have drastically changed.  The Cowboys are barely over .500 with a 5-4 record and third place in their own division.  The oh-so glamorous Cowboys have looked terrible as of late without their star QB Tony Romo due to an injured pinky on the throwing hand.  Although losing Romo as of late has shown how important he is to that offense, he can't be the blame for all their problems.  The Cowboys Defense have had many problems including stopping the run, pass coverage and giving up too many touchdowns.  To their credit they've shown signs of their potential in 2 of the last 3 games but looked awful in their last game against the G-Men.  

Despite my love for the Giants and hate for the Cowboys, I think the Cowboys are going to make a nice 2nd half run, regaining their breath and probably Tony Romo during their bye week (I really hated saying that).  It won't be easy though as they have a few very tough games remaining with all three division rivals (2 on the road), and a very strong Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road.  I think these Cowboys are going to rally around their QB and play with a sense of urgency that they didn't have in the first half of the season.  I think they'll go 5 - 2 the rest of the way giving them a 10-6 record, making the playoffs as a wild card.  I really hope I'm wrong.  We'll have to wait and see what happens but one thing is for certain, it will be interesting and will be getting paid a lot of attention to.