The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, but were consistently inconsistent last season, until they burst out back into championship form late, winning their final three regular season games to reach the playoffs, then winning at Chicago in the Wildcard round. They still appear to be the best in the NFC East, even though Dallas officially won this division last year. But the 'Boys are inconsistent, and things could either go extremely well for them this season, or it could be an extremely disappointing season filled with unrealized expectations. Washington also has that same bug of inconsistency, as they raced off to a 6-3 start, before ending the season in disastrous fashion, and being clearly out of playoff positioning well before the final weeks. And the New York Giants are going through some tough times and are in rebuilding mode. They are not too likely to break out of that too soon, at least not this season, anyway.
So, how does each team in the NFC East look heading into 2019? Let's take a closer look:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (projected first place) - The Eagles did not enjoy a Super Bowl title to follow the one that they won the season prior. Yet, despite an up and down season in which they looked quite inconsistent, they managed to squeak into the playoffs by winning their final three regular season games. Once there, managed to win a game on the road in Chicago, before bowing out the next week to the eventual NFC champs, the Rams. Neither their offense nor their defense looked as good as the championship season, yet they showed some glimpses of what they had managed to achieve the prior season. There are some question marks. I am still not a fan of them having gotten rid of Nick Foles, the one Philly quarterback who managed to win the only Super Bowl this franchise has ever won, especially when he consistently played well for them by stepping up when he had to in the past two seasons. Still, their offense should be good, and their defense should be closer to the tough, physical unit it was in the championship season. There really is no obvious reason why this team should not be more successful this season than they were last season, and they were not even that bad last season. So, with championship experience in the recent past, and a sense that they can do more than what they showed last season, I fully expect the Eagles to kick into a higher gear this season, with improvements on both offense and defense. They are probably the best team in this division, and should have enough to win the division title at season's end.
1. Dallas Cowboys (projected second place) - The Dallas Cowboys remain a tough team to make predictions about. Up one season, down the next. A team that, certainly at times and on paper, seems loaded with talent and ready for title contention, then somehow fails to execute. And just when you figure it is safe to write them off, they come storming back and enjoy a very solid season. So, I hesitate to even make predictions with them, because it feels almost inevitably like these predictions will be wrong. However, this is the time to make predictions, and so I will sum up my thoughts on the 'Boys. Their defense was one of the best units in the league last year, and has been one of the better defenses for years now. The offense, however, struggled a bit too much, and would need to improve dramatically if this team is to become a legitimate title contender. It would help if the talks with running back Ezekiel Elliott prove fruitful, and the Cowboys get their man for some time to come. This is a team that still has the talent to be successful, even possibly to make a deep run in the playoffs. But it is also a team that has shown inconsistency, and could disappoint the high expectations that perennially surround them. Either scenario can play out, and it would not be a huge surprise to see them either contend or completely fizzle this year, because of their inconsistency. My guess is that they will be a decent team, good enough for second place in the division, and a possible playoff berth. But if they want to take it to the next level, there is some work to do, and they need to prove that they can do it.
3. Washington (projected third place) - Washington is another tough team to figure out. Sometimes, they play to their best ability, and surprise many and contend. Then, just when you expect some big things from them, they stumble and fall apart. Washington looked damn good last season, and possibly like they would contend for the NFC East title when they started off the season at 6-3. Frankly, it looked like it was theirs for the taking. But then, just when it was getting to be crunch time, this team fell apart, losing six of their final seven games, and not even really coming close to serious contention for a playoff berth in the end. When they play at their best, they can be a serious factor in the NFC East. But when they play at their worst, it makes you wonder how they ever enjoyed that success in the first place. Their offense was bad last season, and their defense, while tough in the first half of the season, seemed to lose a lot of steam as the season went along. Without greater consistency, Washington could show glimpses, as they did this season. But it is hard to predict anything better than a third place finish for this team this year, even though there is an outside chance that they could surprise and contend within the division.
2. New York Giants (projected last place) - The Giants were just a little bit better last season than the year before. But not all that much better, nevertheless. They got off to a terrible 1-7 start, and then recovered just a bit by winning half of their remaining games to make the season look more respectable at 5-11, which is an improvement from their 3-13 mark the season before. Saquon Barkley brought energy and excitement to the offense, which finally began to roll later in the season. However, gone is Odell Beckham, although from my perspective, it is also good riddance. Yes, he was extremely talented, and featured prominently on the highlight reels. Yet, with him, the Giants lost quite consistently, and his off the field antics and immaturity had an adverse effect on the G-Men. SO, even though he is a major talent, I think that Big Blue is actually better off without him. While New York's offense seemed to come alive in the latter half of the season, their defense remained inconsistent, and there were simply too many games where they had significant lapses. They allowed 25 points or more in half of their games played, and they simply do not have the kind of explosiveness on offense to overcome that kind of head start by the other team. So while the Giants did make improvements, and even managed to win a couple of impressive games against playoff teams (at Houston and against Chicago), there is nonetheless a lot of work to be done for serious improvements to be seen. With the Eagles and Cowboys in this division, both of which have enjoyed mastery over Big Blue in recent seasons, it might take time even for the improvements to show in the win-loss column, so expect another last place finish this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment