As I said at the end of the Super Bowl last year, more than a little bit inebriated, "Peyton is going to go for blood next year, Colts over Packers in 2011." I don't know if those were the exact words, but they get the point across: Indianapolis will beat Green Bay in Super Bowl XLV. What will happen elsewhere? Well I'm not quite sure, but I'll try my best this week by outlining how I think each division will turn out. Here goes, starting with the NFC East.
1. Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
2. Dallas Cowboys 10-6
3. Washington Redskins 9-7
4. NY Giants 8-8
OK, so having the Eagles place first in the NFC East might be putting too much faith in Kolb, but really, a lot of the pieces are already in place for Kolb to step into McNabb's shoes and continue the Eagles' postseason adventures. I'm not sure how far this team will make it under the helm of Kolb, but with a receiving core that includes DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, he should be able to make out just fine. Sure they lost Westbrook, who had minimal carries last year anyway, but the addition of Mike Bell should fill in their goal-line gap quite nicely. Also, with a defense that will be building on a solid season in 2009, with the addition of defensive end Brandon Graham and safety Nate Allen, the Eagles seem to have somewhat covered their asses in key areas of poor performance last year. Graham was named co-MVP for the Big Ten conference in 2009 and was a finalist for the FBS Hendricks Award, losing out to Jerry Hughes of TCU. Allen should also fit in quite nicely in a team in need of a decent secondary. Any way you look at it, the Eagles should come out on top of McNabb's new team.
Expect the Washington Redskins to make some upward moves this season. Even with the lack of a good receiving core, Dononvan McNabb should be able to produce some numbers with the wideouts available. Santana Moss could have some good numbers catching balls from Donovan, and look for the Redskins to improve on their 4-12 record of 2009. I don't see them becoming a postseason threat, their defense still needs some improvement and Haynesworth's lackluster attitude could effect the defensive tackle's stake in the team come opening day. They better hope they have it together by then, cause their first game at home against the Cowboys is a chance to one-up the division rivals that is too good to pass up.
Speaking of Dallas, congrats on winning a postseason game Romo! Now relish in that because I don't see you making the playoffs again this year. With Favre's return giving Minnesota a chance at one of the wild card spots (I expect Green Bay to take the NFC North), the real fight for the other slot will be between Dallas, Washington, Arizona or San Fran, and I would toss Atlanta into the mix as well. I like Atlanta to come out of this fight alive, and leave the aging Dallas Cowboys, who have tried so hard for so long to become a playoff contender again, to fade away over the next few seasons.
And then there's the Giants... Remember a few years back when Eli ruined THE PERFECT SEASON. Sad for Patriots' fans such as myself, especially since it was Peyton's brother and a man who never played an NFL game again that sealed the deal after everything looked en route. Well, the Giants have been quite mediocre since, and I expect more of the same from them this year. If a defense that faltered the end of 2009 can get back on track, look for the Giants to be in the playoff hunt with the rest of the NFC East this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment