2013 NFL Division Previews: NFC East
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Last season, the Washington Redskins took the NFC East to lift themselves out of a divisional drought that stretched back to 1999. A look at the odds shows this is the division that is the most up-in-the-air. The Giants are favored at +200, with the Cowboys and Redskins at +240, and Philadelphia at +325. Talk about parity! It makes for what should be one of the more exciting divisions in football.
New York Giants: Not a lot of people outside of New York are talking much about the Giants, who may slip under-the-radar this season. They have one of the clutch big-game quarterbacks in Eli Manning, a pair of great receivers in Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, and a defense that should be stout. New York is hoping Jason Pierre-Paul comes back at full strength. Canty and Usemyiora are gone, so some gaps in that front 7 need to be filled. They even add TE Brandon Myers, who caught 79 balls last year with the Raiders.
They have some talent at running back with David Wilson, though losing the physical presence of Ahmad Bradshaw and his customary 1000 yard seasons is not a good thing. The front line should benefit with the addition of first rounder T Justin Pugh. Some guys need to bounce back with better seasons, which contributed to their 9-7 mark of ’12. The line wasn’t very robust against the run and the secondary was 28th in pass yardage allowed. With no major acquisitions in the offseason, they will simply need to upgrade if this defense is going to give Eli a chance to win a bunch of games.
Washington Redskins: The divisional champ from last year faces a big season where they either take a step forward as a playoff team or slip down the charts. RGIII is great, he really is. It’s just hard to approach this season with an overly-optimistic attitude. He is, after all, recovering from major surgery and will not play in the preseason. That means when he does return, everything changes and this offense might not hit the ground running to begin 2013.
Alfred Morris ran for 1613 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie campaign--a huge feat of prowess somewhat overshadowed with the huge season that Griffin had. But if the big bruiser keeps it up and WR Pierre Garcon stays healthy, look for this offense to be tough with their west coast zone run option mixed in with Griffin’s Baylor read-option, with all kinds of play action running off that. Their pass “D,” 30th in 2012 needs to step up or at least remain healthy after getting hit hard with injuries last season.
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Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett remains head coach, with the offensive playcalling now run by Bill Callahan, with Monte Kiffin coming in to get this “D” on the right track. Coming off a rough 8-8 season, he is going with a 4-3 and he has a ton of tools at his disposal, including top-tier pass rusher DeMarcus Ware, who could be even more productive if he can remain healthy all season. Some other young guys on the team should be better in 2013 and while one shouldn’t expect a vintage Monte Kiffin defense right off the bat, the “D” should be improved.
Romo should click with All-American Wisconsin first-rounder C Travis Frederick, who should give this O-line an immediate boost. This offense will need to adapt and play at a high level with Callahan now calling plays. DeMarco Murray, if healthy, might be primed for a big year. In fact, the entire Dallas team seems injury-prone and that element might end up deciding this team’s fortunes in 2013. As of the beginning of training camp, injuries have created some voids and a lack of depth on the D-line. For Kiffin to work any potential magic, the line needs to be solid.
Philadelphia Eagles: There are not many teams more interesting in terms of how things might work out. New head coach Chip Kelly has his work cut out, but it’s not like he doesn’t have any tools with which to work. A quarterback battle is ensuing in training camp, with the favorite being Michael Vick with Nick Foles on his heels. Either one will be playing behind a good line in a high-tempo speed-offense that Kelly will institute. We’ll see how Kelly’s offense holds up in the NFL over 16 games, with such harsh physical requirements being made of the players, especially at the skill positions. They just lost their receiving leader from 2012 when Jeremy Maclin went down with an ACL at the beginning of training camp. Their two biggest offensive weapons, RB LeSean McCoy and WR DeSean Jackson need to be huge in 2013.
McCoy, specifically, needs to have a breakout season, as he will be key in opening up this offense. He’ll have his opportunities and has the line to do it, which added 4th overall pick T Lane Johnson. Though Kelly is more of an offensive mind, the defense had grown stale and a breath of fresh air might help. Whatever happens, it will be fun to watch.
