MSNBC Season Overview

[junk]

Dallas
After three straight 5-11 seasons, the Cowboys hired Bill Parcells, and he doubled their victories in his first year in town. As the summer approaches, he has more talent than he had a year ago, but whether it produces more wins remains uncertain because their still rebuilding offense has to blossom.
Defensively, Dallas is not built in the mold of past Parcells teams. It lacks size in the front line and at linebacker yet was first in the league in total defense and rushing defense and was the only unit to hold opposing quarterbacks to below a 50 percent completion average. This unit should be improved by the addition of defensive end Marcellus Wiley, who will be Parcells’ summer pet project.

Wiley once appeared to be the league’s next great pass rusher, but his play fell off considerably once he left Buffalo for San Diego. It has been three years since he made the Pro Bowl and he since has had too many injuries and too few sacks (nine in the past two seasons), yet Parcells believes he can light a fire under him. If he’s right, he could have added a premier edge rusher to join pocket collapsing defensive tackle La’Roi Glover (11 1/2 sacks the past two seasons) and defensive end Greg Ellis (eight sacks). If the old Wiley emerges, Dallas could have an elite front four and flexibility to play some 3-4 as well.


The big question mark on defense is whether Pete Hunter can replace departed Mario Edwards at cornerback. Terence Newman showed he could become an elite cover corner and safety Roy Williams is the Mike Tyson of his position -- a knockout artist -- but the secondary will suffer if Hunter can’t hold his own, because Dallas often asks its corners to play man-to-man to free the safeties in run support.

Offensively, the big issues are at quarterback and running back. Quincy Carter is the incumbent and Parcells likes his work ethic and his elusiveness, but he doesn’t like those 21 interceptions he threw. Carter was the only playoff quarterback with more interceptions than touchdown passes (17), so the Cowboys brought in veteran Vinny Testaverde, who played for Parcells with the Jets, and young Drew Henson to fight Carter for the job. Carter has more weapons with the arrival of wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to team with Terry Glenn, but he has to show he can make the best use of them.

Dallas will also use a double-tight end set more, giving more blocking power when it wants to control the ball on the ground. Parcells’ first aim is to control the clock, protect his defense and find ways to win late, which means whoever the quarterback is must limit his errors and manage the game. Whoever does the best job of that will start in the fall. Don’t bet against the old hand, Testaverde, if he has anything left.

Whoever it is will most often be handing off to second-round draft choice Julius Jones of Notre Dame. Dallas averaged 124.9 yards a game rushing, which was right in the middle of the NFC pack, but leading rusher Troy Hambrick averaged only 3.5 yards a carry, so he’s gone. Jones had the second-fastest 40 time among backs in the draft and Parcells believes that combination of speed and quickness will make him effective running inside or out. He had better be, because other than 12-year vet Richie Anderson, a pass-catching fullback, there’s no other answer on the roster to the question of how Dallas is going to control the clock this season, and controlling the clock is imperative for this team.

A year ago, Dallas was 9-4 when it had the edge in time of possession. One way to continue doing that is a quarterback who won’t turn the ball over and a back who can convert on third down so that’s what Bill Parcells is seeking.

HOT SEAT
Quincy Carter. With the signing of 40-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde and young Drew Henson, Carter is sandwiched between the past and the future. How he reacts to the pressure of having a proven veteran familiar with Parcells’ offense shadowing him for playing time and a young, live arm and athletic leader dogging his heels for his own chance will decide Carter’s future. Although he has many holes in his game, Carter led the Cowboys to a 10-6 season and can control his own destiny simply by playing well. If he falters or withers from the heat, he’ll be on the sidelines in a hurry because Parcells wants to win and he doesn’t care what quarterback is doing the winning.

OVERHEARD
The spring blowup between wide receiver Antonio Bryant and Parcells could end up hurting both Bryant and the Cowboys. Dallas needs his speed and athleticism to give the offense a dangerous third receiver to team with Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson. But Bryant went backward last year after a strong rookie season and is feuding with Parcells over playing time. He can’t win that battle, but if young Randal Williams shows enough, Bryant could lose his job.

OUTLOOK
The Cowboys have more talent than a year ago, but their record may not reflect it. It will be difficult to top 10 wins, and maybe even to approach it, unless everything goes right. Either way, Parcells has them set up for a big draft next spring and a run for the playoffs in 2005.

PREDICTION
Second.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5086810/

[Hostile]

Randal Williams could be the reason AB loses his job? This guy is not a Cowboys fan. Book it.

Parcells doesn't care which QB is doing the winning?

[ARMAGEDDON EAGLE]

Philadelphia

Eagles’ management and coach Andy Reid pulled out the checkbook and all the stops this offseason to give their team one last push in hopes of getting it over what has become an almost unfathomable hump: winning the NFC Championship Game. If this doesn’t do it, they may not get another chance for years.
Philadelphia imported arguably the most explosive offensive player on the market and the most explosive defensive free agent available – wide receiver Terrell Owens and defensive end Jevon Kearse -- in an effort to reach the Super Bowl after losing three straight NFC title games, the last two at home. Clearly it was a short-term fix, a last gasp effort to get to the biggest game before the team begins to slide.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb has always been hampered by the lack of a true No. 1 receiver who is a deep threat. Now he has him in Owens, who is as good a pass catcher and as competitive a player as their is in the league. Owens may have a ly temperament, but he wanted to come to the Eagles, going so far as to fight the 49ers’ original trade that landed him in Baltimore. Now he’s there with something to prove and he’s joining a quarterback with immense talent who’s in the same situation. That should, in theory, help both of them.

The Eagles let versatile but unhappy running back Duce Staley go, but they have a duo of Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter, who have speed and skills that should allow for a smooth transition if Westbrook can finally stay healthy. He’s failed to do that at any level going back to high school, but he also averaged 5.2 yards a carry last year and scored 13 touchdowns so he can produce. Buckhalter is in his contract year and that could be inspiration enough for a big season.

The receiving corps has to be aided by the appearance of Owens because he will draw double coverage that should make life easier for Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston. If they fail to produce though, T.O. may make life difficult on them himself. One thing for sure, there should not be a repeat of last year’s NFC title game scenario where the Eagles’ wide receivers had a total of only one catch.

Defensively, Kearse brings a fast edge rusher that was not apparent last year. His presence should be of particular help to Jerome McDougle, who had only one sack as a rookie, and it better be because the Eagles will need more pressure from their front four with a rebuilt secondary behind them that has yet to be tested under fire.

This summer should begin to make clear if the decision to let both starting cornerbacks go in free agency was to be the kind of mistake that negates the arrival of stars like Owens and Kearse. If the Eagles were wrong about their new cornerbacks’ ability to replace veteran Pro Bowlers Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, the new additions may not be enough to overcome the old subtractions.

HOT SEAT
Donovan McNabb. McNabb showed he’s got plenty left when he bounced back from a slow start last season, but it isn’t enough to quiet his critics. He had the league’s lowest passing efficiency rating as of Oct. 31 but from that point on he was the league’s most efficient quarterback (99.8 rating) through the end of the season as the Eagles finished with a 10-1 charge that got them to the NFC Championship game. But his team lost a shot at the Super Bowl for the third straight season so those vocal critics are questioning whether he can ever lead his team to victory in, or even to, the only game that counts in the NFL - the last one. Until he does, he’ll be in the same boat as Peyton Manning is now and John Elway and Dan Marino were before him.

OVERHEARD
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson may have to alter his style of defense some because he no longer has big, cover corners Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor. They went in free agency and have been replaced by smaller Lito Shepard and Sheldon Brown. Neither is big enough to play the same physical style of Taylor and Vincent, thus possibly forcing Johnson to be less aggressive with his blitzes because their success demanded the corners play the division’s big receivers aggresively and often in single coverage.

OUTLOOK
The Eagles still seem to be the class of the NFC East, but their window of opportunity is closing face in a division that is improving all around them. This may be their last hurrah and they seem to know it, which should be enough to win them one more division title at least before Dallas and Washington catch up.

PREDICTION
First.