About The NFC East

[northerncowboynation]

Just curious to see how some of you view how each team has changed.

My take:

Eagles - Not sure what to make of them. They have a ton of talent but they seem like they might have lost that "underdog" edge they had that carried them to the SB. A lot of chatter.

Commanders - I think they have really improved. Smith will probably be a better QB for their offense and no matter what you think of him, he will not make the same mistakes Cousins has made at times. They loaded up on run stopping defenders.

Giants - I also think they improved. I am not impressed with Shurmur as a HC, but there is enough residual talent on this team for them to be able to compete. I think they will try to be a more balanced physical squad.

It is interesting that outside of the Eagles, the division is shifting towards the run game. And the Commanders loaded up to stop the run, while Dallas is at a clear deficit. That might be a key to this season.

The responses should be fun to designate who pays attention to other teams or who just has blinders on.​

I think the Giants improved their area of weakness. The O-line and added a RB who should take the pressure off of aging Eli. Expect a bounce back from the Giants

The Skins? I don't think Alex Smith is an improvement on Cousins. If he is it's minor. Their problem last year was injuries and they were decimated. Expect a bounce back on being more healthy if nothing else

The Eagles? I don't think they improved in the off season at all. I suppose Michael Bennett could help them depending on his attitude and locker room impact and I expect Barnett to improve. They caught lightning in a bottle last year. I don't see it happening again. Ajayi has been injured a lot in his short career. I see fewer wins for the Eagles in 2018

Since you didn't mention the Cowboys, I will. I think we improved our O-line and that's a key. I think we improved our LB'er group also. Time will tell. I have questions about our WR group like everyone else BUT i really don't see missing Dez or Witten on the field. Witten's leadership and presence yes. We certainly won't miss Dez's leadership. I see an up tick in wins for the Boys in 2018. We will challenge the Eagles for first place in the NFC east. That's me being real, not a homer

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Eagles - I think they'll struggle mightily with expectations and distractions this year and be about 8-8,9-7. Plus will Wentz really be healthy early on?
Skins - Smith is different but no better than Cousins. I think they'll be a solid team and tough out but not any kind of contender.
Giants - Better on offense with Barkley and Hernández, no longer an easy W, but still not particularly good.

We should win or at least strongly contend for the division unless Dak plays like he did last year post-Atlanta.

 

[Jipper]

Eagles - I think they'll struggle mightily with expectations and distractions this year and be about 8-8,9-7. Plus will Wentz really be healthy early on?
Skins - Smith is different but no better than Cousins. I think they'll be a solid team and tough out but not any kind of contender.
Giants - Better on offense with Barkley and Hernández, no longer an easy W, but still not particularly good.

We should win or at least strongly contend for the division unless Dak plays like he did last year post-Atlanta.

i completly agree the eagles are going to struggle....amazes me how much people fear the eagles and keep saying they have amazing talent, etc..they caught lightening in a bottle last year and everything aligned for them, they will come back to the pack this year...not saying they wont have a winning record but its a lot harder having a target on your back every game...also, i think if we had zeke we would have beat them 2 times last year and it would have been a potentially different narative going into Jan.

 

[Stash]

i completly agree the eagles are going to struggle....amazes me how much people fear the eagles and keep saying they have amazing talent, etc..they caught lightening in a bottle last year and everything aligned for them, they will come back to the pack this year...not saying they wont have a winning record but its a lot harder having a target on your back every game...also, i think if we had zeke we would have beat them 2 times last year and it would have been a potentially different narative going into Jan.

Sorry, but "lighting in a bottle" doesn't come close to the Eagles 13-3 Championship season.

 

[dallasdave]

Eagles suck!
Commanders suck!
Giants suck!
Cowboys are number one baby!!

And pussburg stealers suck more than the Giants, Commanders, and Eagles are put together

 

[dallasdave]

With that said, the Eagles still did make some moves since the offseason officially began. Here’s a recap of what’s taken place so far.

SIGNED WITH EAGLES
Free agents from other teams

DT Haloti Ngata - 1 year, $2.6 million

LB Corey Nelson - 1 year, $1.6 million

Re-signings

LB Nigel Bradham - 5 years, $40 million

TRADES
Received

DE Michael Bennett, 2018 seventh-round pick, CB Daryl Worley


I like what the Eagles did on Defense
That already strong defense looks tougher. They let curry go but got Ngata and Bennett.

Thanks for the update

 

[dallasdave]

Eagles suck!
Commanders suck!
Giants suck!
Cowboys are number one baby!!

Cowboys are #1 and all the way BABY if Philly can do so can the Cowboys. ----Yeah that's SIX

 

[Longboysfan]

Eagles are in great shape for this year. Wentz should be back although not as mobile. When he is ready to go Eagles will see how backup situation is and trade Foles. 2019 - Implosion on their CAP which will strip away a lot of talent. Foles will be gone unless Wentz is in a wheelchair.
Giants - Yes they got better on their very poor O line. Yes they got a RB who can carry the load. But their Defense is now old and switching to 3 - 4. Eli is another year older and going down hill.
Commanders - Got a QB that will not make mistakes - just a better bus driver. They improved a little but still same coaching staff.
Cowboys - committed to running the ball. WR by committee. TE hopefully Rico Gathers steps up and we get good blocking from other TE's. Defense should be much improved going off the last 8 games from last year.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Eagles - Had a cake schedule last year which gets tougher this year. Will have to see how the injury to Wentz plays out, but he's got a great line protecting him. I'm still not as high as most on him before the injury. I don't think Foles will be as effective as he was in the playoffs if he has to start. Tim Jernigan will miss most of the season, but their DL is still packed. They're the defending champs, so still the team to beat, but I don't think they run away with it. Ready for the SB hangover.

Commanders - Downgraded at QB. Not in love with their WR core (though do like the Richardson signing). Lost Breeland, Cravens, & Fuller. Picked up Scandrick. I think their secondary will be bad. Cant stop the run. They do have a good pass rush going for them.

Giants - A good draft wont be able to compensate for an ever declining Manning and bad O-Line. SB is an overrated runnner. Defense getting worse.

NFC EAST
Cowboys
Eagles
Commanders
Giants

 

[Sydla]

i completly agree the eagles are going to struggle....amazes me how much people fear the eagles and keep saying they have amazing talent, etc..they caught lightening in a bottle last year and everything aligned for them, they will come back to the pack this year...not saying they wont have a winning record but its a lot harder having a target on your back every game...also, i think if we had zeke we would have beat them 2 times last year and it would have been a potentially different narative going into Jan.

LOL. Struggle?

Look if people want to think Dallas is improved and will be better next year, that's a fair statement. Trying to undercut the Eagles and act like they aren't talented is silly. It just is.

This whole "everything aligned for them" is idiotic considering they won a SB without their LT, their starting MLB and their starting QB.

And no, even with Zeke, we would not have won that first Eagles game. They beat the living piss out of us in the 2nd half and Zeke wasn't suddenly going to change that.

 

[Longboysfan]

I think this is a really good assessment. The bad thing for the NFCE is only one team will make the play offs. And the Eagles have two years before having to sign Carson. But what you will find is they are about to load up on draft picks. What they plan on doing is reload after the next two years. This year they'll get rid of all expiring contracts and purge the roster of older players.

While in agreement with you on most - and I hope Wentz knee is not issue like RGIII.
The Eagles can't just purge older player without CAP issues.
Yes there are the June 1 cuts. I think Peters will be released somewhere. I think Foles will be traded.
This gets you about 30M in CAP relief next year.
But your 51M over for next year.

The Eagles can restructure all they want but you just push off the problem to your next year(s).

Cowboys have been there for many a year - The likes of the Romo contract - but it is going off the books this year this will help the Cowboys.

 

[Jipper]

LOL. Struggle?

Look if people want to think Dallas is improved and will be better next year, that's a fair statement. Trying to undercut the Eagles and act like they aren't talented is silly. It just is.

This whole "everything aligned for them" is idiotic considering they won a SB without their LT, their starting MLB and their starting QB.

And no, even with Zeke, we would not have won that first Eagles game. They beat the living piss out of us in the 2nd half and Zeke wasn't suddenly going to change that.

on the contrary, the fact that they were able to win with the three players out show that every did indeed align for them or they would have strugged to overcome

I dont know how you can say that we wouldn't have won the first game....we were up 9-7 at half time and having zeke in would have likely converted a few of the FG's to td's plus protected the defense in the second half....

 

[Denim Chicken]

And no, even with Zeke, we would not have won that first Eagles game. They beat the living piss out of us in the 2nd half and Zeke wasn't suddenly going to change that.

With Tyrone and Zeke, IDK. Our defense played them very well the first half and if we could have put up some points it would have been a different game in the second.

 

[Sydla]

on the contrary, the fact that they were able to win with the three players out show that every did indeed align for them or they would have strugged to overcome

I dont know how you can say that we wouldn't have won the first game....we were up 9-7 at half time and having zeke in would have likely converted a few of the FG's to td's plus protected the defense in the second half....

No, it shows that they were talented enough to overcome the loss of some key players and had a competent coaching staff.

I know it's hard to believe for some of my fellow Cowboys fans that have witnessed seasons unravel because of injuries because of Garrett, sometimes, teams do overcome key injuries. And it's not just luck.

And here's how I can say we wouldn't have won that first game. For one, the defense couldn't stop a fart in the 2nd half. Zeke isn't changing that. The Eagles scored 30 points in the 2nd half and racked up like 250 yards of offense in one half. Secondly, the Eagles defense was one of the best run defenses in the league and only gave up 7 TDs on the ground all year, Top 5 in the NFL. So to assume Elliott would have turned FGs into TDs is a reach at this point. Plus, Prescott played horribly that game and I suspect the Eagles would have loaded the LOS and made Prescott try to beat them. Prescott wasn't the same Prescott by that point of the season.

 

[Sydla]

With Tyrone and Zeke, IDK. Our defense played them very well the first half and if we could have put up some points it would have been a different game in the second.

And then the Eagles dropped 30 points and 250 yards of offense on us in the 2nd half, including three straight TD drives of 75 yards or more to start the 2nd half.

I think anyone who looks back at that game as winnable has some blinders on.

And if people want to assume things in the analysis, let's note that I suspect if the Eagles had actually tried and played their starters (and if they had Wentz), we wouldn't have won that last game in Philly. So it cuts both ways.

Now what does it all mean in the context of this thread?

That the Cowboys have to play better. Expecting the Eagles to come down to our level is a mistake. Thinking their 2017 season was a gift, luck, whatever is a mistake. They are good, really good and we will have to play much better to be in the NFCE champ conversation IMO.

 

[Denim Chicken]

And then the Eagles dropped 30 points and 250 yards of offense on us in the 2nd half, including three straight TD drives of 75 yards or more to start the 2nd half.

That what happens when your offense continually gives the ball back to the opposing offense. If we're scoring points its a different game. The loss of Tyrone hurt way more than Zeke. Then again, this was the game right after the Falcons game so Dak may have still been shook even if the line was intact. But, I agree we would have lost the second game if they tried. We were done at that point.

 

[Sydla]

That what happens when your offense continually gives the ball back to the opposing offense. If we're scoring points its a different game. The loss of Tyrone hurt way more than Zeke. But, I agree we would have lost the second game if they tried. We were done at that point.

The Eagles got the ball to start the half and went right down the field on us. And then after a drive by us that ate up close to 3 minutes where we punted and pinned the Eagles deep, they went 90 yards in 5 plays and 2 minutes to blow the game open.

So nah, I don't think we had much of chance to win that game with Elliott and Smith. The Eagles simply made better adjustments and utterly embarrassed us in the 2nd half.

 

[glimmerman]

We will win the East. Not sure what after that.

 

[Denim Chicken]

The Eagles got the ball to start the half and went right down the field on us. And then after a drive by us that ate up close to 3 minutes where we punted and pinned the Eagles deep, they went 90 yards in 5 plays and 2 minutes to blow the game open.

So nah, I don't think we had much of chance to win that game with Elliott and Smith. The Eagles simply made better adjustments and utterly embarrassed us in the 2nd half.

We also fumbled and gave them the ball as the result of poor line play. But your probably right, after the Atlanta game we went from averaging 30 PPG to 16. That game really ended the season for us.

 

[1nfljunky]

on the contrary, the fact that they were able to win with the three players out show that every did indeed align for them or they would have strugged to overcome

I dont know how you can say that we wouldn't have won the first game....we were up 9-7 at half time and having zeke in would have likely converted a few of the FG's to td's plus protected the defense in the second half....

on the contrary, the fact that they were able to win with the three players out show that every did indeed align for them or they would have strugged to overcome

I dont know how you can say that we wouldn't have won the first game....we were up 9-7 at half time and having zeke in would have likely converted a few of the FG's to td's plus protected the defense in the second half....

You lost 31-0 in the second half! You can explain that away? If so FOX news has an opening, lol. Getting back Sproles, Peters and Hicks makes the Eagles a better team than the one that won the SB. The Eagles are better than you schematically, in talent and in coaching. The differences in the FOs aren't even worth listing. Keep up with the dumb narrative of lighting in a bottle. We won our games on average by better than 10.5 point per. Yep some bottle.
What I find interesting is how all of you suggest your problems at guard are over. How? Williams number one issue is he needs to get stronger. Isn't that the number asset of an NFL guard, strength? In his first year he will be dominated by the DTs just in this division alone both physically and experience wise. You will see he will be a liability. A 6'5" guard with short arms and strength issues is a disaster waiting to happen. Not being able to run the ball consistantly will expose Dak. Hell it already has.