A mid-camp look at the NFC East: Dallas in a landslide

[mldardy]

Until proven otherwise, I am not banking on this team two years in a row. The running game and OL will take a step back.

LOL the OL will take a step back. Yeah that doesn't make a lot of sense unless there are injuries involved this OL is legit.

 

[Sydla]

So you really think Bradford is going to have a better year than Foles did in 2013? 27-2? Very doubtful.

And that's what everyone said about Sanchez coming into that system and look what happened. Fact is, there is nothing special about that system at all. It's nothing innovative or new. You still have to have talent to succeed at QB in this league.

I said no such thing. But they won 10 games last year with average QB play and I suspect Bradford will be better (maybe even just slightly better) than the QB play they got in 2014. I think that 2013 season from Foles is a total anomaly and he'll never sniff that again.

Again, I am not suggesting they are going to win 12 or 13 games here. I am arguing against this belief that they suck and are only like a 6 or 7 win team or that we are a 5 games better than them.

I don't see that. I could see us at 11-5 and them at around 9-7.

 

[dfense]

I think people are being shortsighted with the Eagles. Will they win the division? Probably not. But this is the best Eagles team on paper in the 3 years Kelly has been there. Their front seven is very, very good. They improved in the secondary by dumping Williams and Fletcher, their starting CBs.

It all hinges on Bradford. If (and that's a big if) he's healthy, they are going to be a very good team. Better than us? At this point, not really but the idea that we are 5 games better than them is wishful thinking IMO.

I don't agree with best on paper in three years. Besides the proven personnel loses, Bradford is as unproven as can be. He was just above average to begin with. A couple years ago the Eagles revamped their entire secondary. Turns out they needed to do it again. I suppose it can't get much worse right?

Here's my personal take on Kelly. He's panicked. He realizes he's about to get kicked back to college. He sees the team Dallas has become, not after a couple quick trades, but a 3 or 4 year building process. Kelly realizes he has not seen the best of the Cowboys yet and he knows he cannot beat them.

 

[yimyammer]

The Eagles Super Bowl is week 2. They HAVE to beat Dallas at home, or that city will descend on them, and it could get ugly very fast.

I don't know who's gonna win but I'm pretty sure one teams city is going to go into a melt down after that game

 

[mldardy]

You'd be hard pressed to find a QB that played with worse overall skill position players and a worse offensive line.

Bradford's rookie season was outstanding when you consider that he had Brandon Gibson and Laurent Robinson as his starting WRs, Billy Bajema as his starting TE, and Rodger Saffold (a rookie in 2010), Jacob Bell, Jason Brown, Adam Goldberg and Jason Smith as his starting offensive line. He did have Steven Jackson, so that helped, but the rest was hot garbage. Of the above listed group, only Saffold and Gibson are still in the NFL.

And, Bradford managed to have that team one game from making the playoffs. He's fragile, and not an All-Pro, but he hasn't been horrible in his career.

Bradford has never had an outstanding season. His rookie year he threw for 60% completion %, 3500 yards 18 TD and 15 INTS, Bradford is a such an average to below average QB and people thinking he is going to be the savior or fix or whatever for the Eagles should be prepared to be disappointed.

 

[robjay04]

I did. And Foles was mediocre before Kelly got him and Kelly turned him into a much different player. Shoot, Kelly made Sanchez look passable at times. If Kelly can squeeze 10 wins out of Nick Foles/Sanchez, he likely can squeeze 10 out of Bradford.

Foles was a rookie before Kelly joined that team and Philly fans were all hype about his rookie season under Andy Reid.

I live near tons of Philly fans, Foles was very popular and he did have a solid rookie season under Reid including a gutsy comeback.

 

[Blackspider214]

I said no such thing. But they won 10 games last year with average QB play and I suspect Bradford will be better (maybe even just slightly better) than the QB play they got in 2014. I think that 2013 season from Foles is a total anomaly and he'll never sniff that again.

Again, I am not suggesting they are going to win 12 or 13 games here. I am arguing against this belief that they suck and are only like a 6 or 7 win team or that we are a 5 games better than them.

I don't see that. I could see us at 11-5 and them at around 9-7.

My point is, Foles had a historic year numbers wise. That ratio is unheard of. Whether or not he's any good, that is the year he had and they benefited from it. They also had McCoy, Jackson, Maclin. Who do they have now? This Matthews pick is supposed to be good but who else?

I'm just not seeing how this is his best team.

 

[Plankton]

Bradford has never had an outstanding season. His rookie year he threw for 60% completion %, 3500 yards 18 TD and 15 INTS, Bradford is a such an average to below average QB and people thinking he is going to be the savior or fix or whatever for the Eagles should be prepared to be disappointed.

How many rookie QBs in history have outperformed what Bradford did that season? And with a supporting cast that bad?

 

[Sydla]

My point is, Foles had a historic year numbers wise. That ratio is unheard of. Whether or not he's any good, that is the year he had and they benefited from it. They also had McCoy, Jackson, Maclin. Who do they have now? This Matthews pick is supposed to be good but who else?

I'm just not seeing how this is his best team.

Because their defense is the best one he's had. I think their TBs, as a group, are better than the 2013 and 2014 group.

And I don't buy the Foles hype. He's being overrated by some here because they need to think he was better to put down Bradford. But when Foles was the QB of the Eagles, a lot of people now thinking he's quality thought then that he was basically trash living off one lucky season.

They did have some losses like Maclin. But I think they've also improved in other areas. So I don't think they are a 6 win team or we are 5 games better than them. If you do, that's fine.

 

[DenCWBY]

I'm more nervous about the Giants. They have a great receiving corp and Eli can get the ball out quick in a rush. We have had a bad time sacking him in the past and hope that changes this year. Their oline is challenged but their coaching staff is pretty good at covering that up with quick throws and a decent run attack. Yes their run game is not great, but they have been banged up there for a while.

Perhaps wishful thinking but I think the Eagles are going to poop the bed this year. They have a stable of RB's but as you advised, will have to have a pass game to get the run game going. The media is so hoping the birds thrive in Chips offense which was touted as genius in some circles. I think his offense has already revealed itself as decent against poor defenses buy average against the better defenses.

The skins? faaagetabouit!!

 

[Sportsbabe]

Foles was a rookie before Kelly joined that team and Philly fans were all hype about his rookie season under Andy Reid.

I live near tons of Philly fans, Foles was very popular and he did have a solid rookie season under Reid including a gutsy comeback.

I respect Jeff Fisher and he traded Bradford for Foles. Enough said.

 

[Longboysfan]

My slant on this....
Philadelphia: Yes stout front defensive front 7. Got any backups????
The rest of the offense is a yet to be proven. Wait till Bradford plays to pass judgement.
Washington: You can't say the coach is clueless based on one year in his system without a QB to run it properly.
Yes. Washington has very good players on their roster and given the right circumstances can give other teams fits.
New York: Eli better get on his roller blades early in the season. When their O line get's it together they should be good.
Defense - when you best player is not there you suffer.
Cowboys: Running game yet to be proven. But with the front they have the running game should prevail.
Defense they have a lot of improved parts this year. Should step up to top 10 defense this year.

 

[Idgit]

You can never guess how a division race is going to pan out, and this year will be no different. That said, we were the better team by a small but real margin last season, and we've clearly gotten better in VFA and had the better draft in terms of adding projected talent (no matter what you think of our prospective drafts, the Collins signing gave us essentially another top-15 pick). PHI, on the other hand, had a lot of key losses on top of their key additions, and almost everything they did was fairly controversial.

The gap between Dallas and PHI, on paper, has widened. It's weird that that's not the basic consensus. The Eagles still get a lot of play for a team that didn't accomplish much and then had a volatile offseason.

 

[Fletch]

The Eagles wont be that bad, neither will the Giants. I expect 10 wins for Philly, 8-10 for New York.

Expect to be heartbroken.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

And the season before Kelly got Foles, he had a rating of 79.

Foles is an average QB. If Kelly can get that kind of play out of a mediocre talent like Foles, to expect worse from Bradford is funny.

if Foles is average then what is Bradford ? Even when he's healthy I've never been impressed. Terrible poise , inaccurate throws, i just don't see it. I think the Rams robbed the Eagles in that trade.

 

[DoctorChicken]

He was a rookie when his QB rating was 79. That's not a fair evaluation of him. Kid can play.

I thought you didn't like Foles?

 

[mldardy]

How many rookie QBs in history have outperformed what Bradford did that season? And with a supporting cast that bad?

Well I'm not really into qualifiers with 'a supporting cast that bad'. If you have a good rooke season as QB then you make the most with what you have and these QBs did..Most of these QB inherited bad teams and turned them around into playoff teams. Bradford has never done that or even had a winning season.
RGIII
Ben Roethlisberger
Dan Marino
Andrew Luck
Russell Wilson
Cam Newton
Matt Ryan

 

[erod]

I thought you didn't like Foles?

He's not elite or anything, but the guy has something. I sure wish he was our backup here.

 

[Ken]

Foles was 6-2 as a starter last year for them.....must have been the problem.

 

[erod]

You can never guess how a division race is going to pan out, and this year will be no different. That said, we were the better team by a small but real margin last season, and we've clearly gotten better in VFA and had the better draft in terms of adding projected talent (no matter what you think of our prospective drafts, the Collins signing gave us essentially another top-15 pick). PHI, on the other hand, had a lot of key losses on top of their key additions, and almost everything they did was fairly controversial.

The gap between Dallas and PHI, on paper, has widened. It's weird that that's not the basic consensus. The Eagles still get a lot of play for a team that didn't accomplish much and then had a volatile offseason.

No doubt, they play these games for a reason and surprises happen all over the league every year.

But Dallas is on the precipice of something big. The Eagles are in that duct tape and super glue mode like the Cowboys were for seemingly forever.