Video: Who's the team to beat in the NFC East? - 6/1/09

[dcfanatic]

Last year was last year. I have just about finally put it behind me and I am looking forward to this 2009 season.

So who's the team to beat in the NFC East?...

[youtube]6vT7MOes9qk[/youtube]

Yeah Dilfer!!! The man knows what he's talking about and I agree with him here.

I think it's a neck and neck battle with the Eagles. But McNabb is going to fall off the deep end at some point and I hope it's now.

I know the Giants won the division last season, but I am not sold the loss of Spagnuolo won't affect that defense dramatically this season. And Eli had the one shining moment of his career already.

The Skins? Please. Orakpo as a LB in a 4-3 defense. That just tells you that they don't have a clue over there.

 

[SLATEmosphere]

Are they really putting Orakpo at OLB in a 4-3? My god....

 

[dcfanatic]

Are they really putting Orakpo at OLB in a 4-3? My god....

The stupidity amazes me...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/washington-Commanders-first-roun.html

Orakpo 'Still Trying to Get Acclimated' at LB


Washington Commanders first-round draft pick Brian Orakpo said he is transitioning smoothly both to the professional game and also to a new position after an organized team activity today at Commanders Park.

Expected to split time between strong side linebacker and defensive end, Orakpo said he has been working to master schemes as well as to balance his responsibilities at both positions.

"I'm feeling the difference, but it is still football," Orakpo said. "If you know what you're doing, you can play fast. If you don't, that's when you kind of get left behind. But what I try to do is go in and know what I'm doing, study my playbook, study the plays that we put in that day and try to play fast."

Orakpo, who said he is meeting with coaches for both position groups, had a team-high 11 1/2 sacks as a defensive end his senior season at Texas, which ranked sixth in the country, while also registering 40 tackles, including 17 1/2 for a loss.

At Orakpo's introductory press conference on April 27, Commanders Coach Jim Zorn said the team expected to test Orakpo's comfort level at linebacker, where he could play on first and second downs, but that "certainly he is going to be a pass rusher," from the end position on passing downs.

"I'm still trying to get acclimated to [linebacker], but I'm doing okay right now," Orakpo said. "I know I can do better at pass drops and reading coverages better and stuff, but that just all comes over time. So once OTAs get going and come training camp I should be full go."
--------------------------------

Two defensive meetings with both position coaches for a rookie?

:bang2:

Ahhh, what do I care. Ruin him, because it only helps us in the end.

 

[Four]

orakpo could just be a much better athlete than you give him credit.

it is the skins, but they are still in professional football, coaches and players.

I would actually take his versatility as more of a threat, than to just write it off as idiocy because he plays for the idiots, err, Commanders.

 

[yentl911]

Considering last season and the upgrades the Giants and Eagles made this offseason they would have to be the favorites.

I think the Cowboys will be right there at the end and have a chance to win the division. I truly feel that this will be the best Cowboy team we have seen in that past several years. I think they are really going to play well this season.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Considering last season and the upgrades the Giants and Eagles made this offseason they would have to be the favorites.

I think the Cowboys will be right there at the end and have a chance to win the division. I truly feel that this will be the best Cowboy team we have seen in that past several years. I think they are really going to play well this season.

Would those upgrades you are considering for the Giants include using a #3 slot receiver as your #1 wide out, while losing your #1 and #2 from the Super Bowl run? Would that be an upgrade also in losing a player who accounted for 45% of your rushing attack last season?

I'm so far from sold that the Giants won't give the Commanders serious competition for 4th in the NFC East it isn't even funny.

 

[CATCH17]

I'd love to see Orakpo in open space trying to guard some of the weapons we have.

Unless they switch to a 3-4 then I just don't see him as a LB at all.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Did Schlereth actually say Jason Peters? D-Ware will beat him like a drum....

 

[StarWiz2]

Giants

Eagles

Commanders

Cowboys


Won't even be close unless the Giants suffer significant injury.

Eli > Romo by a ton.
Tom > Phillips by a ton.
Giant defensive additions > Cowboys by a ton.
New Giant defensive coordinator = Phillips, because Phillips is wearing two hats and thus far he's proved he can't even do it with one. A WASH.

Second place Eagles

McNabb when healthy > Romo by a ton
Reid > Phillips by a ton
Eagle offensive additions > Cowboys by a ton
Johnson defensive coordinator(assuming he's back) > Phillips by a ton, even if Phillips was wearing one hat


Third Place Commanders

By the fact that they didn't lose to the Eagles 44-6 in a 'playoff' type game to end the season. Good going Skins.


Fourth Place Cowboys

Cowboys need to stay healthy, since depth has been squandered, to have any chance of making the playoffs. Besides, after that shellacking by the Eagles in the last 'playoff' game, the Cowboys automatically sink to the bottom of my preseason poll. They'll have to earn their way out of it.

Additionally, the Cowboys made the least impressive additions in the off-season. And as I wrote before, their substractions squandered all-important depth, especially at WR. Romo won't have TO to pad his stats anymore. In effect, he doesn't have a number one receiver. And I'm not going to crown RW with that title until he proves he can be. I predict he won't be able to do that, mostly because I also predict Romo will make Witten his go to guy. I will further predict if he does that, his interceptions will go up even more.

Let's face it, whether you liked TO or not, his release weakens Romo a lot. That's not to say however, that the running game, should it be employed correctly, can't make up for TO's loss. The question is, has Garrett learned anything from last year? I predict no. But that's based only on a hunch, so lotta room for error in that prediction.

Now here's a surprising prediction as far as coaching. I predict Phillips will be a better coach this year, but it won't be enough to take the division away from the Giants or Eagles. Everything would have to go exactly right for the Cowboys to have a chance at the division title.

And it'll take a miracle for them to make the super bowl, or an implosion by the Giants and Eagles, (much like what NE did for Pittsburgh this past season) for the Cowboys to make the super bowl.

Those kind of miracles only seem to happen to the Steelers, so I predict, the Cowboys will not be favorites to go to the super bowl this year.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think the East is still a toss up on who can win it. If I had to give one team the edge it would be the defending NFC East winner Giants.

 

[slick325]

Considering last season and the upgrades the Giants and Eagles made this offseason they would have to be the favorites.

I think the Cowboys will be right there at the end and have a chance to win the division. I truly feel that this will be the best Cowboy team we have seen in that past several years. I think they are really going to play well this season.

I can't disagree with most of what you wrote and have no idea if what is in bold will prove to be true, but that 2007 team that went 13-3 will be hard to be better than. If not for the Pats going undefeated and Brady and Moss setting league records, the Cowboys, Romo and Owens would have been the talk of the league.

 

[Alexander]

orakpo could just be a much better athlete than you give him credit.

it is the skins, but they are still in professional football, coaches and players.

I would actually take his versatility as more of a threat, than to just write it off as idiocy because he plays for the idiots, err, Commanders.

He might be an impressive athlete but what good is he going to do as a 4-3 OLB right off the bat? He will struggle in coverage and that's only natural. They needed a pass rusher, yet they aren't giving him a shot? I swear sometimes they are allergic to actually rushing the passer.

Their defense reminds me of the passive version we used to have with Zimmer. Nice and fancy with coverages, statistically sound overall but low impact because they can't force errors. If they think they will get a number one ranking again, now without Shaun Springs, I have to laugh.

 

[yentl911]

I can't disagree with most of what you wrote and have no idea if what is in bold will prove to be true, but that 2007 team that went 13-3 will be hard to be better than. If not for the Pats going undefeated and Brady and Moss setting league records, the Cowboys, Romo and Owens would have been the talk of the league.

But we came apart at the seams at the end of the year when it counts. I think the team this year will show more fortitude and suprise a lot of people. I think this team is going to do great things this year....do not underestimate our special teams getting better. That was a problem for us even in '07 - especially in the playoff game against the Giants.

 

[yentl911]

Would those upgrades you are considering for the Giants include using a #3 slot receiver as your #1 wide out, while losing your #1 and #2 from the Super Bowl run? Would that be an upgrade also in losing a player who accounted for 45% of your rushing attack last season?

I'm so far from sold that the Giants won't give the Commanders serious competition for 4th in the NFC East it isn't even funny.

The Giants are still deep at the RB position and have a ton of young talent at the WR position. I am in now way shape or form a Ginats supporter but they will be the favorites......getting Osi back for a full season will be a big plus as well. No way will they finish below the 4-Skins.

 

[theebs]

I predict he won't be able to do that, mostly because I also predict Romo will make Witten his go to guy. I will further predict if he does that, his interceptions will go up even more.

more witten craziness.

Have people actually watched Dallas play? Or did they just watch 81 run around the field and follow him like the cowboys were a reality show.

Witten has been the go to guy for romo since day 1.

this interception logic makes zero sense.

By the fact that they didn't lose to the Eagles 44-6 in a 'playoff' type game to end the season. Good going Skins.

instead they lost to the rams, bengals, niners and Dallas at home. Since Dallas sucks so bad what does that make washington? And washington got whipped by the burress-less giants, you know the reason the giants lost to Dallas because they didnt have burress...or maybe they lost because they didnt try according to their fans, I cant remember which excuse they are using right now......and that is the game jacobs was injured when he took a helmet to the knee and left the game.

so yeah finishing the year with a road loss to the 49ers after losing already to the giants, cowboys and bengals in the second half of the season should definitely make them optimistic.

 

[cowboyjoe]

yeah mcnabb was born november 25 1976 so that makes him 33 come november

he has been beat up alot so he is about due to fall off

troy aikman did about the same thing, he fell off when he was about 32 or 33

 

[theebs]

yeah mcnabb was born november 25 1976 so that makes him 33 come november

he has been beat up alot so he is about due to fall off

troy aikman did about the same thing, he fell off when he was about 32 or 33

I dont see any reason mcnabb would drop off, he will be the same up and down guy he has always been. The defenses have been outstanding for him nearly every year so for the most part they got away with his mistakes and blew people out when he is on his game.

Just look at the last 5 years in philly, when the defense was really good the team is a winner, when the defense is average or below they look dysfunctional and they struggle.

The other thing philly has always had is fantastic special teams thanks to harbaugh.

A great defense and great special teams coupled with an accurate reliable kicker have a knack of making up and down qb's look very good.

and one more thing, IMO I just dont think mcnabb has been anywhere close to as beat up as aikman. Aikman was like a dumb boxer who wouldnt quit and just kept absorbing the shots to the head. It wasnt aikmans fault the team around him stuggled so much early on but he was as tough as an athlete as you will ever see. He stood in there and took like a good sport.

anyway I expect the same from philly and mcnabb. He will throw three straight ground balls to open wr, then the defense will make a quick stop or get a turnover putting the offense in a position to be aggressive and then mcnabb will hit a big play offsetting the bad ones. It is what he and philly have always done.

Mcnabb is a darn good player, I cant imagine he falls off for awhile barring severe injuries.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think this team knows they underachieved last season and I don't look for them to underachieve this season. They have the talent and I think they will show the drive to prove themselves as a legit playoff team

 

[Chocolate Lab]

What the... I thought Dilfer had trashed us -- mainly Romo -- quite a bit at the end of last year. Which I thought was strange because I'd heard him talking us up mid-year. Oh well.

I still think we should be considered third behind the two teams that made the playoffs last year. Not that I don't think we can sneak past them, but how could we be considered ahead of them right now? Unfortunately I think it's going to another dogfight with everyone pretty close (except maybe the Skins, who could completely collapse with a couple of injuries) and a lot of it decided by schedule and injuries.

 

[Idgit]

Giants

Eagles

Commanders

Cowboys


Won't even be close unless the Giants suffer significant injury.

Eli > Romo by a ton.
Tom > Phillips by a ton.
Giant defensive additions > Cowboys by a ton.
New Giant defensive coordinator = Phillips, because Phillips is wearing two hats and thus far he's proved he can't even do it with one. A WASH.

Second place Eagles

McNabb when healthy > Romo by a ton
Reid > Phillips by a ton
Eagle offensive additions > Cowboys by a ton
Johnson defensive coordinator(assuming he's back) > Phillips by a ton, even if Phillips was wearing one hat


Third Place Commanders

By the fact that they didn't lose to the Eagles 44-6 in a 'playoff' type game to end the season. Good going Skins.


Fourth Place Cowboys

Cowboys need to stay healthy, since depth has been squandered, to have any chance of making the playoffs. Besides, after that shellacking by the Eagles in the last 'playoff' game, the Cowboys automatically sink to the bottom of my preseason poll. They'll have to earn their way out of it.

Additionally, the Cowboys made the least impressive additions in the off-season. And as I wrote before, their substractions squandered all-important depth, especially at WR. Romo won't have TO to pad his stats anymore. In effect, he doesn't have a number one receiver. And I'm not going to crown RW with that title until he proves he can be. I predict he won't be able to do that, mostly because I also predict Romo will make Witten his go to guy. I will further predict if he does that, his interceptions will go up even more.

Let's face it, whether you liked TO or not, his release weakens Romo a lot. That's not to say however, that the running game, should it be employed correctly, can't make up for TO's loss. The question is, has Garrett learned anything from last year? I predict no. But that's based only on a hunch, so lotta room for error in that prediction.

Now here's a surprising prediction as far as coaching. I predict Phillips will be a better coach this year, but it won't be enough to take the division away from the Giants or Eagles. Everything would have to go exactly right for the Cowboys to have a chance at the division title.

And it'll take a miracle for them to make the super bowl, or an implosion by the Giants and Eagles, (much like what NE did for Pittsburgh this past season) for the Cowboys to make the super bowl.

Those kind of miracles only seem to happen to the Steelers, so I predict, the Cowboys will not be favorites to go to the super bowl this year.

Love it when the whole board just ignores troll-bait. I know I'm bringing it some attention, but only to compliment the rest of you guys on your restraint. Cracks me up.