NFL Crystal Balls: Fall of the NFC East p2
By Dan Salem
Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Things get apocalyptic as the debate heats up. We’ve rubbed our NFL Crystal Balls to see how the NFC East will fare in 2014 and no one is happy about it. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in part two of this week’s TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
[Part one – NFC East to tumble in 2014]
TODD:
It seems logical to predict a bunched-up division. All four teams are between ‘not terrible’ and ‘very solid.’ However, I’m lower on Philadelphia than others. I think the offense takes a step back. Nick Foles’ performance last year was too fluky. Instead of finishing first, the Eagles drop all the way to third in the tightly bunched NFC East.
Unfortunately for yours truly, that means someone else grabs the bottom spot, and the New York Giants strike me as being on the wrong side of a trend. Everything was awful last season, except the Giants tried to patch all the holes with random pieces rather than really building on what strengths they had left. The defensive line now has no depth. The offensive line is shallow and will be relying on a couple of young, inexperienced centers. Who knows what we will get from David Wilson or the tight end position. Other than the defensive backs, the entire roster is a question mark. They may not be terrible. They may finish close to the 7-9 record from a year ago, but I see New York bringing up the rear…
…which means I see a huge improvement from the Washington Redskins. I think both they and the Dallas Cowboys see offensively elite seasons in 2014. Let’s be honest, none of the four teams in this division have a good defense. Offense will rule the day. Washington improves by at least five wins on its way to second place, and the Cowboys regain some past glory with the division title. It helps that Dallas will host four of its tougher out-of-conference opponents. San Francisco, New Orleans, Arizona and Indianapolis all come to Dallas.
Not that I would bank on this team’s hopes come playoff time, but they’ll at least be IN the playoffs.
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DAN:
I see what you’re doing. Very well played. Picking the Cowboys to win the division and the Giants to come in last place; it’s the reverse jinx! Or a regular jinx, I’m unclear on the semantics, but you are totally JINXING the Cowboys while reverse JINXING your Giants. Well played.
I just don’t see it; I don’t see how a Tom Coughlin coached team with a two time Super Bowl champion quarterback, Eli Manning, pulls up the rear in an utterly even division with little defense to show for itself. I’m constantly surprised at how well the Giants do, winning games they have no right to win. Its been the entire story of Eli Manning’s career. Both Super Bowl victories epitomize this very fact.
If the NFL is build on anything, its discipline. And Tom Coughlin is the king, or one of them. The Giants will be better than Washington simply because of team discipline alone. The same goes for Dallas, who has lost all semblance of consistency over the last two years. The only things they can be relied on for are fantasy points and head scratching moments.
All that said, I’m equally as worried about the Eagles. Chip Kelly is not a man to regress, but Nick Foles might be. If that team continues to operate as fast or faster as they did last season, it will be hard for opponents to keep up and that equals victories.
So where does that leave this division? I’d hate to place money on any team ‘winning’ it, but since I just visited Las Vegas and someone must come in first place, I’d put my money on the New York Giants. They are currently 45/1 to win the Super Bowl. That’s a nice payout for a team who consistently over achieves and has now received the official Todd Salem Reverse Jinx. Big money.