Sportsnet's Jim Lang previews each of the NFL's divisions leading up to the opening kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 10. Today we shift to the NFC and the East, where Eli and his crew remain the Giants to be toppled.
THE NFC
New York Giants
(2008 record: 12-4, won division)
The Eagles have Michael Vick, the Redskins have Daniel Snyder, and the Cowboys have Jerry Jones and Tony Romo. But in New York, now that they've completely turned the page on Plaxico Burress, the Giants are living in a state of relative peace. And believe me, that's exactly the way the Giants' hard-nosed head coach, Tom Coughlin, likes it. Other than winning the Super Bowl, you are not going to see Coughlin smile very much. He's all football, all business all the time. Yet despite all of this, Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning have a good relationship. When you talk to Coughlin, you get a real sense that he respects Manning's work ethic, and above all else, his will to win.
Don't let Eli Manning's "ah shucks" boy next door act fool you. He is an intense competitor, and a very rich one after signing a six-year, $97.5 million dollar contract extension with the Giants during training camp. Manning has won as many Super Bowls as his big brother, Peyton, and now he makes more money than he does. I dealt with Eli quite a bit during Super Bowl XILII in Phoenix. I was very impressed with the ease he handled himself with the rabid New York media hordes. Now, Eli will likely never be a 4,000 yards a year passer like his big brother. Then again, the way Coughlin loves to run the ball, Eli doesn't need to throw the ball that much. When Manning does look downfield this year, he won't be staring at a lot of Pro Bowl talent. From Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, rookie Hakeem Nicks and tight end Kevin Boss, the Giants boast a lot of good, but not great, receivers.
However, when you can run the ball like the Giants can, you don't need too many good receivers. Derrick Ward is gone but that's okay, because the Giants can still pound away with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Where Bradshaw is a good change-of-pace back, Jacobs is all about inflicting pain. A 265-pound bruiser, Jacobs ran for 1,000 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in 2008. Leading the way for the Giants' running game is their outstanding, and large, offensive line. From the 320-pound Kevin Diehl and the 330-pound Kareem McKenzie, the Giants' O-Line can really get after it.
Defensively, the Giants have a tremendous front four led by Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. From their great front four, Antonio Pierce is the leader of the Giants' linebacking crew. Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are two talented cornerbacks who have the potential to get even better. Add it all up and you have one of the tougher defences in the NFC. The only caveat to the Giants' defence this year is the departure of their long time co-ordinator, Steve Spagnuolo. Last year's linebackers coach, Bill Sheridan, takes over the co-ordinator's duties.
I still think it's great to see former Ottawa Renegades kicker Lawrence Tynes doing his thing with the Giants.
The NFL schedule makers were not very kind to the Giants. After opening the season at home to the Redskins, the Giants play three consecutive road games, in Dallas, in Tampa and in Kansas City. Now they shouldn't have too much trouble with the Bucs and the Chiefs, but on the road, you just never know. Even with the schedule, the Giants are a tough, talented and battle-tested team. Barring some kind of bizarre collapse, there's no reason to think the Giants won't be back in the post-season in the NFC.
Amazing fact: Assuming there are no unforeseen construction delays, the "new" Giants Stadium will open in 2010. That means this is the final season for the "old" Giants Stadium. It has been home to the Giants, Jets, Bruce Springsteen concerts, you name it. However, it was Pope John Paul II who set the Giants Stadium attendance record when nearly 83,000 people showed up for mass.
Philadelphia Eagles
(2008 record: 9-6-1)
Of all the teams in the NFL that had been rumoured to be going after Vick, the Eagles were nowhere to be found. Silently flying under the radar, the Eagles swooped in and signed Vick to a two-year deal.
Michael Vick's heartfelt "apology" on 60 Minutes did very little to calm down irate sports fans across America. There are few cities on the planet that can boast sports fans as harsh as Eagles fans. As the legendary John Facenda of NFL Films once said, "An Eagles fan learns to boo before he learns to speak." Vick, McNabb and company better be good this year, because their uber intense fans will let them know about it if they aren't. I was surprised to see fans at "The Linc" give Vick a standing ovation when he made his pre-season debut at home. It's when the Eagles hit the road in the regular season that life will get interesting because Vick is going to get an earful every time he steps on the field.
It's no secret that the Eagles will plan to utilize Vick's skill set in a variety of ways; whether it's in a hybrid "Wild Cat" formation or even taking reps at quarterback. That also means that starting quarterback Donovan McNabb will face another challenge this year. McNabb had some brutal games in the middle of the season and then rebounded to lead the Eagles all the way to the NFC championship game. Despite his struggles, McNabb still threw for just under 4,000 yards and 23 touchdowns last year. I interviewed McNabb in Tampa during Super Bowl XLIII and I found him to be a very likeable guy. I can't understand how any teammate wouldn't love playing for the guy. Having said that, if and when McNabb struggles, there will be a big hue and cry to put in Vick.
The one thing about the Eagles' passing game is that they really believe in the philosophy of spreading the ball around. While the Eagles don't have an undisputed superstar receiver, they do have a lot of effective ones and that gives McNabb a ton of targets to work with.
McNabb doesn't always have to throw the football because handing it off to running back Brian Westbrook is never a bad option. In fact, when healthy, Westbrook is one of the best multi-purpose backs in the NFL.
Even without Vick, the Eagles really loaded up on offence during the draft. The Eagles selected blue-chip receiver Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy with their first two picks. Maclin will help the Eagles' passing game right away as it gives McNabb another weapon to work with. McCoy brings a lot of skill to the Eagles' offence and will be good insurance in case Westbrook gets hurt again.
Disgruntled left tackle Jason Peters forced a trade out of Buffalo and landed on the Eagles' offensive line. The line gave up just 23 sacks last year, so the addition of Peters should only make them better.
The Eagles and their legions of fans are still reeling from the sad passing of one of the best defensive co-ordinators in the modern era of the NFL, Jim Johnson. Taking over for a legend like Johnson won't be easy for Sean McDermott, especially for a young assistant who's never been a defensive co-ordinator before.
Making McDermott's adjustment easier is the fact he has some great players to work with, especially cornerback Asante Samuel. Rounding out the Eagles' hard-hitting defence is linebacker Chris Gocong and defensive end Trent Cole.
On thing is for certain, head coach Andy Reid is going to have his hands full in Philly this year. For all his faults, you have give Reid credit for guiding his team all the way to the NFC championship game last year. Now, Reid has to deal with the ongoing Michael Vick sideshow while dealing with the loss of his trusted defensive guru, Jim Johnson. Reid is a resilient man and his resiliency will be tested this year.
Cool fact: If you ever find yourself in a bar fight in Philly, make sure you have Eagles punter Sav Rocca by your side. An imposing figure at six-foot-five, 265 pounds, Rocca honed his kicking skills by playing for Collingwood and North Melbourne in the Australian Rules Football League.
Washington Redskins
(2008 record: 8-8)
I will say this: Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is never shy about spending his money. In fact, Snyder might get the award for the biggest spender in the NFL. The only problem is that all that money hasn't resulted in a lot of on-field success for the Redskins. Off the field, the Skins are one of the biggest money-making teams in the NFL. If only the team could put it all together and reward the Redskins faithful at FedEx Field with a few playoff games.
Jim Zorn lived to coach another year in D.C. and with an owner like Snyder, that's no small feat. Zorn is a good coach to work with an up-and-coming quarterback like Jason Campbell. The young Campbell got a real education into life in the NFL in the off-season when Snyder and the Redskins actively pursued other quarterbacks. Now the season is just around the corner and Campbell is still in Washington. That means it's now up to Zorn to get Campbell's head straight and help him take the next step in his evolution of a starting quarterback in the NFL.
When in doubt, Campbell can always hand the ball off to Clinton Portis. While he's not the biggest back in the world. Portis thrives on a lot of work. You give him the ball enough, and Portis will repay you with a 1,000-yard season.
When he's not busy updating his Twitter account, Chris Cooley is a darn fine tight end. Cooley, along with receiver Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El make the Redskins passing game go. After giving up only three sacks in 2008, Chris Samuels is still the lead hog in the aging Redskins offensive line.
Snyder's big wallet landed him one of the biggest, baddest players in the league in the off-season when the Redskins were able to sign free-agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. The mammoth Haynesworth automatically makes the Redskins' front seven that much better and makes running against the Skins that much tougher. The Redskins beefed up the front seven even more then they selected rush end Brian Orakpo out of Texas in the first round. In the secondary, the Redskins can turn to hard-hitting safety LaRon Landry or cornerback Carlos Rogers. The entire defence needs to improve their pass-rushing skills after registering only 24 sacks in 2008.
Zorn and the Redskins will once again have their work cut out for them this year. While they have upgraded their talent at some key positions, they still play in a nasty division. The Redskins will end the season home to the Giants and the Cowboys, and then finish on the road in San Diego. If they stay healthy and get some help, they have a shot. But in the NFC East, it's looking like a real long shot to make the playoffs.
Canadian Connection: For a team based in the U.S. capital, the Redskins have quite a legacy with the CFL. Head coach Jim Zorn was a member of the Blue Bombers in 1986. His fullback, Mike Sellers, played for the Bombers and the Eskimos. Former Argo Dominique Dorsey is trying to make the team as a kick returner. Then there was former Argo, Joe Theismann. And last, but not least, long-time owner, Jack Kent Cooke was born in Hamilton and grew up in Toronto.
Dallas Cowboys
(2008 record: 9-7)
America's team is a lot of things, but they are never dull. With ESPN's Ed Werder basically camped out in the team's parking lot, the Cowboys receive more media coverage than any other team in the league. Even though they missed the playoffs last year, five of the Cowboys' games are on prime time television this year.
Tony Romo is a modern day Joe Namath; a good looking quarterback who spends all of his free time dating starlets and hotties. To say Romo is a huge star in big D would be an understatement. Romo can do it all but win in the playoffs. He puts up solid numbers in the regular season. It's the post-season that has been the bane of Romo's NFL existence. If Romo could ever find a way to lead the Cowboys to post-season success, then he will deserve to be put in the same category as the best quarterbacks in the league.
While the Cowboys went with a three-man running back rotation in 2008, I am a big believer in the theory that they should give the ball to Marion Barber at least 20 times a game. Known around the NFL as "The Barbarian", Barber is a nasty runner who punishes defenders who try to tackle him. Felix Jones is a good No. 2 back. The biggest surprise in Dallas was the production of Tashard Choice.
Even by Dallas standards, Terrell Owens was too much to take anymore. T.O. the side-show won't be missed, but T.O. the receiver will be a big loss. Roy Williams is being asked to replace Owens. Good luck. If the Cowboys are smart, they will run the ball 30 times a game and if they feel the need to pass, throw it to tight end Jason Witten. However, there will be times that Romo has to throw the ball 30 to 40 times a game and he will need reliable targets that can get down field. Williams is being asked to be the go-to receiver in Dallas and the man has had only one 1,000-yard season in his career. Romo and the Cowboys' offence desperately need Williams to take his game to another stratosphere if they're going to be productive. While Williams gets his act together, Romo can always turn to his good friend and reliable tight end in Witten.
When he's not busy trying to get a record deal, 315-pound tackle Marc Colombo is the leader of the Cowboys' offensive line. While they are huge in stature, the Cowboys offensive line isn't in the same class as the all-world group that blocked for Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. With the likes of Colombo, Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis, the Cowboys have the kind of line that loves to lead the way for the running game.
With all apologies to Romo and Barber, the most talented player on the Cowboys is outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. A product of tiny Troy, Ware is coming off of an incredible 20 sack season. Ware is the keystone to the Cowboys' front seven that led the entire NFL with 59 sacks in 2008. The challenge is getting the rest of the Cowboys defence to play to the level of Ware. That challenge will fall on Wade Phillips' shoulders as he has taken over the role of defensive co-ordinator, on top of head coaching duties. It's too bad Pacman Jones was such a head case because Dallas could have used a playmaking defensive back of his calibre in the secondary. As it is, cornerback Terrence Newman is the Cowboys' best player in the secondary.
While T.O. is gone, Wade Phillips is still there. I don't know many Cowboys fans that are happy to have Phillips still running their beloved team. But until Jerry Jones can convince Bill Cowher to come to Dallas, Cowboys fans will be stuck with Phillips until further notice.
The Cowboys are more than just a football team, they're an American institution. The problem is that all the money and the cheerleaders and the hype won't get you into the playoffs. You need good players, good coaches and a little luck. The Cowboys started last year 3-0 before winding up 9-7. Playing in a tough division like the NFC East makes the Cowboys' task of getting back into the playoffs that much tougher. As it stands now, Dallas will be on the bubble to make the post season.
Interesting fact: As most people know, the Cowboys have moved into their new, state-of-the-art, billion-dollar stadium. The stadium features a retractable roof, club seats, private boxes and a 160-foot wide high-definition video screen that is hung over the playing field. One problem: the designers hung the screen too low to the field. In the pre-season, the screen has already been hit by Titans punter A.J. Trapasso. By the way, it will cost you between $50 and $75 dollars to park at the new stadium if you plan on going to a Cowboys game.
