NFC East Preview

The NFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in the national football league and if 2013 it is anyone's guess as to who will win the division. Since 2005 it has been a bit of a dogfight as the division has seen all four of its teams claim the title at least once; the Giants lead the way with 3, then the Cowboys and Eagles have two whilst the Redskins claimed the divisional crown last year on the final game of the regular season. Since 2005 only the New York Giants have won a Super Bowl from the NFC East and have managed to triumph on two occasions since then whereas the Philadelphia Eagles have never won the Super Bowl despite dominating the NFC east 2001-2004 where they won four consecutive division titles but fell at the final hurdle at Super Bowl XXXIX; note the Patriots played against the Giants twice and the Eagles in the three Super Bowl's mentioned.

An already tough division has been made harder by the fact that the NFC East will face off against the NFC North this season. With the 2013 NFL season kicking off soon let us take a look at each team's chances within the NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys:

Last season saw Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys lose again on the penultimate game of the regular season when they defeated 28-18 on the road against the Washington Redskins. The defeat was tough to swallow for the franchise considering they lost in similar circumstances the year before to the New York Giants meaning that for two seasons in a row the franchise missed out on the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.

The Cowboys have finished 8-8 the past two seasons so they will be looking to go one step further by posting a winning record and clinching the division. Although the team are 22-26 since they last went to the playoffs and despite the fact that many people consider them chokers down the stretch following recent big game losses head coach Jason Garret and quarterback Tony Romo in particular have a chip on their shoulder as well as a point to prove. The Dallas Cowboys franchise is one of the most well renowned teams in the league and will hope that a healthy roster will see them fulfill the potential they believe that they have. With Garrett heading in to his 4th year as the teams head coach he has no excuses now as this Dallas team does have the talent to succeed.

It's now or never time Romo & co!

The team has a new defensive coordinator and will most likely line up with a 4-3 so the likes of DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee will need to step up to ensure they improve on that side of the ball as well as develop with the new scheme. On offense running back DeMarco Murray and number one wide receiver Dez Bryant are crucial to helping Tony Romo and the Dallas offense succeed. Romo is an underrated quarterback who comes under individual scrutiny when his team loses like most quarterbacks. He has a regular season all-time career passer rating of 95.6 which ranks him at 5th and 4th among active players leaving him behind just Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and only .1 behind Peyton Manning. He may be prone to a big game interception but all it takes is one season to change people's opinions and the 2013 one could be it; Romo threw for a phenomenal 4903 yards last season. The 8th year quarterback will look to guide the Cowboys to their first divisional since 2009 and now that it seems they have the pieces in place it is time for this team to deliver.

Season prediction: 10-6. 1st in NFC East.


Washington Redskins:

Thanks to the help of rookie sensation Robert Griffin III the Washington Redskins overcame the odds to finish the 2012 NFL season as NFC East champions. Mike Shanahan's team went on a 7 game winning streak in the second half of the regular season to pull off a shock but unfortunately for them RG3 fell victim to injuries on his ACL and LCL ligaments.

Winning the division and getting this young team playoff experience was a fantastic achievement for the Redskins but in 2013 they are now the team to beat. It is much harder to repeat success when everyone is hunting for you so head coach Mike Shanahan will need to ensure his team are ready for the battle this year. Robert Griffin will also be a target for opposing defenses after his phenomenal debut campaign which saw him win the offensive rookie of the year award as well as set records for highest passer rating, 102.4, by a rookie quarterback and highest touchdown to interception ratio at 4:1. To throw only 5 interceptions as a veteran let alone a rookie is astonishing so Griffin will be expected to show the same class this year that he showed in 2012.

How will RGIII fair in his sophomore season?

The injury has raised doubts over the young QB as such serious injury issues can often affect a player physiologically. I doubt he will have lost a step at all because he is very talented but you only have to look at Tom Brady's first year back after his ACL injury to see that it takes time to become comfortable again the pocket and what makes it even more of a challenge for RG3 is that his mobility and ability to rush out of the pocket is what makes him so dangerous but unfortunately that dynamic side also makes him vulnerable. Only time will tell as to how he and the Redskins fair but in a competitive NFC East they may suffer from second season syndrome due to a variety of factors. The franchise will be hoping that the likes of sophomore Alfred Morris will also be able to repeat the success of a fantastic 2012 whilst also hoping that the players in their prime such as Fred Davis, Pierre Garcon and DeAngelo Hall all have a good 2013 season.

Season Prediction: 8-8. 3rd in NFC East.


New York Giants:

The Giants must enjoy being written off because every time it happens they seem to go and prove everyone wrong. The team has won two Super Bowls out of the past 6 but failed miserably in defending their title in 2012 as they didn't even make the playoffs. After their win in 2007 they fell in the divisional rivals of the playoffs in 2008 to divisional rivals the Eagles and then missed out of the post-season for two consecutive years before their 2011 triumph.

To put any success in sport down to injuries is simplistic but for both Super Bowl runs the team got healthy at the right time. Unfortunately before the 2013 season has even begun there are injury concerns over the teams O-line and there were questions against the defenses secondary before injuries hit them during the final week of preseason. The Giants will be relying on Eli Manning to step up and get it done for them during the regular season but he has hardly ever managed that in his career so it does look doubtful.

Can Eli & Big Blue prove the doubters wrong again?

The Giants will be hoping they can make the playoffs and will look at past successes for optimism but lightning doesn't keep striking in the same place and it somehow struck twice in 2007 and 2011. I'm not taking anything away from the success of the New York Giants franchise but 2013 is going to be a rocky road for them. They'll still post an 8-8 season at worst but Eli Manning is a post-season quarterback; he ranks at 3rd among active QB's for career passer ratings in the post-season. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but in a competitive division you need a strong roster and although it would be silly to rule them out completely I just think that even with a bit of luck the Giants will chase a wildcard spot at best. Honestly it looks like they will miss out on the playoffs because at least 9 other teams have a legitimate chance of making it the playoffs and New York don't have it in them to post a record good enough of even scraping it through and despite his credentials it comes back to what was mentioned before and that is the fact that despite even the fact that Eli has elevated his play in the past two seasons to a more consistent basis as before he still doesn't have it in him to carry the Giants on his back.

Season Prediction: 9-7. 2nd in NFC East.


Philadelphia Eagles:

I look back to a year ago where despite most of my predictions being accurate I stumble across when I put faith in the Eagles to win the NFC East and like dating a regrettable ex-girlfriend I say to myself... Why!? The Eagles self-proclaimed themselves as a dream team two years ago and last year there was still hope they could mix it with the best but sadly for them Andy Reid's tenure as head coach of the franchise came to the a sour end when the team plummeted to a 4-12 record ending Reid's 14 years on a very low point.

So in 2013 the Eagles have turned to evil genius Chip Kelly to use his offensive creativeness to hopefully bring some sort of spark back to the Eagles. He has two QB's who can run the system and it will be a nightmare for opposing defenses but I still can't get over the fact that Michael Vick said earlier in the off-season that Chip Kelly told him how to "Run with the football and how to carry the football, and I think it's something that you just have to work on". I mean I know Chip Kelly is supposedly a genius but surely he couldn't teach Vick something so difficult, you know something that people are taught from pee-wee... Never mind. It is safe to say there are still doubts over Michael Vick and although this system may be the ideal fit for him this literally is his last chance because it is getting to the point that even if Chip Kelly wanted to stick with him after a say bad year you'd have to say that eventually the franchise would get to the point where they would consider just wanting to cut ties with him instead of throwing him another bone.

The mad scientist is coming for you!

Chip Kelly has plenty of offensive talent nevertheless and during preseason we have seen glimpses of what is to come. DeSean Jackson needs to have a big year regardless of the team's record because he is being paid big money and the franchise should only rightly feel that they want to see results on the field. They have a great tackle duo in the form of Jason Peters and Lane Johnson but 2013 for the Eagles will be about progressing and ensuring that the new era in Philadelphia gets off to a good start so they can start building for the future.

Season prediction: 7-9. 4th in NFC East.

NFL playoff picture: NFC

Week 12 saw the NFC playoff picture change once again with some big results. The Giants embarrassed the Packers in a 38-10 blowout; Chicago beat the great pretending Vikings 28-10 whilst Robert Griffin and the Redskins got themselves back in to the hunt with a Thanksgiving Day win over NFC East rivals the Cowboys. After rallying back to a 5-5 record within the last two weeks the Saints fell to 49ers, week 12, and on Thursday night were defeated 23-13 in an NFC South clash meaning they dropped to 5-7 with Drew Brees throwing 5 interceptions on the night! Thankfully for New Orleans and teams like them on losing records the NFC playoff race is so tight that anything is still possible. Remember the Seattle Seahawks in 2011 made the playoffs with a 7-9 record, first time to ever happen, so there is reason for optimism for many. With the rest of week 13's matchups kicking off in a few hours we'll take a look at those who have a shot of reaching the playoffs and predict how the seeding will finish come the end of the regular season.

NFC current standings:

NFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT
New York Giants	7	4	0	.636
Washington Redskins	5	6	0	.455
Dallas Cowboys	5	6	0	.455
Philadelphia Eagles	3	8	0	.273
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PCT
Chicago Bears	8	3	0	.727
Green Bay Packers	7	4	0	.636
Minnesota Vikings	6	5	0	.545
Detroit Lions	4	7	0	.364
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PCT
Atlanta Falcons	11	1	0	.917
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	5	0	.545
New Orleans Saints	5	7	0	.417
Carolina Panthers	3	8	0	.273
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PCT
San Francisco 49ers	8	2	1	.773
Seattle Seahawks	6	5	0	.545
St. Louis Rams	4	6	1	.409
Arizona Cardinals	4	7	0	.364

 
Tough at the top 

Three of the four NFC divisional leaders could be replaced at the top come the end of the regular season with only the Atlanta Falcons the certain division champions as they are sitting pretty at 11-1 in the NFC South following their Thursday Night win and they also look set to seal the NFC's number one seed for the playoffs along with a bye week in the first round.

The NFC East may be close but following last Sunday's impressive performance by Eli Manning and the New York Giants against the Packers the defending Super Bowl Champions would realistically wrap up the division with a win against the Redskins on Monday Night. A win for Washington though would open things up especially if Dallas win in week 13 too as then two of the Giant's rivals would only be a game back on them and they have some more hard games coming up.

The 49ers are in control in the West and with two red hot quarterbacks jostling for the starting position it is only a matter of time before they win the West but over in the NFC North we have the Bears (8-3) Vikings (6-5) and Packers (7-4) all battling it out for the division title and a shot at the post-season. With it being so close it is anyone's call, so is the hunt for that elusive bye-week in the playoffs and so is the race for who will get the two wildcard spots in the NFC.

Ultimate Opportunity

Some years you get outright divisional winners and other years you get a battle till the end. The NFC this year seems to be one massive brawl between all the teams in the conference and with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season it appears quite likely that a team finishing with a 9-7 record will sneak in to a wildcard spot which isn't ultimately a bad thing as we know the 9-7 New York Giants went on to win Super Bowl 46.

Speaking of the Giants they could end up as a wildcard team but that looks doubtful. At 7-4 a win over the 5-6 Redskins this week would almost definitely wrap up the NFC East for them but as mentioned previously a loss to RGIII as Washington would open the title race. Either way the Giants will make the playoffs, if the Redskins lose on Monday night it is doubtful that there young team will bounce back. It is literally make or break for Washington as a win would give them the momentum shift they need to push on in their last 4 games and make the post-season. As for Dallas well they are literally an unpredictable team and make to beat the Eagles on Sunday Night to keep their playoff hopes alive, if they do then I believe it will come down to the week 17 matchup against the Redskins with the winner determining who possibly makes in to one the wildcard positions in the NFC. All in all it's all about who can put a run of wins together when it matters most.

The NFC North is very hard to predict. Thankfully for Chicago they started the season well, Jay Cutler has been efficient at quarterback and the defense have performed very well for the majority of the season. They'll hold on and win the division. Green Bay will want to bounce back from their embarrassing defeat to the Giants and I think they'll blowout the Vikings today, Minnesota have had a very good season but they are the great pretenders and with the Packers to play twice along with Chicago once as well as the Texans in four of their final five games the Vikings playoff hopes will take a downward spiral after today

The NFC South seems complicated to some but following the Saints defeat to Atlanta on Thursday I see it playing out simply as with a tough schedule the Saints will try their best but not make the playoffs. With Drew Brees throwing five interceptions in the loss to the Falcons he'll want to make amends for the New Orleans self-destruction on Thursday Night and will grab some wins in the teams remaining games which will include a victory over Tampa Bay. I'm a Josh Freeman fan and this young Buccanneers team have a lot to be proud of but if they lose to the Broncos today they need to beat the Eagles in week 14 ahead of the big road game against the Saints at the Superdome in order to have a shot at the post-season.

Finally we take a look at the West. Divisional leaders, the 49ers, have games against all three of their rivals in their final 5 games but with second year Quarterback Colin Kaepernick in red hot form and San Francisco having the best defense in the league I expect them to sweep those three games. The only matchup they may lose is against the New England Patriots but besides that the 49ers are in prime position to take a bye by wrapping up the second seed in the NFC. The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the league but injuries and suspensions have come at a back time for Seattle and I see them just missing out on the post-season.

Looking Ahead

So in conclusion with everything I have mentioned above here are the six teams who I believe will make the playoffs with predicted records and seedings.

Seed 1: Atlanta Falcons 13-3
Seed 2: San Francisco 49ers 12-3-1
Seed 3: Chicago Bears - 12-4
Seed 4: New York Giants 11-5
Seed 5: Green Bay Packers 11-5
Seed 6: Washington Redskins 9-7

The Atlanta Falcons have played good football all year round and silenced critics on Thursday Night with a win over divisional rivals the Saints. I can see their final four games splitting if some complacency creeps and the fact that they do have some tough games remaining but overall they'll hold on to the number one seed in the NFC and ensure home field advantage as well as a bye week once the playoffs begin.

The 49ers have hit their stride once again and there only possibly defeat in their remaining games will come against the Patriots. So let's say that is the outcome they will finish with a record of 12-3-1 meaning that they edge out the 12-4 Chicago Bears for the second seed and elusive bye week. The Bears are in a good position at 8-3 ahead of their matchup today against the Seahawks but with tough divisional games on their schedule too they'll have to play in the wildcard round when January comes around.

The Giants may fall to the Redskins on Monday Night Football especially as QB Eli Manning doesn't have the greatest history against the capital's team but New York still wins the NFC east and with their week 12 triumph over the Packers it will give them a game at the MetLife stadium against the Packers in the wildcard week.

Overall I think although the first five teams I have predicted for the playoffs may seem obvious choices whether this be at the start of the season or now it is safe to say you can expect to see them in the playoffs one way or another but the sixth seed is a choice that I've been scratching my head over. After looking at the schedules of the contending teams it hasn't made the decision any easier. I'm a fan of young quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Josh Freeman of the Seahawks and Buccaneers respectively but sadly I think they miss out although with both at 6-5 that prediction will be completely turned on its head if they can win their week 13 matchup as they both have to entertain two Super Bowl contenders so a victory would be a big confidence boost. The more likely outcome is one way or another they fall short, the Saints have too big of a mountain to climb and as for the Cowboys well once again it is too little too late.

To finish here is my bold prediction, Dallas (7-8) will head in to FedEx Field ahead of a week 17 game against the Redskins (8-7) and lose like they did to the Giants in the same scenario a year ago meaning that Robert Griffin and Washington reach the post-season. Thankfully for RGIII and co a 24-22 week 4 win over Tampa Bay is what keeps the 9-7 Buccaneers out of the playoffs. There's something extremely special about Griffin and the Colts' Andrew Luck so I think they'll both get a chance to set the playoffs alight in their rookie seasons in the NFL.