Judge picks Giants for 2nd in NFC East

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NFC East preview: Eagles will overcome to win it again

Aug. 22, 2005

By Clark Judge

CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Tell Clark your opinion!

Logic says this is the year to take down mighty Philadelphia -- and not so much because of what opposing teams can do to the Eagles as what the Eagles can do to themselves.

There is Terrell Owens, and you fill in the blanks. There is Corey Simon's absence. Brian Westbrook isn't happy. Todd Pinkston is lost for the season. There seems to be enough distractions to cause a hiccup, except ...

Will T.O. play a role in the Eagles' success this year or end up sitting out? (AP)

Except nobody is better at overcoming adversity than Philadelphia. So make this another season where Dallas, Washington and New York play for runner-up.

The Eagles are experienced, resilient and confident -- and those are traits you like in a defending conference champion. I don't know how productive T.O. will be this year; I only know the Eagles won two playoff games without him last year and reached the previous three NFC title games while he was in San Francisco.

Yes, there are holes, but tell me a club without them. Philadelphia makes the most of what it has, and what it has is a defense that remains intact, a defensive coordinator to frazzle opponents and a quarterback who knows how to win.

You wonder what happens if the Eagles lose Owens. Forget it. They lost Donovan McNabb and won. They lost Duce Staley and won. Heck, they won with Torrance Small and Charles Johnson as their leading wide receivers.

Maybe they look vulnerable, but they're not. Again.

Philadelphia Eagles

Significant additions: QB Mike McMahon.

Significant subtractions: RB Dorsey Levens, DE Derrick Burgess, WR Freddie Mitchell, LB Nate Wayne, OL Alonzo Ephraim, G Jermane Mayberry, LB Ike Reese.

Biggest offseason move: Not budging on Terrell Owens' contract.

Will go to the playoffs if... No, will go to the playoffs when they win the division again. Remember, this is a club that has been to the past four NFC Championship Games.

Won't go to the playoffs if... I can't foresee a scenario. Nobody is better at climbing mountains than the Eagles, and that's a credit to the organization, the players and coach Andy Reid.

Rookie to watch: Defensive tackle Mike Patterson already is making a difference. He had a sack in the first preseason game, and he had one last weekend. Plus, he recovered a Kyle Boller fumble. Patterson makes life without Simon bearable.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Eagles 2004: 13-3 Rank

Pt. Scored: 386

Pt. Allowed: 260

Offense: 351.1

Defense: 319.7

8

T-2

9

10

2. Giants 2004: 6-10 Rank

Pt. Scored: 303

Pt. Allowed: 347

Offense: 295.1

Defense: 324.2

22

17

23

13

3. Cowboys 2004: 6-10 Rank

Pt. Scored: 293

Pt. Allowed: 405

Offense: 324.8

Defense: 330.3

25

28

14

16

4. Redskins 2004: 6-10 Rank

Pt. Scored: 240

Pt. Allowed: 265

Offense: 274.8

Defense: 267.6

31

13

30

3

Overview: There are few things as predictable in the NFL as the Eagles. OK, Al Davis in white. Rex Grossman on IR. T.O. in headphones. But the Eagles are right there with them, making the playoffs the past five seasons. They believe they have the right stuff to win a Super Bowl this year, but keep your eyes on Owens. He's dangerous to all sides.

New York Giants

Significant additions: LB Antonio Pierce, T Kareem McKenzie, WR Plaxico Burress, PK Jay Feely, DT Kendrick Clancy, T Bob Whitfield, QB Tim Hasselbeck.

Significant subtractions: RB Ron Dayne, DT Lance Legree, QB Kurt Warner, CB Terry Cousin, TE Marcellus Rivers, WR Ike Hilliard, PK Steve Christie, DT Norman Hand, DE Keith Washington, OL Barry Stokes.

Biggest offseason move: Acquiring McKenzie from the Jets. He solidifies two spots, with former right tackle Dave Diehl moving to left guard.

Will go to the playoffs if... Eli Manning makes the sort of move his second year that brother Peyton did. The signs last year were encouraging, with Manning playing his best ball over the last three games.

Won't go to the playoffs if... the defense doesn't improve over last season. In the Giants' 10 losses they allowed 27 points a game.

Rookie to watch: At 6-feet-4, 266 pounds, Brandon Jacobs looks more like a defensive end than a running back. The Giants were successful on only 48 percent of their third-and-1 situations last year, and look for that to change with Jacobs moving the pile.

Overview: This is a fascinating team, largely because -- despite numerous upgrades across the board -- it still comes down to Eli. There are encouraging signs this summer, but the Giants must be wary -- if not concerned -- about that right elbow injury against Carolina.

Dallas Cowboys

Significant additions: QB Drew Bledsoe, CB Anthony Henry, DT Jason Ferguson, G Marco Rivera, RB Anthony Thomas, CB Aaron Glenn, S Izell Reese.

Significant subtractions: RB Richie Anderson, RB Eddie George, LB Dexter Coakley, DT Chad Eaton, RB RaShard Lee, QB Vinny Testaverde, DE Marcellus Wiley, WR Dedric Ward, C Gennaro DiNapoli, CB Pete Hunter.

Biggest offseason move: Acquiring Bledsoe. The last time we saw him and coach Bill Parcells together, they went to a Super Bowl. Bledsoe might be near the end of his career, but he solidifies a shaky position.

Will go to the playoffs if... they keep Julius Jones healthy and the defense takes to Parcells' 3-4 blueprint. Dallas' big problem last season -- besides an errant pass defense -- was a unit that couldn't force turnovers. The Cowboys produced 22 takeaways, and only six clubs were worse.

Won't make the playoffs if... they don't make improvements on defense. Remember, the last time the Cowboys made the playoffs (2003) they ranked first overall and first against the pass.

Rookie to watch: Defensive end Demarcus Ware could be one of the top pass rushers, one reason the club made him its first draft pick. He seems a perfect fit for the Cowboys' 3-4, and look for Parcells -- or defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer -- to take advantage of his pass-rush abilities.

Overview: It's hard to read this club. Parcells doesn't have a history of back-to-back losing seasons, and he may be OK here with an improved offensive line, an improved pass defense and running back Jones for the entire season. The problem: Dallas is going to a 3-4 with a coordinator who isn't used to it.

Washington Redskins

Significant additions: WR Santana Moss, WR David Patten, C Casey Rabach, S Pierson Prioleau, LB Warrick Holdman, LB Brian Allen, S Omar Stoutmire, CB Artrell Hawkins.

Who will win the NFC East?

Eagles

Cowboys

Giants

Redskins

Significant subtractions: WR Laveranues Coles, WR Rod Gardner, LB Antonio Pierce, CB Fred Smoot, S Todd Franz, DT Jermaine Haley, TE Brian Kozlowski, KR Chad Morton, LB Mike Barrow, TE Walter Rasby, QB Tim Hasselbeck.

Biggest offseason move: Making the Moss-for-Coles trade. The club absorbed a $9.3 million hit against the cap but was determined to rid itself of a wide receiver it paid $13 million in signing bonus only two years earlier.

Will go to the playoffs if... if they ever figure out the passing game. Don't worry about the defense. Coordinator Gregg Williams has that covered. The problems here are with an offense that can't move.

Won't go to the playoffs if... there's no significant improvement from the quarterback or an offense that was 31st in scoring. The early signs aren't encouraging, and the Redskins get no help from a division that looks significantly better than they are.

Rookie to watch: Cornerback Carlos Rogers isn't a starter -- not yet -- but look for him to push Walt Harris out of the way this season. Rogers is a terrific talent who took advantage of a start last weekend to produce his first interception.

Overview: There is no plan here. You wonder what Washington is doing letting people like Pierce, Coles and Smoot go -- especially with the cap ramifications that went along with the Coles deal. The Redskins have talent -- they always do -- but they let it slip away, and look for LaVar Arrington to join the exodus. The Redskins absolutely, positively must improve their passing game, and where's the evidence this summer?

[LesterLyles]

I like what Accorsi has done over the last few years. he has some talnted players and got rid of some of the overrated loud moths. Strahan will next to leave.