NFL Preview - Part II

Here is the other side of most superficial NFL preview.

NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles – Who did they sign in the off season, I didn’t hear? The Eagles were very close to appearing in the Super Bowl last year and improved themselves on both sides of the ball. They did lose a couple of key clubhouse members, one being Brian Dawkins. Also, they lost outstanding LB Stewart Bradley in the first practice of the year with a torn ACL. They will be strong contenders.

Dallas Cowboys – Who did they lose in the off season, I didn’t hear? Tony Romo has a great backfield in Marion Barber and Felix Jones, we just aren’t sure who he will be throwing the ball to besides Jason Witten. The defense is strong and the special teams will be a show all season while at home because of the giant scoreboard in the middle of the field.

New York Giants – Recently the Giants released Super Bowl hero David Tyree, another more significant loss was running back Derrick Ward to Tampa. That leaves Brandon Jacobs as “thunder” without the “lightning”. The Giants will have a chip on their shoulder this season, but in the back of their minds will always be questioning how good they could have been with Plaxico Burress.

Washington Redskins – Jason Campbell was supposed to be the next one in Washington, but the Redskins decided to spend all summer trying to acquire another quarterback. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back with all the drama surrounding him. Clinton Portis and Santana Moss lead the offense and Albert Haynesworth will take his big contract and try and clog the middle of the defense. It will be a long season for the ‘Skins.

NFC North
Green Bay Packers – You all know that I am a Packers fan, so you shouldn’t be surprised I pick them to win the division. With tons of weapons on offense, Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Donald Lee, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, the Pack won’t have trouble putting up points. Last year’s problem of stopping people from getting points will hopefully be solved by going to the 3-4 defense. This might take some sting out of Aaron Kampman, but LB Nick Barnett will be a force on the field and off with his twitter ramblings.

Minnesota Vikings – The QB that shall not be named will lead a formidable offense. Adrian Peterson is one of the most dominant running backs in the game. He still has games where he disappears and has a tendency to fumble. The defense is going to be tough, led by Jared Allen. These guys will be good, but just like the past two seasons, expect the QB to be the downfall late in the season.

Chicago Bears – The Jay Cutler era begins in Chicago. The first pro-bowl caliber QB to start in almost 20 years in the windy city. The Bears have the same problem as many other middle of the road clubs, no real threat at wide receiver and a tough schedule. Matt Forte hopes there is no sophomore slump in his future, because he we will once again the most touches out of anyone on the roster. The defense will again be led Brian Urlacher and must avoid injuries to have a shot at the playoffs.

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons – The surprise team from last year, won’t sneak up on anyone this year and they have even made themselves better. They acquired TE Tony Gonzalez as another target for QB Matt Ryan. Also at his finger tips will be RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White.

New Orleans Saints – Can Drew Brees replicate his near record breaking season? I doubt it, but he has the tools to try and make it happen. Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston and Devery Henderson all can make an impact. The Saints will be in lots of high scoring games this season and if the defense can hold up their end up of the bargain, the Saints could be very dangerous.

Carolina Panthers – Will Jake Delhomme be able to recover from throwing four interceptions in the playoffs last season. Panthers fan hopes he has a short memory or it leads him to handing the ball off to DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart all season. Either way, it looks like the Panthers have missed their window to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This is a team in transition. No starting quarterback that is going to put the fear into any defense. There is nothing good to say hear other than, welcome back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. When he plays in week 1 vs. Dallas, he will become the first player to return from surgery on both his patella tendons. Impressive!

NFC West
Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks consistently were winning this division, because everyone else in the division sucked so bad. Finally, someone stood up to them and combine that with having a huge amount of injuries, the Seahawks fell hard. They should return to form this year with a healthy Matt Hasselback, TJ Whosyourmomma, Deion Branch. Their only suspect position is at running back. A strong defensive line and linebacker core will hold opponents at bay.

Arizona Cardinals – It has been a trend for the Super Bowl runner-up not to make the playoffs the following season. It will continue this year. The Cards are one injury to Kurt Warner to being in lots of trouble, no matter if they have the most talented wide receiver core in the league. Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells will combine to form a young and potentially dominant backfield. It will need to be seen if they can get enough touches though. The Cards changed defensive coordinators after losing the Super Bowl, but don’t know if that will be enough.

San Francisco 49ers – It has been a while since the bay area saw a winning team and it will be another season. The Niners have decided that Shaun Hill is their man this year. He should have the support of top pick Michael Crabtree, but after some bad advice and thinking he should have gone higher in the draft he is holding out and it looks like his rookie season is lost. Frank Gore is still a hard-nosed runner who can take over a game, if the Niners get up on a team. Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the game. He covers the entire field and will keep opposing quarterback’s on their toes.

St. Louis Rams – They suck.