Friday, December 30, 2011

NFC East Game Previews- Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles close-out the 2011 season at home this Sunday against Washington in a game that has absolutely no meaning other than what affect it will have on both team's position in next April's NFL draft.

This is certainly not how most people, including myself, had this season panning-out for our over-hyped Birds. In retrospect, the main culprit in this season's debacle was the player lock-out that dragged into early August. The Eagles were hurt far more than I ever anticipated by the inability to practice as a team this past offseason. This contributed greatly to a slow start that basically ended any chance of a championship run, despite having one of the most talented teams in the NFL.

Over the past three weeks, we have seen a glimpse of how good this team can play when it eliminates stupid mistakes, penalties, and turnovers. It was almost good enough to sneak it into the playoffs due to a woefully mediocre NFC East, but we are probably better off waiting until next season for everything to finally come together.

In the meantime, the Birds have a chance to end the season at 8-8 overall with a 5-1 record in the division with a win over the Redskins. Look for this team to come out smoking on Sunday afternoon as it still feels it has something to prove in its quest to avoid a losing season.

Below is my complete preview & pick for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks

NFC East Previews- Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles

NFC East Game Previews- Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

The highlight game of Week 17 in the NFL features a NFC East title championship showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.

Because of a Buddy Ryan postseason curse that was manifested through his son Rex's New York Jets, the Eagles' divisional title chances ended with the Giants 29-14 victory over Ryan's team in last Sunday's city championship game. With our beloved Birds out of the picture, we are left with two other mediocre teams battling it out for this year's NFC East title. The 8-7 Cowboys come in with just one victory in their last four games, while the 8-7 Giants stumble into this game with a 2-5 record over the second half of the season.

I have the Giants winning this game going away, but as I said numerous times before, it really does not matter which team wins on Sunday as they will be a guaranteed one-and-done in the playoffs.


Below is a link to my complete preview and prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Bang the Book


NFC East Previews- Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

Thursday, December 22, 2011

NFC East Game Previews- Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

I can remember this time last year when the Eagles were well on their way to winning the NFC East, but still needed the Giants to stumble to actually clinch the division. The Giants held-up their end of the deal by getting blown-out by Green Bay 45-17, but the Eagles fell flat on their face in a 24-14 loss to Minnesota that cost them the No.2 seed in the conference.

Flash forward 12 months and the Birds find themselves needing the Giants to lose just to keep their faint division hopes alive, assuming they beat the Cowboys for the second time this year. I wrote the Eagles off weeks ago after they lost to Arizona 21-17 and fell to 3-6 on the year. The only reason we are even talking about the playoffs is the inability of any of the teams in the division to win on a consistent basis.

The Eagles are probably playing their best ball of the year in every phase of the game, but it is clearly a case of too little, too late. Do not be surprised if all the pieces actually do fall in place and they come away with the title with an 8-8 record. It would be a fitting end to how far the once and mighty NFC East has fallen this season.

The following is a link to my complete preview & prediction for Saturday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

NFC East Game Previews- NY Giants vs. NY Jets

The New York City Championship Game is slated to kick-off this Saturday, Dec. 24 when the Giants and the Jets clash at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This game has taken on a life of its own with Rex Ryan's trash talk and major playoff implications for both teams. The Giants actually need this game the most as a loss combined with a Cowboys' win would end their shot at winning the NFC East. The Jets currently hold the No.6 seed in the AFC with the tie-breaker over Cincinnati and would still have a chance to get in with a win over the Dolphins and a Bengals loss either this week or next.

Both of these teams are actually trying to back-in the postseason after getting waxed last week in games they should have won. The Giants were routed by Washington 23-10 in a game that was not even that close. The Jets were embarrassed by the Eagles 45-19 in game that was over by the end of the first quarter. Whichever one can play anywhere near their capabilities should come away with city bragging rights as an early Christmas present.

The following is a link to my complete preview & prediction for Saturday's game as originally posted on SportsBooks.net


New York Giants vs. New York Jets

Saturday, December 17, 2011

NFC East Game Previews – New York Jets vs Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles come into this game at 5-8 on the year and still have a shot at winning the NFC East despite all the problems this year. While most people would describe this shot as only mathematical, the way the Giants and Cowboys have been playing this season makes their chances much better than that until either the Eagles lose again or one of those two teams wins a ninth game.

Regardless of which team actually ends up claiming the division title, it has been a lost season all the way around for the once proud and mighty NFC East. I said it before and I will go on record as emphatically stating it again; whichever team does make the playoffs will be a one-and-done no matter who it has tp play in its first game.

If it is true that misery loves company, the pathetic state of the union in this division has made it a bit easier to bear the Eagles' poor showing this year.

This Sunday the New York Jets come to town and Eagle fans would love nothing better than to see Buddy Ryan's son Rex and his team go down in flames on the turf at the Linc. Unfortunately, the Eagles have only won only one of their first six games at home this season while winning four of seven on the road. Hopefully things will change and the Birds get off to a fast start on Sunday so Andy does have to endure a constant round of 'Reid must go' chants. That could very well be the case as this sets-up as the kind of game that Phildalephia comes out and blows the doors off the Jets in a lopsided romp.

The following is a link to my complete preview and prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks.


NFC East Game Previews – New York Jets vs Philadelphia Eagles

NFC East Game Previews – Washington Redskins vs New York Giants

A six-game losing streak earlier in the season pretty much put an end to Washington's (4-9) dreams of competing for an NFC East title this season, but it has a chance to play spoiler this Sunday by disrupting the 7-6 New York Giants' quest for the division crown.

The Redskins have already beaten the Giants once this season in an opening-day 28-14 romp as a slight underdog at home and are more than capable of pulling-off another one against a Giants' team that has been a poster-boy for inconsistency this year. That is exactly the way you could describe all four teams in the East this season as it appears that one of them will actually back into the title with a record at or just above .500.

The following is a link to my complete preview and prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks



NFC East Game Previews – Washington Redskins vs New York Giants

NFC East Game Previews – Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Bucs

This Saturday night the Dallas Cowboys will look to keep pace with New York in the NFC East title race with a victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cowboy fans have to hope that their team can put the disappointments of the past two weeks aside and take advantage of hosting a Bucs' team that has lost its last seven games.

While you almost have to chalk this game up as a W for the 'Boys, they have done a great job at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as of late. The following is a link to my complete preview and prediction for Saturday night's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


NFC East Game Previews – Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins Game Preview

The Eagles are back in action this Sunday after a much-needed 10-day hiatus to tangle with the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. The last time we saw our beloved Birds they were getting pecked apart by the Seahawks in front of a prime-time Thursday night audience on the NFL Network. It was one of their uglier efforts in a season filled with ugly efforts.

It appears that Andy Reid has gotten a vote of confidence from team owner Jeff Lurie that he will remain the head coach despite the rumblings that this season's debacle would cost him his job. I suggested a few weeks back that Reid himself may step down, citing burnout and exhaustion ala Dick Vermeil. That still may happen, especially if the team goes completely in the tank and loses its final four games.

The reality is that all the talent that the Eagles brought in this year could actually make them a legitimate 'dream team' if it is properly coached and Reid is well aware of this fact. He also knows this could be his best and last chance to harness this talent and turn it into a championship run in 2012.

What this team really needs is an injection of attitude and a true leader on defense. They already have one of the most explosive offenses in the league as long as DeSean Jackson gets his head screwed back on and the defense is a couple of linebackers and a real defensive coordinator away from returning to its past glory.

I actually picked the Eagles to lose to Seattle last week, but with Michael Vick back at the helm, I am going all-in on the Birds this week. It will be a close game, but I am counting on the Eagles to go out and win one for their coach, just as the 4-8 Dolphins have been doing lately in probably a fruitless effort to save Tony Sparano's job as theirs.

The following is my complete preview and prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins Game Preview

NFC East Game Previews- New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

The lead in the NFC East will be on the line this Sunday night when the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys play the first of this season's home-and-home series. Sunday's game is at Cowboys Stadium and they play each other again at MetLife Stadium in the final game of the regular season on New Year's Day.

Nobody has been lighting things up in the division this season, but the current rules state that someone has to win the East and go to the playoffs. My bet is that whichever team gets that assignment will be a one-and-done no matter who or where they play.

The key missing ingredient from both of these teams this season has been consistency. Each has looked like the 'next great thing' and each has lost games they should have easily won. The Giants pulled-out a dramatic 24-20 win over New England in Week 9 and then proceeded to lose their last four games.

Dallas streaked through the month of November with four straight wins to bring all those fair-weather Cowboy fans out of the wood work. The reality is, this team is just not that good. This became painfully evident in last Sunday's 19-13 overtime loss to Arizona, but as I mentioned before, somebody has to win the NFC East.

The following is a link to my complete preview of Sunday night's game as originally posted on Bang the Book


NFC East Game Previews- New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

NFC East Game Previews – Patriots vs Redskins

The New England Patriots will look to complete their jaunt through the NFC East with a 3-1 record when they face Washington this Sunday afternoon. The Patriots come in with a 9-3 record while the Redskins are battling it out with the Eagles to stay out of the division basement at 4-8.

The following is a link to my complete preview and pick of Sunday's matchup as originally posted on Cappers Picks


NFC East Game Previews – Patriots vs Redskins

Friday, December 2, 2011

NFC East Game Previews – Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants

The Green Bay Packers put their perfect 11-0 record on the line this Sunday when they face the New York Giants on the road at MetLife Stadium. Green Bay is favored by almost a touchdown over the Giants, but they face a desperate New York team whose whole season is on the line after posting three losses in the last three weeks.

Desperation has a tendency of bringing out the best of the Giants as much like another New York team, they know how to 'circle the wagons' when they need to the most. The following is a link to my complete preview & prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


NFC East Game Previews – Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants

NFC East Game Previews – Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals

Dallas finds itself the lead dog in the NFC East Division race and will look to put a bit more distance between itself and the rest of the pack with a win this Sunday in the desert. Arizona would love nothing better than to throw a kink in the Cowboys plans and should have Kevin Kolb back at quarterback to help pull-off the upset.

The following is my complete preview & prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


NFC East Game Previews – Cowboys vs Cardinals

NFC East Game Previews – New York Jets vs. Washington Redskins

The New York Jets pay a visit to FedEx Field this Sunday to square-off against the Washington Redskins in desperate need of a win to stay in the AFC playoff race. This will not be an easy W for a Jets' team that has played inconsistent all season long.

The following is a link to my complete preview & prediction for Sunday's game as originally posted on Cappers Picks


NFC East Game Previews – New York Jets vs. Washington Redskins