Division Preview

So as not to be booted off the site with a lack of posts, and in the interest of providing a well rounded rambling on the Facts at Hand, here is, without further adu, the Dallas Football Guys NFC East extended Preview. today, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles: The NFC Championship losers for the 4th time in the last five tries last year, the Eagles are looking to make Donovan McNabb's contract year as comfortable as possible. The addition of Jeremy Maclin to the Eagles wide receiver corps gives them the fastest and shortest set of starting wide receivers in the league, which has not proved to be a problem for McNabb in the past, who has had to put up with guys like Todd Pinkston and James Thrash as number one options in Championship-losing years. Maclin and the very speedy DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis are all under 6 feet and all run sub 4.4 forty yard dashes. Watch for the oft injured Curtis to try and step up his game as he will probably be making a transition into the slot for good, and tries to justify the 3.4 million dollars he is owed this year. The Eagles make no secret of their willingness to cut veterans and wide receivers in particular, so if Curtis doesn't perform the sometimes talented and just as short Reggie Brown will try to move in, perhaps back to the featured role he once enjoyed. It should be a good battle, to say the least, and Donovan will have more weapons at his disposal than in any year since he has been with the team.

Brian Westbrook looks to rebound from the last six games of the season (including playoffs), where he struggled through his bone-spurs to score only one touchdown and average only 3.0 yards a carry, without any 100 yards games in either receiving or rushing. And he's getting old. The trend with running backs like Westbrook points to a steep decline in production over the next two years. The window on Westbrook's productivity is closing, and the running backs behind him on the depth chart aren't even close to being able to duplicate his production and his ability to pick up the blitz. He will, however, benefit from the off season signing of Leonard Weaver, a true fullback who will help Westbrook in the running game.

The Eagles offensive line looks sturdy as ever, especially with the addition of Jason Peters. At tight end, the offenses weakest position, the serviceable Brent Celek should be able to keep the starting job and give Donovan an outlet on broken plays besides Westbrook.

On defense, the Eagles will greatly miss Jim Johnson and his insane blitz packages. The coach loved to blitz on all downs, and proved over and over that he knew how to make the most with little known talent. The injury to Stewart Bradley will keep him out for the rest of the season, but otherwise Omar Gaither and the rest of the Eagles linebacking core should be as advertised, bringing back the NFC's second best run defense (92.3), best passing defense (182.1), best opponents PPG (18.1), best overall yardage defense (274.3), fourth best takeaway defense (29 (14 fumble recoveries, 15 ints), second best sack total (behind Dallas' best 59 with 48), third most passes deflected (92)- basically, the Philadelphia Eagles are once again the defense in the NFC.

With the top defense and a top six offense that only got better, the Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC East, and the NFC as a whole. Vegas has them as the favorite to win the NFC and NFC East, and I agree. They look pretty much unstoppable. They were only blown out once in 2008, by the Ravens in the game McNabb was benched, and they destroyed the Cowboys in their second meeting, 44-6. And, again, they only got better. The defense can miss two steps, but probably won't under longtime Johnson assistant- and coach for most of last year- Sean McDermott.

Predicted Record: 13-3

Predicted Finish: 1st

Overall: NFC Champions