The huge factor in Dallas’ offensive productivity has been pass protection. With Adams out, we’ll see how it affects the number of sacks, hurries, throwaways, batted balls, incompletions, interceptions, and QB fumbles resulting from penetration from the left side… not to mention false starts and holding calls. AAACK!
Definitely going to need to adjust – Flozell is a big part of that offensive line. I hope they can adjust fast and replace him with somebody who can get the job done.
Wonderful explanation, Bearflag70! I think MagicWindow, btw, would make an excellent username.
I also agree with most of your projections. San Diego over Philly, Washington over SF, and Denver over NYG look good. But I think Seattle has to be a good favorite against Dallas. If I were setting the line, I’d put it at 4 1/2 or 5 for Seattle. But Dallas could easily take it.
I think the easiest win for the NFC East next weekend has to be Washington, though.
Anyway, if the division continues to scrape out wins, we could have some interesting and exciting late season matchups:
WEEK 14
Sunday, Dec. 11
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
WEEK 15
Sunday, Dec. 18
Dallas at Washington (This came could be huge. HUGE!!!)
WEEK 16
Saturday, Dec. 24
N.Y. Giants at Washington
WEEK 17
Sunday, Jan. 1
Washington at Philadelphia
I just realized Washington is going to play all other division members in the last three weeks of the season. Wow. That’s wild.
I’m vaguely disappointed that the entire division isn’t playing each other in two games in one of these closing weekends. I always like a weekend of hot conference action late in the season. The game may have serious playoff importance to both the teams in it, and if not, one team has the chance to play spoiler to its divisional rival.
Here’s a question that sort of came up in one of the other threads…
Do you have pride in the NFC East?
In other words, do you hope the Division as a whole does well or is represented well in the post-season? Do you root for other Division teams when your team is eliminated from the playoff picture?
Personally, my answer is, “no way in hell am I rooting for other Division teams ever!” When Dallas is in the picture, I want all other Division teams to be clobbered and shut-out every week. When Dallas is out, same thing.
On the other hand, it makes me more proud of Dallas to win in a tough division as opposed to the candy-ass 49ers who racked up wins in the old NFC West for so long.
I MIGHT be able to hold my nose and not cheer against the Giants if they were playing some AFC team I particularly loathed in the superbowl… but currently there isn’t any AFC team I dislike that much.
About the only pride I have is that when the other teams are doing well, it makes it that much sweeter to beat them.
My father would talk about Division Pride in baseball. When the Yankees wouldn’t make it, he’d want any non-Red Sox team from the AL East to win. His theory was that the reason the Yankees didn’t make it was because the competition was hardest in our league.
I don’t agree.
I will root for hated teams, like the Cowgirls, if a Cowgirls win will help the Giants position within their division. If a 4-10 Dallas is playing a 10-4 Eagles and the Giants are also 10-4, of course I want Dallas to win!
D_Odds makes a good point. I hereby amend the above quote to state, “no way in hell am I rooting for other Division teams ever unless doing so benefits my team.”
Well, I’m proud to see that the Cowboys are currently on top of what appears to be, at the moment, the strongest division in the NFL.
But to root for, say… the Eagles? Ever…? Are you on crack?!!
I’m with you – I’m happy to see the other division teams go down in flames often enough to put the 'Boys atop the division. The only other NFC East team that I might enjoy seeing win a game from time to time would be the Giants. And I despise the Eagles – I would be overjoyed to see them lose embarrassingly every week.
when the redskins and eagles play, I generally hope somehow the refs find a way that allows both teams to lose. I dunno, maybe like a bench-clearing brawl where both teams forfeit and they both lose.
See, the only two teams I root for are the Redskins and who ever is playing against Dallas. I have no vitrol per se towards Philly or the Giants, but their losing is usually beneficial to the Redskins so there aren’t many circumstances where I would root for them either.
My situation is a bit more nuanced. As long as the Giants don’t need help from other teams, I like to see the division pummel the rest of the league. Remember now, I’m talking about the Giants being in control of their own playoff picture.
I hate the Eagles, and always root for the fabled lightning strike that splits into 11 forks as it hits the field and fries every Eagle player at the line. But the Cowboys and Redskins? I root for them to lose to the Giants, and also for them to beat up on the scrubs. Winning a soft division is nothing to brag about.
In playoffs and Superbowls, no, I don’t root for divisional opponents when the Giants are out. But, I do look back after the fact and enjoy a sense of pride of the division at the accomplishment.
Only an NFC East fan can point back to four consecutive Superbowl wins by three teams in their division. That’s something to take pride in, (though not during the actual games, of course) , unless, of course, you’re a fan of the hapless and pathetic Eagles, who are clearly the underachieving redheaded stepchild of the division.
I don’t know about that. Maybe we’d have a better chance at hoping for one single stroke of lightning that hits Owens and fuses his lips together?
In hindsight, I think I’d agree with you about division pride… after the fact. Except for the 'Girls. I have a deep-seated loathing of them and anyone associated with them that most people reserve for something like an IRS audit. Thank goodness no high profile and flamboyant Dallas players ever transitioned over to Washington, or I’d probably have to block out those seasons altogether.
As far as the strength of the East goes, does anyone else feel like their appearance of being a hard division is exactly that, an appearance? I mean, every team has a winning record, but I can’t help but feel that the way they’ve all been playing, none of the teams really deserve to be above .500.
Still, it is nice to see some competition in the division again.
Cheer for another NFC East team? Yeah, right after I do my sister anal. Familiarity breeds contempt. We get to see these teams often enough that we remember the times they burned us, all the bad behavior, the digs, the times they cost us, etc. Wins aren’t just logged… they’re strutted.
Outside the division it’s often just another good team with respected players, heads up ball, no bad blood and the team with the best plan and players wins.
NFL.com ESPN CBS Fox SI
Dal (10) Phil (6) Phil (5) NYG (5) Phil (5)
Phil (11) Dal (7) Dal (6) Dal (9) Dal (7)
NYG (Top 19) NYG (14) Wash (14) Phil (10) Wash (15)
Wash (Top 19) Wash (16) NYG (16) Wash (17) NYG (16)
I check out the power rankings each and every week, and each and every week I ask myself why I bother. They seem so completely arbitrary and biased.
For instance, in the Prisco rankings: the Iggles moved up 4 spots to number 5… without even having played a game. The Falcons moved up 3 spots, even though they almost (and probably should have) lost to the lowly Saints. The Chargers jump up 4 spots for beating up the hapless Raiders. Even Seattle jumps up 4 spots for picking on the winless Texans.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh drops 7 spots for losing to a good team.
In all fairness, Pitt sucked eggs with Maddox at the helm, but it’s unfair that Pitt gets trampled in the rankings for losing a hard fought game, while a team with the week off jumps up 4 spots.
