NFL - NFC East Season Preview and Prediction

DALLAS COWBOYS
 
Last Season 13-3 (1st in NFC East, Eliminated in 2nd round of Playoffs) 421 Points For, 321 Against
 
Quarterback 8.5/10 - (Dak Prescott) - Dak Prescott, put simply, was phenomenal last season in his rookie year. At the start of the season Tony Romo looked to be in no danger of losing his starting job. However, after he succumbed to injury in the Pre-Season he never got another look in, as Dak made it his team. Not only did Dak manage to win the Number 1 Seed in the NFC, but his composure and play under pressure was outstanding and belied his rookie status. Prescott managed to throw 23 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions, and led the Cowboys on several game winning drives. The Cowboys appear to have their star quarterback for the next decade, and it will be interesting to see whether he can scale those great heights again in his second season. 
 
Offence 9/10 - The Cowboys were dynamic on offence last season, scoring 416 points in the regular season at an average of over 26 points per game. Not only had they an outstanding quarterback leading their offence, but the leading rushing back in the NFL in Ezekiel Elliott. It's not often two rookies take the league by storm, but that’s exactly what happened in Dallas, with Elliott rushing for over 1600 yards. With Elliott suspended for the first 6 weeks of the season, the Cowboys will still be expecting production from their running game behind probably the best offensive line in football. Dez Bryant, as their star receiver, had a mixed season last year and the Cowboys will want more consistency from such a high profile figure.
 
Defence 5.5/10 - The Cowboys’ defence was haphazard last season at times, and ultimately held the team back in their final’s exit to Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers cut up their defence to the tune of 34 points as the Cowboys were eliminated in their first playoff game, despite being the Number 1 seed. The Cowboys managed 36 sacks and some big plays, but they also gave up too many big plays to be considered a good defence. Sean Lee is probably the team’s only genuine star on defence. 
 
Verdict - 10-6 (1st in NFC East) 
 
I think Dallas has enough to get by without Elliott in the first 6 weeks and win this Division again. I think Dak Prescott will prove, this year, he is a legitimate star of not only the future, but today, by leading this offence to another big season. This year the Cowboys have a tougher fixture list so I expect them to drop a few games on the road, but I think they are still the best team in the Division. 
 
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
 
Last Season - 7-9 (Last in AFC East, 367 Points For, 331 Against
 
Quarterback 7/10 (Carson Wentz) - Carson Wentz showed his undoubted promise in an up and down rookie season, where he won plenty of admirers. Expected to learn the ropes and be the 2nd or 3rd string quarterback in Philadelphia, a chain of events in Pre-Season threw Wentz into the fire straight up and he responded by winning his first 3 games. Wentz, like the team, dipped in form as he played all 16 games, finishing with 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, averaging around 236 yards passing per game. The Eagles seem to have a lot of faith in Wentz as their future quarterback, and they will be expecting a more consistent season in 2017. 
 
Offense 7/10 - The Eagles’ offense did a decent job on the surface in 2016, averaging around 23 points per game. The Eagles have added some receiving talent this year, with last year’s crop struggling to help rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.  The Eagles’ running game was sporadic, at best, last season, relying on ageing veteran Darren Sproles, whilst picking up a workhorse veteran in LeGarrette Blount in the off-season. 
 
Defence 7/10 - The Eagles managed to cover up some cracks in their defence last season, managing to concede a tick over 20 points a game.  The Eagles finished 12th in points allowed, and 13th in yards conceded, which was a decent effort considering they had some glaring weaknesses. The Eagles look shaky at linebacker and cornerback and will need to put more pressure on the quarterback this season. 
 
Prediction - 9-7 (2nd in AFC East, Wild Card team) 
 
I think the Eagles can improve this year as I think their quarterback is a really solid NFL starter, already likely to improve sharply. They had plenty of close losses last season and, if they can turn a couple of them into close wins, then this team can challenge for a Wild Card berth. 

WASHINGTON REDSKINS
 
Last Season - 8-7-1 (3rd in NFC East, 396 Points For, 383 Against)
 
Quarterback 7.5/10 (Kirk Cousins) - Last year Kirk Cousins played at a high level for the majority of the season, throwing for 4917 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while completing 67% of his attempts. Cousins is capable of putting up big numbers, however he has never totally convinced people he can get the job done when it matters most. The Redskins held on to him this season, but are yet to offer him a big money extension. 
 
Offence 8.5/10- While the Redskins ranked third in the NFL in total yards and second in passing yards, there has still been some upheaval in the off-season with a new offensive coordinator, a new primary play caller, a new quarterback coach and big changes at wide receiver. Both Pierre Garçon and DeSean Jackson, who combined for 2,046 receiving yards last season, are now gone with Terrelle Pryor on board as the top playmaker.
 
Defence 5/10 - The Redskins’ defence really let the team down last season and stopped them making the playoffs. Despite the offence putting up some big numbers, Washington lost a number of high scoring shoot outs,  giving up 377.9 yards per game, which was the fifth most in the NFL. The Redskins heavily targeted defenders this off-season, picking up a couple of free agents plus, in the 2017 draft, selecting a lineman, a linebacker and a cornerback with their first 3 picks. 
 
Prediction 8-8 (3rd in NFC East) 
 
I reckon this will be a typical Redskins type of season where they mix some great games with some poor losses. The doubt over Kirk Cousins’ long term future could really intensify if the Redskins get off to a poor start. Jay Gruden really needs to get this team into the playoffs for his job security; however I have them falling short once more. 
 
NEW YORK GIANTS
 
Last Season 11-5 (2nd in NFC East, Eliminated 1st Round playoffs) 310 Points For, 284 Points Against
 
Quarterback 7/10 (Eli Manning) - Eli Manning is a two team Super Bowl winning quarterback, however he doesn’t always play that way. Last season was the "good" Eli Manning for the majority, as the Giants made the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons. Manning, throwing for over 4200 yards and 26 touchdowns, but still averaged an interception a game, throwing 16. Despite his outstanding career, Manning can make the inexplicable throw a little too often, which has plagued his career. Manning completed 63% of his passes and, at age 36, he will be looking for one last Super Bowl push to cap a storied career. 
 
Offence - 5/10 - The Giants’ offence was frustrating at times last season, coming in 25th for points scored, and averaging under 20 points per game. The team relied on their defence at times to pull out low scoring wins. Odell Beckham Jr. has emerged as one of the top playmakers in the game and, with the team having added Brandon Marshall, Manning will have another deep threat. The Giants’ running game functioned rather than flourished and, with a hugely suspect offensive line all coming back, there are big doubts about parts of this unit. 
 
Defence 8.5/10 - The Giants spent a huge amount of money on their defence last season and they were rewarded. The defence started slowly, but they soon emerged as a genuine Top 5 defence in the league in the 2nd part of the season. The unit conceded less than 18 points per game, and really took over late in games as the Giants surged into the playoffs off the back of a late season winning streak. With most of their starters back, the Giants will be expecting their defence to go to another level again. 
 
Prediction - 6-10 (Last in NFC East) 
 
I don't like the Giants this year. I think they took advantage of a soft schedule last season and I think Eli Manning is starting to decline. They won a number of close games this season, and I think if they’re on the wrong end of a few this year, with a harder schedule, this team could be one of the flops of the year.