Saturday, September 29, 2007

NFC East teams report: Week 4 rundown

SN correspondents (NFC East only)

Each week, Sporting News correspondents provide insight and analysis on every NFL team. Here's a sample of what you'll find in the latest NFC team reports.

East Division

Dallas Cowboys

Andre Gurode is one of the top centers in the NFC. After making the Pro Bowl last season, he worked hard in the offseason to improve his strength and power so he could make a return trip to Hawaii. He ha a thick lower body that allows him to play with power and anchor himself against nose tackles and defensive tackles. He has improved at making line calls and adjustments; the more he does that, the better his overall production will be.

New York Giants

The Giants hoped they would be able to get more production out of their third wide receiver but thus far there has been no improvement from a year ago, when Tim Carter was so ineffective that the team decided to give up on him, trading him to the Browns in the off-season. Sinorice Moss, a second-round pick in 2006, was supposed to be the solution but injuries and an inability to adjust to the NFL game have slowed his progress to a crawl. Steve Smith, a second-round pick this year from USC, was supposed to be the solution but Smith in the second game went down to a fractured shoulder blade. Moss and first-year Anthony Mix are next in line. Moss against the Redskins caught just one pass for 17 yards, which is the longest reception of his career.

Philadelphia Eagles

Juqua Thomas continues to play well as the team's No. 3 defensive end, and it could be only a matter of time before he replaces Jevon Kearse, who has not been very effective, as a starter opposite Trent Cole. Kearse, who is 31 and coming off a knee injury, may be better suited to being a third-down pass rusher.

Washington Redskins

The offensive line is proving that it doesn't take years -- or even a full training camp -- to develop chemistry. RT Jason Fabini and RG Todd Wade worked well together in their debut against in Week 2 the Eagles. LT Chris Samuels and LG Pete Kendall have been side by side for just three games, but they show no signs of problems. All four linemen are smart, veteran players. They know how to play football. Any holdups are a matter of learning the terminology and being sure of assignments. Also, C Casey Rabach is excellent at making the calls and ensuring each lineman understands changes in blocking assignments.