Rick Gosselin's NFL Off-Season Rankings (NFC East only)
Rank Team Comment
1. New England
2. Indianapolis
3. Dallas' '07 rank: No. 6 Let's face it – the Cowboys should have been in the Super Bowl last year. For 17 weeks they were the best team in the NFC. They owned a record 13 Pro Bowlers and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But the Cowboys haven't won a post-season game in 11 years. You must win in January before you can win in February. December also has been a mystery for this team with a 4-5 record in the Tony Romo era. Talent-wise, the Cowboys rank with the Patriots and Colts. But the two AFC teams have proven they can win in the pressure situations. The Cowboys haven't.
6. New York Giants' '07 rank: No. 1 The Giants became the sixth wild card to win a Super Bowl. Of the first five, three didn't qualify for the playoffs the next season. The only wild card to repeat was Denver in 1998 – and the Broncos had John Elway. Have you bought into Eli Manning yet? The Giants played shutdown defense in the postseason, taking out the high-powered offenses Dallas, Green Bay and New England in consecutive games. But three starters have left that New York defense in free agency.
9. Philadelphia's '07 rank: No. 15 A slow start – 0-2, then 1-3 – doomed the Eagles in the NFL's most competitive division in 2007. But victories at Washington and Dallas in the second half of the season reminded the East that Philadelphia continues to lurk. The Eagles intercepted an NFL-low 11 passes last season and forced a league-low 19 turnovers. So the Eagles signed Pro Bowl CB Asante Samuel away from the Patriots in free agency. He had 10 interceptions himself in 2006.
20. Washington's '07 rank: No. 13 The highest-paid coaching staff in the NFL delivered a 9-7 record and wild-card finish in 2007. Now head coach Joe Gibbs, offensive coordinator Al Saunders and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are all gone. Novice Jim Zorn is calling the shots at head coach. The lineup returns virtually intact with some new young pass catchers.
1. New England
2. Indianapolis
3. Dallas' '07 rank: No. 6 Let's face it – the Cowboys should have been in the Super Bowl last year. For 17 weeks they were the best team in the NFC. They owned a record 13 Pro Bowlers and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But the Cowboys haven't won a post-season game in 11 years. You must win in January before you can win in February. December also has been a mystery for this team with a 4-5 record in the Tony Romo era. Talent-wise, the Cowboys rank with the Patriots and Colts. But the two AFC teams have proven they can win in the pressure situations. The Cowboys haven't.
6. New York Giants' '07 rank: No. 1 The Giants became the sixth wild card to win a Super Bowl. Of the first five, three didn't qualify for the playoffs the next season. The only wild card to repeat was Denver in 1998 – and the Broncos had John Elway. Have you bought into Eli Manning yet? The Giants played shutdown defense in the postseason, taking out the high-powered offenses Dallas, Green Bay and New England in consecutive games. But three starters have left that New York defense in free agency.
9. Philadelphia's '07 rank: No. 15 A slow start – 0-2, then 1-3 – doomed the Eagles in the NFL's most competitive division in 2007. But victories at Washington and Dallas in the second half of the season reminded the East that Philadelphia continues to lurk. The Eagles intercepted an NFL-low 11 passes last season and forced a league-low 19 turnovers. So the Eagles signed Pro Bowl CB Asante Samuel away from the Patriots in free agency. He had 10 interceptions himself in 2006.
20. Washington's '07 rank: No. 13 The highest-paid coaching staff in the NFL delivered a 9-7 record and wild-card finish in 2007. Now head coach Joe Gibbs, offensive coordinator Al Saunders and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are all gone. Novice Jim Zorn is calling the shots at head coach. The lineup returns virtually intact with some new young pass catchers.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:51 PM
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