NFC East Analysis

The Cowboys, the Giants, the Eagles, the Redskins. Four of the great teams in NFL history. Only one of these teams is over .500 so far? Only in this crazy game we call NFL football.

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ best shot at being on TV during the last week of January is if HBO shows a repeat of Hard Knocks. Their offense is terrible, their defense is good but not great (even with a bevy of off-season acquisitions), and their special teams just aren’t getting it done. They lost to the expansion Texans in their first game, but have gone 2-1 since. Quincy Carter isn’t even worth a spot on your roster if you’re in a twelve-team league and have to start two quarterbacks. He is so inconsistent that you simply can’t play him with confidence. Emmitt Smith, bastion of offensive production even in down years in big D, has 246 yards and no touchdowns on the year. He’s a reserve at best, especially now that Larry Allen is hurt. Joey Galloway and Antonio Bryant might very well have a good year if Carter wasn’t throwing to them. Galloway is a reserve, and Bryant is waiver wire fodder. Dallas’ defense, oddly enough, is the best fantasy pick on the team.

The New York Football Giants. A team full of passion, history, and marginal players. Kerry Collins has all of the tools a good QB needs. He’s a reserve QB for fantasy purposes, but don’t expect the Giants redzone problems to continue like this all year. Tiki Barber is a solid #2 back when he’s healthy. He’s fast, has a good burst, and seems to know how to run downhill better than most guys his size. Ike Hilliard and Amani Toomer are both good fantasy #2’s. Toomer is a better receiver, but Hilliard is in the last year of his contract and is playing for a fat raise. Jeremy Shockey was expected to have a huge impact on the Giants, and so far he hasn’t disappointed. Although he’s a rookie and will make mistakes and be somewhat inconsistent, he’s a solid fantasy starter. Their defensive unit is good, but not as reliable as you’d like your starting defense to be. They have weeks where they just seem to fall apart.

Philly is a tough town. The fans there also have a short memory. The Sixers went to the NBA finals just two years ago, but last year they were hearing a lot of boos at home games. You don’t hear them booing Donovan McNabb any more. He’s not only the best young quarterback in the NFL right now, he’s the best quarterback in fantasy football as well. He’s what a great fantasy QB should be: accurate, possessing a powerful arm and good mobility, and a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He’s your no-brainer #1 QB from a fantasy perspective. The Duce is loose in Philadelphia, and he’s a threat both running and catching the ball. It’s only too bad that he’s the second-best RB on the team. Brian Westbrook is the best, but he’s been hurt. He’s not the starter yet, and probably won’t take over this year. But in keeper leagues, watch out; he should develop into a good back. Dorsey Levens is another decent RB who is fighting for touches in the backfield. Only Staley is worth a spot on your roster, and use him as a #2 when the matchup is right. James Thrash is a very consistent, solid fantasy player. He’s better suited as a #2, but he can be a #1 if the matchup favors him. He is really the only consistent threat in their wide receiver corps. Freeman lit it up for one game, and hasn’t done jack in the other three. I wouldn’t want him on my roster, but if you’re really thin at WR and need a fourth or fifth receiver, he’ll do. Chad Lewis always seems to get hurt, but he’s a very talented TE. I also wouldn’t be thrilled to have him on my team, but he’s a good player when healthy. Their defensive unit is in the top three in fantasy football. If you were smart enough to draft them, start them.

That brings us to Steve Spurrier and the Fun-n-Gun in Washington. They came out of the gate hot against a weak Arizona team and put up some points. In three games, they’ve scored 48 points and their opponents have scored 80 – not a good ratio if you want to win games. No QB on their roster is worth having on your team. Patrick Ramsey has the arm strength to be an NFL QB, and may very well be worth a spot in a keeper league or if you’re very thin at QB and are looking for a mid-season sleeper. Watch him carefully though; he’s just a rookie. Stephen Davis is a great back, but this year he seems to be underutilized in Spurrier’s offense. He’s healthy now that he’s had a week to rest his groin injury, so start him as your #1, but be careful. He’ll never rush for 1400+ yards as long as he’s hurt and Spurrier still thinks his Gator quarterbacks can throw. Rod Gardner is a very good WR who can get a good amount of separation between himself and opposing cornerbacks. That allows his weak-armed quarterbacks to get him the ball. Although his fantasy numbers have been inconsistent, he’s a threat if they pick a QB and stick with him. No other WR on the team is worth starting every week. Kevin Lockett will get a chance to step up, so monitor his progress in the next few weeks. Their defense has too many good players who don’t gel. They’re not a good fantasy defense unless your main team has its bye week.

The Eagles are the only team in the NFC East with the total package. Their offense is balanced and deadly, their defense will hit you in the mouth, and Brian Mitchell is the greatest special teams player of all time (Don Beebe might argue with that). The tools are there, and they should have a very successful season. They won’t be the team that goes to the Super Bowl from the NFC, but they’ll get darn close.

 
Although Trent Vaughn has just purchased a new house that’s a fixer-upper, he still wastes 20-25 hours a weekend watching football. His wife isn’t all that happy about that, but his gig as a fantasy football writer is the perfect excuse.