NFC East looks to be top division in NFL

by John Stewart, staff writer

After squeaking three teams into the playoffs last year, the NFC East is at again.

Through the first three weeks of the season, the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants all looked superb while playing opponents such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Green Bay Packers, before the Washington Redskins had a shootout in the fourth week with the Cowboys, ending in a 26-24 victory for the Redskins.

 The Redskins, under the guidance of quarterback Jason Campbell and head coachJim Zorn, followed with a victory against another division rival, scoring 23 unanswered points to defeat the Eagles, 23-17. This is Campbell’s third offense he has had to learn in four years. You can still tell he is learning, but the transition will have to settle in for a few games, and he has taken the change well.

Through the first five games, the NFC East has a combined record of 14-4. The Giants top the standings at 4-0, while the Redskins and Cowboys are 4-1. The Redskins rank second because of their head-to-head advantage against the Cowboys. The Eagles are 2-3 in fourth,  with all three loses by a combined 14 points.

Rookie Desean Jackson, drafted by the Eagles in the first round, has shown great potential, along with fellow Rookie Felix Jones,  who was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round as well. Both have entered games and did things in crucial moments to boost their teams.

Each team in this division has the tools to be a Super Bowl contender. Philadelphia surprised us all when Jeff Garcia had to step in for an injured Donovan McNabb and made a run in the playoffs a year ago.

Last year, the Giants pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all-time against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Dallas has an explosive offense with the potential to score on any play with their numerous playmakers, yet the Cowboys seem inconsistent at times. Romo sometimes looks uncomfortable, much like the guy who botched the snap against the Seattle Seahawks. Terrell Owens is trying to do his part, but maybe not going about it the right way. Yet he is still trying. 

When I see Romo out there, sometimes he seems lost and indecisive, which is why he draws so many comparisons to a young Brett Favre.

The key to winning this division will be the intra-division play between the Boys’, Eagles, Redskins and Giants.

So far, all four teams in the NFC East are ranked in the top 10 offensively, including three in the top six. Defensively, the division has four teams in the top 14, including two in the top six.

Without Tom Brady at the helm of the Patriots, the Super Bowl winner could easily be from this division. All these teams have crucial things to come together for them.

There are great quarterbacks in Campbell, Eli Manning, Romo and McNabb. There also are great runningbacks in Clinton Portis, Marion Barber, Brandon Jacobs and Brian Westbrook, along with great receivers in Owens, Plaxico Burress, and Santana Moss.

All four of these teams are built to compete, and this year we will really witness who is the most dominant team in the division.