NFL: NFC East Preview (august football blitz)

Reasons To Worry
1. McNabb. Yes the gift and the curse. McNabb also is a reason to worry Eagles fans. He just hasn't been healthy the past few seasons. Early on in his career, he was definitely seen as a tough guy and basically a top 5 QB. The past few seasons he's smeared his legacy with the "injury-prone" tag. The bottom line is that he's been a losing QB the past few seasons and that has to be a concern.

2. Westbrook contract. The Eagles are notorious for being a little tight with their ones(money). The problem this time is that the team doesn't have the Philly media backing them on the Westbrook issue. He's not only their best player, but production wise, he's only second to Ladanian and he's the anti- T.O. He's been quiet and handling the situation without all of the ra-ra, so now they're on the clock. The man has been under-paid for years and everyone knows they need to pay him. This issue is still unsettled as training-camp has started. Whether they think he's 29 and shouldn't be paid this amount or that amount isn't the point. What's clear is that the team has to get this resolved one way or another. When your running back is all an All-Pro, it has to be management's job to make sure he's happy.

3. Reggie Brown is the number one receiver. Say that again to yourself. It's really hard to digest having Super Bowl aspirations, telling everyone that Brown is the big threat. We can go through damn near every NFL roster in the league and every team probably has a receiver better than Reggie Brown. Some teams have two and three better wideouts, along with a Tight End. This goes back to how much pressure will they continue to put on McNabb and Westbrook? Why haven't they gotten the memo that you need a stud TE or WR in this league to win?

Washington Redskins

Reasons To Be Optimistic
1. Coach Gibbs is out. Say what you want about coach Gibbs but the game had passed the man by. I know he's a Hall of Fame coach and everything else, but he flat-out was sleep-walking half the time the past couple seasons. He had one play that worked. Yes, you guessed it, that wideout screen to Moss and I can sit here and point out exhibit A and exhibit B, but that will exhaust the rest of this article. The 'Skins should get a fresh start this season and the offense can't help but to be more creative under Zorn.

2. Virtually all starters retained. The Redskins did make the playoffs last season and will basically be returning the same squad from last year and have only added players since then. You'd be hard pressed to find a team that did better in the draft than the 'Skins so there's a lot to build upon.

3. Jason Taylor. At the 25th hour the 'Skins made a move to pick up part-time twinkle toes, part-time Offensive-Line nightmare, Jason Taylor. This was sort of a last minute move, but don't get it twisted. This was their most significant move. Anytime you can pick up a player that can very well end up being defensive player of year, your team is that much better.

Reasons To Worry
1. Rookie head coach. Jim Zorn is a rookie coach in the NFL? Do I need to say more? I'll throw out the obligatory statement that he's an "Offensive genius" but aren't all long-time offensive coordinators considered that? You just don't know what you're going to get out of a rookie head coach and as far as we know he's 4th in the division in Head Coach Power Rankings

2. Jason Campbell. I'm not saying that Campbell won't be a good young QB. He's definitely shown flashes but for all the strides he made last season all the fans in D.C. remember is those late 4th quarter blunders that he seems to repeat. All eyes are on him this season, no one is tapping his shoulder so this is definitely his opportunity to claim this team. The fans are taking the wait and see approach.

3. Ordinary Offensive Line. In a division that puts more pressure on Quarterbacks than Kim Kardashian puts on mens eyes, the Redskins have a pretty average offensive line. Especially when you compare them to the other teams in the division. if you think of Washington as a running team you'd be right, but they're just not that successful at it. They didn't manage to average the 4.0 yards per carry mark that's needed to consider yourself a good running team. Clinton Portis has spent his career in D.C. constantly running into a brick wall. If the 'Skins are going to win this division the O-Line has to play better.

Dallas Cowboys

Reasons To Be Optimistic
1. Talent. Could possibly have the most talented roster in all of the NFL. Simply put, the Cowboys have a big time player at almost every position on the field.

2. Good off-seasons additions. We heard so much about Pacman Jones "making it rain on 'em" that we forgot to mention that, before the Vegas B.S., Jones was one of the better young cornerbacks in the league. They've also added Zach Thomas, unlike Bruschi and Vrabel (who despite being limited athletically always magically knew where to be on the field) is the real deal. Factor in the 'Boys drafting a couple of player that have a chance to help them this year and you're talking about a scary team.

3. Experience and defeat. The Cowboys have been knocking at the door for the past couple seasons. They've somehow been kicked out of the playoffs the past two years with the game literally in their hands. They have the experienced success and defeat which is sometimes the necessary ingredients needed to achieve football bliss.

Reasons To Worry
1. The Health Factor. I can't help but wonder how many years can the Cowboys really get in position to challenge for a Super Bowl with all of their big dogs healthy? This just doesn't happen in the NFL. They have pretty much been very healthy with most of their key players available in the playoffs. Odds are that they won't be as lucky for a third season, and they'll have to face some adversity. Can this possibly continue? How deep are they? Stay tuned.

2. Wade Philips. I'm convinced that Wade Philips just isn't the coach to get you over the hump. In my eyes, he clearly didn't have his team ready to go at playoff time. He hasn't won a playoff game, and he's basically co-captain of the team with former QB Jason Garrett. He tells his players they are the better team and should have won the game, basically after every game they lose, giving them a false sense of entitlement. Meanwhile, it's 12 years and counting since Dallas last won a playoff game.

3. Can Tony Romo win in the playoffs? There's always going to be questions about this until he actually does win. There's always the thought on whether he is just the right-now or the long-term? There's still questions about his bad mechanics and his ability to handle pressure when his offensive line isn't dominating. Last time we saw Romo, he was a rattled quarterback making bad-play after bad-play late in the 4th quarter against the Giants. At this point, no QB in the league needs a playoff win more than Tone'.

New York Giants

Reasons To Be Optimistic
1. Super Bowl Champions. When you're the champs, you don't have to ask is the glass half full or empty . Knowing you can do something is a lot different from wondering and hoping. Here the G-Men have a significant edge.

2. Eli Manning has "got it". Sure looked like he did late in the season and throughout the playoffs. He should now have the confidence and the command of the team after finding a way to pull out the Super Bowl win with an improbable 4th quarter. No one on the team works harder and wants it more, and with a healthy Steve Smith, draft steal Mario Manningham, and a young offensive unit that has been together for years, all signs point to this being one of the better offensive units in the league.

3. Defense might actually be better. The team gets back Mathias Kiwanuka, who had 4 or 5 sacks before he went down last season, and is primed to make himself known this season. Justin Tuck already looks like a Pro Bowler. Rookie Safety Kenny Philips seems to be the type of safety they have long coveted, a ball hawking bullet with impressive range and closing speed. Their most athletic linebacker Gerris Wilkinson finally will get his chance on the field, with the departure of Kawika Mitchell to the Bills. Last year's rookie Aaron Ross is a year better and Corey Webster emerged as difference maker in the playoffs keeping Pro Bowlers Galloway, T.O. and Moss in check. D- Coor. Spagnuolo should have a faster defense.

Reasons To Worry
1. The loss of Strahan and Shockey. Understand, these two players have been the faces of this franchise for many years. Even if they can get Strahan's production out of Justin Tuck, there's no way they can replace his leadership and experience on-and-off the field. You can't lose a first-Ballot Hall of Famer still relatively dominant and be a better team. It can be questioned whether they'll miss Jeremy or not, let's just admit teams will no longer game-plan for the Giants TE position any longer. Take that into account, and there's no way, they aren't going to miss him and how teams had to play them with him in the lineup. That's not to say Kevin Boss can't get the job done, but he's just not that caliber player.

2. Plaxico Buress contract and ankle. The Giants should be more worried about his ankle than his contract. It was great that he played like a stud with the ankle injury all season. Ultimately for them to be even better, he needs to go into the season 100%. Everyone will be head-hunting the Giants, and ready or not, they are the official barometer this year. Burress is being under-paid and i'm sure the team wants to resolve this one way or the other. The sooner the better because we already know the NY media doesn't need anymore ammo.

3. The effects of winning the Super Bowl. The Giants are still a young team and have already won the Super Bowl. That's not a good combination. The young guys on this team have probably been partying, been told how great they are, and living the life, the past four months. If you were a rookie on the team last year, you can't help but think winning the Bowl is a piece of cake and you'll easily win it next year. Pushing these players this year, and keeping them focused, is probably Tom Coughlins biggest challenge this season. Veteran leadership will be the focal point of this team, and, if players are still in the mirror cleaning their Super Bowl rings thinking they are the best thing since pants with pockets, than there's no way you can have the drive you need to make it out of your division, let alone repeat.

Stay tuned for more NFC East coverage throughout the season as we get geared up. Your dude lives within 2 hours of three of the four teams in the division, so i'll be all over this like white on rice.

Your official NFC East and Fantasy Football Expert. Tips on the way!