Predictions

The beginning of the season always imbues fans with a renewed sense of optimism. The Redskins were especially good at that a few years ago with spectacular offseasons. However, the last couple have been quiet. Per my previous post, the organization has actually not sparked any excitement in fans about the strides made to improve upon last season.

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will start out impressively and have pundits calling them real contenders in the conference. The Boys will then run into trouble mid-way or late into the season. TO will start speaking out and Wade Phillips, who everyone will have raved about early in the season, will have arrows thrown at him. If the Cowboys even make it into the playoffs, they'll stumble in with a 9-7 record.

New York Giants
Coughlin drama continues. Eli inconsistency continues. Barber's rushing presence is greatly missed. Players have an axe to grind against Coughlin's methods. Unlike other seasons, the Giants won't have a fast finish and will miss the playoffs with a sub-500 season.

Philadelphia Eagles
Questions abound. Will Reid be distracted by off-field domestic troubles? Can Westbrook stay healthy again? Can McNabb stay healthy? Will Brian Dawkins still play at a high level (he's turning 34)? I'm guessing these all turn out in Philly's favor and they win the NFC East again at 11-5.

Where does that put the Redskins? I'm still not sold on Jason Campbell. Supposedly he looked sharp in coaches' eyes during camp but that's different than a full-speed NFL game. In his 5-5 performance against the Jags, Campbell really only had the one impressive toss to Randle El, and that was more about Randle El making the play. The other completions were throws under ten yards. The other big question mark is the offensive line. At this point, I'd estimate 6-10 for the Redskins. The big test is week 2 against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.