NFC East Playoff Breakdown

Every year there is a division whose playoff race goes down to the wire. Last year it was the NFC West, this year we have been gifted with two of these divisions, one in each conference. In the NFC the focus is on the East division where any one of three teams could still make the playoffs, one of which is the Eagles with the alignment of the stars and a 8-8 record that mocks even the Seahawks playoff ticket from a season ago.

Here’s the Breakdown:
 

Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

Quietly consistent the Cowboys have found themselves in first position in the NFC East. They have done this by picking up wins at home and are 5-2 this year, no other team in the East is above .500 at home which highlights the importance of having a solid home advantage. The Cowboys must not be complacent going into the final two match-ups of the regular season as they are facing division opponents, so losses would significantly hurt their chances of getting to the playoffs. If the Cowboys were to get into the playoffs, they would be encouraged by their win at San Francisco in Week 2 of the regular season.

Make the playoffs if:

• They beat the Giants in Week 17 regardless of Week 16 results OR
• They beat the Eagles in Week 16 and the Giants lose to the Jets.

New York Giants (7-7)

The Giants shot out of the gate to start the season opening with a 6-3 record, unfortunately for them since then they have gone 1-4 and have allowed the Cowboys to leapfrog them for first place in the NFC East. However, with top players on offense and defense a journey deep into the playoffs is still possible for the Super Bowl XLII champions. The Giants still have the power to qualify in their hands, they know that if they win out their final games then they will be in the playoffs.

Make the playoffs if:

• They beat the Jets in Week 16 and the Cowboys in Week 17 OR
• The Giants and Cowboys lose in Week 16, the Giants win and the Eagles lose in Week 17.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)

Before the season began this roster was labelled the “Dream Team” with free agents taking less money in the belief that they would secure themselves a Super Bowl ring playing in Philadelphia. In contrary to this belief the Eagles have struggled this year and currently sit in third in the NFC East. This has resulted in some Eagles fans blaming the coaching staff for the under-performance of the team, which is further fuelled by some players having had public disputes with the coaches. Despite this the Eagles have won enough games to still have a chance to qualify for the postseason though results would have to favor the Eagles. It is worth noting that the Eagles are 3-1 in the division this year with only division teams to play.

Make the playoffs if:

• The Eagles win and the Giants lose in Week 16, the Giants and the Eagles win in Week 17.

Washington Redskins (5-9)

The Redskins shocked fans and pundits alike when they started the season 3-1, unfortunately for them the bye week came at the wrong time and after it they went on a 6 game losing streak. The streak all but eliminated Washington from playoff contention, before they were mathematically ruled out with losses to the Jets and Patriots in Weeks 13 and 14 respectively. The Redskins are now playing for pride, although they may not wish to win too many more games this year in order give themselves the best draft position that they possibly can.

The Redskins cannot make the playoffs.

Figuring Out the NFC East Race Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

Fantasy Insight: Who Will Carry the Rock in Washington?

With the Redskins 2010 season happily behind them, and the dilemma of who’s going to be the starting quarterback becoming a game of go-fish, there are really only three choices for this team to lean on for RB at the moment. But before we get into that, let’s look at their quarterback situation. The Redskins are in a rebuilding phase, and they are trying to find an identity after McNabb’s failed attempt to rejuvenate this bullet riddled team. McNabb found a new home with Minnesota, so now you have two quarterbacks on the roster: Beck and Grossman. Beck is a lightly tested quarterback and a major gamble, and let’s face it, Rex Grossman hasn’t lived up to his potential on either “Da Bears” or “Skins” teams. So, in a season like this for the Redskins you’ll have a player that will stand out from the rest of the crowd and make a push to solidify this dysfunctional team. If you ask me, LaRon Landry will have to step up, and learn to cover in space, however he will still remain a threat to quarterbacks and running backs throughout the season. Santana Moss has always been a reliable and productive receiver for any quarterback on the Redskins team, but, with a seasoned and haphazard Grossman, and an untested back-up in Beck, your only option left is Ryan Torain. So, who will this years “Atlas Award” nomination go to in this love-torn affair of a team?

Ryan Torain – that’s right, this free agent pick up off the free market is going to be the man who carries the world on his shoulders. At 6’1” 212lb. he will now have the honor of carrying what is left of the Redskins to their final destination point. Last year the Redskins sat in 30th place among rushing leaders averaging only 91.3 yards per game, but also ranked 18th with 244.6 passing yards per game. With a 6-10 record, a lot of people aren’t thinking that this team is a rushing team. Well, no, from the looks of the stats, it isn’t. So how could Torain be the player that carries the Redskins, and not Santana Moss? Well, think about it this way, in all of last year’s losses, the Redskins were trailing most teams by the first and second quarter. Half of them were in the double digits, and with a team built on the running game, and a quarterback new to the system, the team was in a shambles trying to put points on the board. They wound up becoming one-dimensional, mainly utilizing their running game for converting short yardage first downs and goal line situations. As we all know, a one dimensional team in this league will ultimately crash and burn. With the draft selection, the Redskins set their sights on improving the defense, bulking the D-line, and streamlining the corners and safeties in an attempt to reduce the amount of points on the board, and allowing the game to slow down.

This year, look for Shanahan to slow the offense down, take time off the clock, and run the ball more often. Torain showed a lot of resilience after missing 4 games with a hamstring injury, and returned to rush for 172 yards in a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Torain averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 742 total rushing yards on 164 carries in just 10 games. He’s got a lot of talent, and he’s going to have a heavy load after Clinton Portis exits Washington. Look for him to have 20-30 carries a game, and average 120-200 all-purpose yards. This Redskins team just might have some saving grace, if they can sign a few players in the free agency, and get productive defensive players from the draftees they selected. The Redskins may surprise everyone in the 2012 season and become an NFC title contender. Although, with the supplemental draft having just one quarterback and the free-agency market also going to be flooded with other teams hunting for a starter, it’s going to be a madhouse with cat claws in every direction. This Redskins team is going to have to rely on the rushing game of Torain to ease a quarterback into the system, and to relieve the pressure off of him as well. He’s got a tough season ahead of him this year, especially with the uncertainty of this year’s free agency, and an even tougher task of improving on their 6-10 record from last year. So, as this year’s Atlas Award nominee, we salute you, and are prepared to watch you carry this prostrating Skins team to another year without play-off potential.

[Update] This article was written prior to the Redskins trade for Hightower

Who Will Carry the Rock in Washington? Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

NFL Draft: Early Winners and Losers

3 rounds down, 4 to go. For most teams, the real core of their draft hasn’t even really kicked in yet, and deep evaluation wouldn’t be completely fair. Nevertheless, here are my early winners and losers on the first 2 prime time NFL draft nights.

Early Winners:

Washington Redskins: The Redskins are playing the draft game magnificently. They have a terrible history of burning their picks for veteran players that never pan out. The Skins have moved back and forth adding picks and drafting players that fill their needs. Kerrigan should be a great addition to the Redskins defense, he has excellent pursuit and a great jump off the line, a real skill that will help against division rival Mike Vick. Jenkins adds huge size to replace Haynesworth on the defensive line, who looks to be as good as gone. Finally, if you printed out our Mock Draft Cheat Sheet, you would see we had Hankerson ranked quite high. The Miami WR is underrated despite the occasional drops, and should help the Skins add a play-maker they so desperately need. The most amazing part of Washington’s draft, and the reason I have them early winners, is the team still has 10 picks on day 3!

Houston Texans: The Texans have had a smart, patient draft adding important pieces to their defensive puzzle. J.J. Watt will allow Mario Williams to breathe from the constant double coverage. Brooks Reed fits perfectly into the Texans 3-4 linebacker core, adding much needed depth. The idea behind both picks is adding additional size and speed to keep the pressure on opposing quarterbacks, so there is less time to pick apart the secondary. Insert Brandon Harris into the mix as help to cover the slot, and the Texans look stronger on defense already.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints draft grade will drop after tomorrow, as they currently have only two 7th round picks remaining in their 2011 draft. Most of their late round picks were used in moving around early on, still the value of these four players should improve the core of the team drastically. Cameron Jordan can line up almost anywhere for the Saints and make an immediate difference, he is very quick and has superb lower and upper body strength. Mark Ingram will replace Reggie Bush and add size and toughness in the red zone, with Martez Wilson and Johnny Patrick rounding out day 2 with great value picks.

Honorable Mentions:

• Broncos -Solid first two picks, but they have not addressed their defensive line.
• Colts- Adding size to the lines is always a smart way to build through the draft, yet WR and DB help is needed.
• Patriots- The masters of the draft have added a ton of wealth through picks for next year, but reaching on RB’s doesn’t address the LB’s nor does it add extra help to the WR position.

Early Losers (still time to save the draft)

Seattle Seahawks- I’m not sure what the Seahawks strategy is here. Like I had said, the teams with the most late round picks still have a chance to load up on talent and improve their odds of walking away with a great draft class, yet the Seahawks are reaching on offensive guards early and avoiding the top end talent completely. How great do they think these late round players are going to be? The real strength of this years draft is in the core rounds, 2nd and 3rd; Guards are a dime a dozen. Personally I think the Seahawks are completely over thinking their strategy and missing out on real talent. I didn’t even consider their offensive line to be that weak and in need of repair.

Oakland Raiders- Last year the Oakland Raiders earned a lot of respect for their draft class from experts…this year is a different story. The Raiders are in the classic mode of burning the future for got-to-have-it now greed. Oakland added picks by giving up their 2nd round selection next year. The trade was out of pure impulse, not going after a fallen gem. They spent most of the second night haggling with the Patriots without a care to who they even wanted. A trade was made 5-6 spots before they could make a pick, indicating there was nobody they were really after. The Raiders were the addicted gamblers of the draft Friday.

Minnesota Vikings- Ponder was a massive reach, also was there really a need for a tight end?

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Before anything, let me first say Donovan McNabb is not having a great season. McNabb’s QB rating is at it’s lowest since his rookie season, and his ability to grasp this new Redskins offense is arguably another can of worms on it’s own.

At this point in the season, with the Redskins playoff chances completely gone, starting a young prospect quarterback really wouldn’t be the end of the world if McNabb was banged up. Playing prospects in the final weeks of the season in hopes of secretly gaining a high first round draft pick isn’t the worst idea in the world. Yet, Grossman isn’t a high draft pick that people are curious to see, he’s a bum.  The actions that have been taken by Mike Shanahan against his ex-starting quarterback Donovan McNabb are unbelievable. How can any player respect, or trust for that matter, anything this guy says. The list of head-scratching decision making Shanahan has made this season is almost hilarious. It actually is funny to those who can’t stand McNabb, Shannahan or the Redskins, but I digress.

When a team is not playing well, most NFL fans and critics look to one of two problems: the Quarterback or the Head Coach. Everyone has their opinion, but some situations (like this one) are very obvious.

When the Eagles destroyed the Redskins on Monday night football, people blamed McNabb for not being able to move the offense or keep up with their high-powered Philadelphia rival. The birds were scoring at will, yet McNabb was blamed for a terrible Skins defense? The Redskins defense ranks 22nd in points, 32nd in yards, 29th in passing yards and 28th against the run. The Skins defense could easily be called the worst in the league. If Mike Shanahan had built this team around a strong running game and a tough defense, and McNabb was failing to execute, he would have every reason to bail out on the McNabb project.

The truth of the matter is, McNabb has had no running game, nobody to throw to, and zero pass protection. The fact that the Redskins have as many wins as they do should be a surprise. My prediction: Donovan will be released and snatched up by a team that won’t use him as a scapegoat.

[Updated] Sneaky Tricks: Some have speculated that the Redskins benched quarterback Donovan McNabb in order to avoid the upgrading of the fourth-round pick they owe the Eagles in 2011 to a third-rounder along with paying him a large sum of his contract Link

Donovan McNabb: Redskins Punching Bag Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

The Situation: 4th and 10 on Redskins 28 yard line, McNabb sacked. The Redskins turn the ball over on downs. The Lions are held to a field goal after a 3 and out leaving one last chance for the Redskins to take the field and lead a game winning drive down by 6. But, surprisingly McNabb is benched and Rex Grossman comes into the game. Rex turns the ball over on his first snap after being sacked and fumbles. The result was an easy score for the Detroit Lions with N.Suh walking into the endzone.

The Reasoning:  McNabb wasn’t as familiar as Rex Grossman in the two-minute offense.

The Reaction: McNabb looked pissed-off on the sidelines, yet a little smug after the QB changed ended terribly.

Thoughts: Donovan McNabb is a love’m or hate’m type of guy. Those who look for pure results don’t give him the credit he deserves. As stated by Deion Sanders on the NFL Network, his surrounding cast is almost laughable, yet the Redskins are a pretty good team this season. With a cast of pure rookies along with older past-their-prime receiving targets, Donovan McNabb has gone back in time to his days in Philadelphia. There is no running game, his receivers are as good as Todd Pinkston or Reggie Brown and yet the guy does his best, pulls out the odd win and sees all the blame.

In the past, benching McNabb made him a better player. Yet this time, a benching that proved to be unwarranted may turn ugly very fast. McNabb is a professional NFL quarterback and will not create problems in the media. Although, it may be his surrounding cast that does it for him. This Redskins team knows what McNabb can bring to the table, so to bench him for Rex Grossman reflects poorly on Mike Shanahan as a coach.

I think the end result could be Shanahan trying to play clean-up duty using the media.

[Article Updated]

“Cardiovascular Endurance” issues?

Watch this video

Redskins McNabb Benching Backfire Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

Indianapolis Colts Washington Redskins

The Redskins are allowing 298 passing yards per game. Peyton Manning, Austin Collie and Reggie Wayne should be able to expose the holes in this shaky defense and have a great day. Wayne and Collie are the only teammates in the league who currently hold at least 35 receptions each. Last weekend against the Chiefs Joseph Addai was given one of his heavier workloads of the season thus far and was still only able to produce 8 standard points, don’t expect too much out of him against the Skins. Dallas Clark owners do not fret, the All Pro TE should bounce back from his atrocious outing last week with a TD.

Clinton Portis may actually be out for the entire season and soon wind up on the IR. This is good news for those who were able to snatch Ryan Torain off of the wire. The Colts are ranked 29th against the run and have given up 5 TD’s on the ground in 5 games, Torain is looking at a solid match-up this weekend. Donovan McNabb has perform adequately for fantasy owners but Sunday shouldn’t be anything to remarkable, feel comfortable starting him but if you have a better option do not hesitate. And don’t expect too much out of the Skins WR’s, the Colts physical cornerbacks will be able to out-muscle Moss and Armstrong on the outsides; with the exception of Brandon Lloyd’s 169 yard day, the second highest yardage total a WR has hit against them is 75. Look out for Anthony Armstrong, available in 97 percent of leagues.  Many, including some on the NFL network are calling him a “poor man’s DeSean Jackson”, Armstrong is expected to fill the extremely unproductive void left by Devin Thomas.

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Week 6 Fantasy Projections: Colts vs. Redskins Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

Green Bay Packers vs. Washington Redskins

Bring on the fantasy points! This meeting of gunslingers features fantasy elite Aaron Rodgers and sleeper veteran Donovan McNabb. D-Mac has still got a cannon of an arm and will surely need it this week against a Packers team that will exploit a poor Skins secondary. McNabb doesn’t have the receivers he had in Philly, but with Santana Moss being shut down in a tight win last week, the game plan will be focused more on reconnecting the Moss-McNabb combo. Santana Moss is one of our “Start’em” players in week 5.

Both defense’s have holes that will become a problem this week. Injuries will cause substitutes to try and pick up the slack, although you can count on Green Bay’s Clay Matthews and Washington’s Brian Orakpo to create havoc. The key to winning this game may come down to whoever holds the ball last. Both quarterbacks will make mistakes but overall Gridiron Experts see a shoot-out brewing.

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Week 5 Fantasy Projections: Packers vs. Redskins Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

As if it were a nightmare, Philadelphia Eagle fans are mentally preparing themselves for a burgundy and yellow number five to step out of the tunnel and onto the field at Lincoln Financial. This image is an unparalleled scene of horror in the minds of some, while more level headed minds remain indifferent knowing that the decision to send Donovan McNabb to Washington was not his own, it was the organizations and that McNabb would have loved to remain in Philly. However it is that you feel, be primed to see a mix of crowd reaction in Philadelphia, although the majority of the crowd should be happy to see Donovan.

The game is being dubbed Vick vs. McNabb by the media, although neither quarterback sees it as so. Donovan McNabb is a long time friend of Michael Vick (extending before his incident) and has been considered the reason that Vick was initially brought into town.  Now, the starting QB job in Philadelphia is No. 7′s. In Vick’s return to the NFL last season McNabb was instrumental in facilitating Vick’s mental and physical comeback which both players acknowledge make the situation bitter-sweet. “One thing that I wanted to do was give the guy an opportunity, give him a second chance, so many people turned their back on him and talked about the negative side of things. I think before you begin to make assumptions and try to read into anybody, you need to learn a little bit more about him. I think now people are starting to learn more about Mike the person, not just the football player.”

McNabb’s handle on his emotions should have a significant effect on how he plays in this game. It is quite possible that Donovan is not able to keep his emotions in check and tosses one too many errant balls.  However McNabb has thrived his entire career upon the criticism of others, so I wouldn’t put him down for the count too soon. And although play calling has obviously been switched to confuse McNabb from his knowledge of previous offenses and defences, his familiarity with certain packages will go a long way in aiding the Redskins.

Four weeks in, this trade seems to be panning out for both sides. McNabb has thrown for 833 yards, with 2 TDS, 1 INT and has a QB rating of 89.3. While the 37th overall selection in the 2010 draft (traded for McNabb to the Eagles by the Redskins) Nate Allen has been producing.  Allen has started at safety and in 3 games has recorded 11 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions; he has been named the Defensive Player of the Month.

At this point it’s difficult to analyze the long term worth of this trade but the short term impact for this season is much easier to investigate. Simply put, if McNabb and the Redskins come out of the Linc with a victory, the trade was a loss for the Philadelphia Eagles. That not only gives them a division tying 2-2 record, but also the confidence and advantage of knowing the remaining game against Philly is in Washington. McNabb clearly is an asset, one who definitely has more of an impact on any given Sunday than FS Nate Allen. To trade him away within one of the most competitive divisions in all of football is surely a questionable decision, if Nate Allen does not emerge to be one of the better safeties in the game for years to come, than I’m hard pressed to say that Philadelphia got the better end of this deal.

Regardless of the value of the trade, Michael Vick is performing at a career best level in the absence of McNabb and now Kolb. Sunday’s matchup is by far the most anticipated of the day and should likely live up to that hype. Interestingly enough, McNabb has never been in the visiting locker room at the Linc noting that it may be cramped, messy, and generally unorganized, as the Philly staff has never seemed to be too accommodating to the visitors.

McNabb, Redskins vs. Vickadelphia Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

Washington Redskins 1-2 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 2-1

The return of Donovan McNabb.

Lets skip the back story and get right into the fantasy insight. The Eagles are going to send heat at McNabb early and often. They know he has a tendency to hold the ball loose and will try to force a turnover. McNabb does have a slight edge if he can pick up time in the pocket as practice throughout the week all those years as an Eagles QB should give his offensive coordinator a few secrets to work with.

The Redskins are struggling to get the ground game going and that’s not a good thing, especially this week. The Eagles defense has given up big plays this year but looked solid last week in Jacksonville. If Washington wants to move the ball it will have to be with a smart game plan as an all out assault with the passing game will end terribly.

Mike Vick looked great in week 1 against a 3-4 defense on the run, but his skills as a quarterback will be tested. The melt down for the Redskins defense on the road last week in St. Louis should force extra study this week. Overall I don’t think it’s anything that Vick and his speedy receivers can’t handle. I expect a tight game right up until the end. McNabb wants nothing more than showing up his old team and the Redskins would love to help their new leader out. The over under for the this game is 42.

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Week 4 Fantasy Projections: Redskins at Eagles Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born