Football's Fighting Four

The NFL’s NFC East division is without a doubt the most dominant. The four franchises that make up the league’s best allotment are all battle-tested teams. It’s going to get very interesting as we head into the middle of the schedule and the teams go head to head. I am going to break down and do some brief analyzes of the quarterbacks leading each team.
A talent crop of quality quarterbacks characterizes the NFC East. Dallas’ Tony Romo has a sparkling spiral. Eli Manning shines with safeguards surrounding his slight structure. Donovan McNabb shimmers his way to the sidelines in style. Jason Campbell has speed and stamina as a young starter. All four must be healthy in order for their offenses to gel and teams to thrive.
Tony Romo is the Golden Boy in Dallas. Romo sometimes rushes his passes, causing careless miscues. The biggest challenge for Tony is remaining cool and patient. When he takes his time and sets his feet, his showy flickering throws are a thing of beauty. You can see his potential and defenses should be warned of his rocket arm. The Cowboys may be without Felix Jones for several weeks and Tony is also out for at least four. Brad Johnson will take over in the meantime. Johnson is a credible backup quarterback but without Romo, the Cowboys are going to hurt. Jones the ball carrier is a very important piece to the Cowboys offensive puzzle and should not be overlooked. Good defensive teams will take advantage of a meek Dallas offense. The Redskins and Giants are defensive juggernauts. I think Romo will be back in time for the game against New York. That showdown could very well determine who wins the East. The Giants needs to pressure Romo and force him to be immobile and throw sputtering passes. I really was happy the Cowboys picked up Roy Williams. They may have given up too much for the former Detroit WR, but Williams will come up big in Big D for Romo.
Jason Campbell was the catalyst at Auburn and has been very good, not great, for Washington. At times he looks like a serious quarterback, with the skills to throw with variety and creativity. The Redskins do not have as good an offensive unit as the other teams but they aren’t without playmakers. Chris Cooley is the best tight end in the league and Santana Moss has excellent speed. Campbell, however, has suffered from quarterback schizophrenia. You just do not know what Jason you will get from week to week. He is prone to the turnover, although not as much as Romo can be.
Donovan McNabb’s agility render him a very aggressive quarterback. He’s an ideal athlete with a large, strong frame. These are his strengths because pass rushers have a hard time sacking him. McNabb’s experience with applied pressure and in big games will only take his team so far. His body has let him down because he cannot seem to remain on the field at 100 percent. Still, an 85 percent Donovan is better than most quarterbacks in the NFL. It was no problem scoring points against the 49ers last week and the Eagles have outscored their opponents like crazy in the games they’ve won. The real test has come against tougher teams and will be the determining factor when they go up against the NFC East’s bests. Right now, I feel the Eagles are the weakest link in the division. But with the parity in the league, that could all change quickly. The fact Philadelphia might be least likely to win the NFC East may be the most motivating thing going for them.
Eli Manning is not an accurate passer. He can be steady and we know his ability to excel late in games. He’s brought the Giants back many a time since he’s stepped up as their quarterback. Comparisons to his brother are uncalled for, but he does deserve more credit than he’s been given. The guy won a Superbowl MVP a year ago and has a good head on his shoulders. I sometimes have trouble trusting him because he takes risks on a somewhat conservative team. Manning has the best weapons as far as receivers and running backs are concerned. The Eagles’ Brian Westbrook is the best of the runners, but he has not been a factor due to injury this year. Felix Jones and Marion Barber present another great set of back in Dallas. But I like the three-prong attack New York imposes with Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward. Clinton Portis is not the same runner for the Redskins as he was years ago but he can still bring it.
Again, anyway you look at it, the NFC East is the top division. A dogfight to the end is reason enough to watch football this year.


Parting points: I have a feeling USC is going to run the table from here on out. They have an easy schedule and I predict they will be in the national title picture again by years’ end in college football.