It Looks Like The Year Of The Blue Star
By Joseph Santoliquito
All the "Dallas Sucks" chants won't make them go away. Neither will a refurbished Eagles' defense, and a new quarterback. Hate them, despise them, wish them a long, agonizing painful death, there's no getting around it: The Dallas Cowboys are the class of the NFC East and quite possibly the best team in the NFC.
Sure, defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans and Green Bay, which the Eagles will see up close and personal this Sunday, will have something to say about that. But right now, with how the NFC East is currently comprised, the Eagles, Giants and Redskins can't touch Big D. It's just too hard to forget the drubbing the Eagles took by a combined pasting of 58-14 the last two games of 2009 against a very stubborn 3-4 Dallas defense. The visage of Donovan McNabb's terrified face is still hard to erase, scrambling away from what seemed like all-day pressure from the Dallas defense.
And you think Kevin Kolb will be able to handle that any differently? Think again.
The Eagles, Giants and Redskins are mere fodder for Dallas, three bugs about to be splattered by the Cowboys on their way to the Super Bowl. Dallas actually has bigger concerns, and that will be getting by New Orleans and Green Bay. Quarterback Tony Romo made a forward step last year in securing his first playoff victory, the hard-to-swallow 34-14 thumping he gave the Eagles. Granted, Romo is still 1-3 as a playoff starter, but the Cowboys may not have to solely rely on Romo to carry them.
Defense could be the hallmark of the Cowboys this season. They're punishing, opportunistic (Dallas forced four turnovers in the playoff game), and the Eagles don't seem to have an answer against their 3-4.
Prepare to drop your hate bag when it comes to Big D. Face facts: The Cowboys presently have a better team than the Eagles and everyone else who resides in the NFC East. But a year from now ... and two years from now, that could be quite different. This year, Eagles' fans, keep the Maalox close by on February 6, 2011. It looks like a Dallas jamboree, featuring the Cowboys, hosted by the Cowboys in Cowboys' Stadium.
So here are my fearless predictions for this coming NFL season:
NFC East
Dallas 12-4
Eagles 9-7
Giants 9-7
Redskins 6-10
NFC East champions: Dallas Cowboys
NFC East champions: Dallas Cowboys
NFC North champions: Green Bay Packers
NFC South champions: New Orleans Saints
NFC West champions: Arizona Cardinals
NFC Wild Card: Minnesota Vikings
NFC Wild Card: Atlanta Falcons
AFC East champions: New York Jets
AFC North champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South champions: Indianapolis Colts
AFC West champions: San Diego Chargers
AFC Wild Card: Tennessee Titans
AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens
NFC Final: Dallas over New Orleans
AFC Final: New York Jets over Indianapolis
Super Bowl: Dallas Cowboys 27, New York Jets 21
