Kansas City Chiefs: 2016 NFL Preview And Predictions

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: 4-12 in 2015 (4th in NFC East)

It would probably be inaccurate to continue calling the Dallas Cowboys “America’s Team”.  Simply put, the Cowboys haven’t been relevant to the NFL for a long time now.  That’s actually kind of surprising given the talent on the roster.  When healthy, the Cowboys should be a juggernaut on offense.  The o-line is probably the best in the league.  Dez Bryant is a beast.  Jason Witten is as solid a tight end as you will find.  Tony Romo can sling the ball all over the field.  Of course, the Cowboys will be without Romo for some time.  Maybe this is “circumcising the mosquito”, but the Cowboys have had a long time to build some depth on this roster to deal with injuries.  However, the team’s leadership has not been able to get it done.  The Cowboys were supposed to be better this year, but losing Romo early puts a cap on that.

Prediction: 6-10 (3rd in NFC East)

New York Giants: 6-10 in 2015 (3rd in NFC East)

The New York Giants have been on a steady downward slope ever since their last Super Bowl victory.  The G-Men gave Tom Coughlin his walking papers this offseason and promoted Ben McAdoo  from Offensive Coordinator.  McAdoo is working with essentially the same football team that Coughlin had, so it will be interesting to see if the results are any different.  From where I’m sitting, I don’t see much change.  This is still an offense built on a big play, deep ball, passing game.  That means the success is largely dependent on keeping quarterback Eli Manning on his feet.  So far this preseason, the offensive line has not looked up to the task.  With very little to offer in the running game, that is a lot of pressure.  The defense is a shell of what it once was, and will still rely on a lot of unproven players and aging veterans.  It’s hard to get excited about their chances.

Prediction: 7-9 (2nd in NFC East)

Philadelphia Eagles: 7-9 in 2015 (2nd in NFC East)

The Philadelphia Eagles had enough of the Chip Kelly experiment and sent him packing this offseason.  In an ironic twist, reinstated General Manager Howie Roseman turned to former Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid’s protege, Doug Pederson as the new Head Coach.  Together, the two have actively gotten rid of the pieces Kelly had assembled, and are trying to build a whole new team.    That process will take a while, but the Eagles are off to a good start with Carson Wentz being drafted early.  Wentz will face a lot of pressure in Philly, but he should get some time to develop before the team feels too much heat from the “Boo Birds”.  Expect a lot of growing pains in 2016 for the Eagles.

Prediction: 3-13 (4th in NFC East)

Washington Redskins: 9-7 in 2015 (1st in NFC East)

Except for the Panthers, there may not have been a more surprising team in 2015 than the Washington Redskins.  Most pundits had thought the team would have to go into a rebuilding mode as very few people took Kirk Cousins seriously.  Flash forward to the end of the year and the Redskins are on top of the division and Cousins is looking good.  You like that?!  The Redskins will be looking to build on their 2015 success and should be considered the favorites to win the NFC East by a long shot.  The question facing this team is whether or not they can hang in the playoffs and make an actual run.  Or is the current success in Washington just the product of a weak NFC East division?

Prediction: 10-6 (1st in NFC East)

Next: NFC North