Are Giants NFC East favorites?
The Eagles have received much of the league-wide buzz in recent weeks, but should the Giants be considered the favorites in the NFC East?
That's the argument made by KC Joyner of ESPN.com. In an "Insider" piece, Joyner points out eight reasons why the Giants should have the edge. He calls Michael Vick the luckiest quarterback in the league in 2010:
One of the reasons Philadelphia won the NFC East in 2010 is that Vick had a near-MVP campaign, but the fact is he benefited from more luck than maybe any other quarterback in the league.
He had only 19.4 percent of his potential interceptions turn into actual interceptions. That total was tied for the lowest interception luck factor rate in the league and indicates he was a huge beneficiary of fortunate bounces.
Joyner also argues that Eli Manning, who threw 25 interceptions in 2010, is nowhere near as bad as the numbers suggest.
At wide receiver, he calls Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham better "matchup busters" than DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.
And Joyner thinks New York has the edge at running back also:
The Eagles may have rushed for more yards than the Giants last season but the figures show that the Giants runners are actually appreciably better than Philadelphia's when given good blocking situations.
Philly has an edge in running back pass production, but it isn't enough to give them an overall edge. At the very least, this is a push and since the Giants have two quality ballcarriers versus the Eagles one, it could be said that they have a deeper and therefore stronger backfield pairing.
The Giants and Eagles both finished 10-6 last season, but the Birds won the division and New York missed out on the playoffs.
According to Bodog.com, the Eagles are 8/1 to win the Super Bowl, and the Giants are 25/1. The Birds' over/under for wins is 10.5, and the Giants' is 9.5.
Meanwhile, Gregg Rosenthal of NBCSports.com doesn't think the Eagles are the favorites in the NFC:
This isn't the NBA; a couple players don't necessarily put you over the top. The Eagles know better than anyone that their pickups are only a small piece of the complex, ever-surprising puzzle that is an NFL season.
The players that were on the Eagles last year (hello, Mr. Vick) will make a far bigger difference. The Eagles have a shot. A lot of teams have a shot.
If offseason headlines translated to wins, Redskins owner Dan Snyder would be drowning in Lombardi trophies.
If you missed it earlier Thursay, I posted 10 questions on the Eagles' roster.
And join me tonight at 8 p.m. for a live chat when the Birds take on the Steelers.
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