IS GLAD SPRING TRAINING IS FINALLY HERE
The Daily News will offer its staff predictions for the Eagles and the NFL season in tomorrow's editions. Here are Les Bowen's picks:
NFC East
1. Cowboys 11-5
2. Eagles 9-7
3. Giants 9-7
4. Redskins 6-10
NFC North
1. Packers 13-3
2. Vikings 10-6
3. Bears 7-9
4. Lions 7-9
NFC South
1. Saints 11-5
2. Falcons 10-6
3. Panthers 7-9
4. Bucs 2-14
NFC West
1. 49ers 9-7
2. Cardinals 6-10
3. Seahawks 6-10
4. Rams 5-11
AFC East
1. Jets 10-6
2. Patriots 9-7
3. Dolphins 8-8
4. Bills 5-11
AFC North
1. Ravens 12-4
2. Bengals 11-5
3. Steelers 9-7
4. Browns 5-11
AFC South
1. Colts 11-5
2. Texans 10-6
3. Titans 9-7
4. Jaguars 4-12
AFC West
1. Chargers 11-5
2. Raiders 9-7
3. Broncos 7-9
4. Chiefs 6-10
NFC Wild Cards: Vikings, Falcons
AFC Wild Cards: Texans, Bengals
NFC title game: Packers over Saints
AFC title game: Texans over Colts
Super Bowl: Packers over Texans
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Coach of the year: Gary Kubiak, Texans
Top Rookie: Ryan Mathews, Chargers
**
A few other tidbits to pass along:
* Some people question the way Andy Reid conducts his press conferences, but he certainly is more engaging than the Giants' Tom Coughlin. Here is how Coughlin began his meeting with the media today: "Good morning. What can I do for you? Practice is in five minutes." At least he said good morning.
Coughlin was asked about the status of Shawn Andrews during his session. "He’s coming, he’s coming. We have lengthened him out each time we’ve worked him. We feel like he’s getting there and he’ll have to contribute." Coughlin said Andrews is still working on learning the plays and getting into football shape.
* Down in Washington, the Redskins have adopted two themes, at least their marketing department has, heading into their Week 1 game with Dallas. The Redskins are hosting a daylong “Beat Dallas” Party and a “Return to the Glory” Party. "Return to the Glory" seems like something that will be a theme down there all season, capitalizing on new coach Mike Shanahan and new QB Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia is another team like Baltimore and the Jets that has a stout run defense but struggles to bring pressure with the line. Unlike the Ravens and Jets, the Eagles’ pass rush is largely a one-man band, with Trent Cole bringing an elite level of individual pass rush but the rest of the group not following his lead. Inside, Brodrick Bunkley provides strong run defense and the Eagles will hope for slightly more from Mike Patterson next to him, but there is next to no interior pressure forthcoming (28th-ranked interior pass rush). Jim Johnson-inspired blitz packages ensure the pressure gets there but the base pass rush is average. However, as long as these teams continue to make the playoffs, the lack of base pass rush may not be viewed as their most pressing need.
Of the five teams ranked ahead of the Eagles, two of them are in the division, with Dallas at No. 1 and Washington at No. 5.
*
To read our reports from earlier today, click here.
Les
Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News
since 2002.
Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les
only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no
penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite
what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News
from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much
lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their
two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with the paper covering the
Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a
selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre
and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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