The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Hello everyone,

According to Brian Baldinger and Steve Wyche the NFC East is the most overrated division in football. They also picked the Redskins at #3 in the division behind the Eagles and Giants. This was from this morning...

I have to admit, I am a bit uncertain about our chances in game one Monday night against the Eagles. RG is considered "healthy" but might be a bit rusty and the Eagles offence under Chip Kelly is an unknown at this point.

Thoughts?

I think Brian Baldinger should get a clue. We clearly have the most talented team in the division. Oh, Baldinger should also get that hideous pinky of his hacked off.

where, exactly, did these two sages have the Skins finishing last guess?
Dead last? 3, maybe 4 wins at best? If either of these clowns had picked us to win the East then I might at least care what they had to say. A good track record goes a long way in establishing credibility. We have continuity with most of our starters returning. The O has been efficient regardless of the QB. The D has been generating good pressure. Griffin was less than 100% for a good stretch of last season and still shredded opposing defenses. We may start slow while RGIII shakes off the dust, but I rather doubt it will take him more than a series or two. If they can avoid being gutted by injuries, this Team has the potential to win any day against any team. Probably won't win them all, probably will win the division. As far as the relative strength of the NFCE is concerned, the iGnats have claimed a couple of Lombardis recently, so certainly are credible. The Cowpies are always favored to win the whole shebang.( I never know why, but certainly that must make them credible). The Iggles are an unknown right now, but have been pretty sad lately. Maybe they've been bad enough to weigh down the average for the whole division?

HarleyHog wrote:where, exactly, did these two sages have the Skins finishing last guess?
Dead last? 3, maybe 4 wins at best? If either of these clowns had picked us to win the East then I might at least care what they had to say. A good track record goes a long way in establishing credibility. We have continuity with most of our starters returning. The O has been efficient regardless of the QB. The D has been generating good pressure. Griffin was less than 100% for a good stretch of last season and still shredded opposing defenses. We may start slow while RGIII shakes off the dust, but I rather doubt it will take him more than a series or two. If they can avoid being gutted by injuries, this Team has the potential to win any day against any team. Probably won't win them all, probably will win the division. As far as the relative strength of the NFCE is concerned, the iGnats have claimed a couple of Lombardis recently, so certainly are credible. The Cowpies are always favored to win the whole shebang.( I never know why, but certainly that must make them credible). The Iggles are an unknown right now, but have been pretty sad lately. Maybe they've been bad enough to weigh down the average for the whole division?

I agree with you. This was on NFL AM this morning. Baldinger is hyping the eagles for some reason. Kreigle and ED were the only one's that had anything positive to say. Jim Hasslet and the defensive secondary always concern me. I have never been a big Hasslet fan. Other than that, I think we have a solid team barring injuries.

Baldy hypes the Eagles because he is a Philly guy. He lives near Philly, has a local radio show on 97.5 the Fanatic and is a constant Eagles homer. He speaks so authoritatively about everything but knows very little. I used to (until two months ago) live in Philly and he used to frustrate me to death until I learned to just tune him out. He is like Howard Eskin and a couple others there - they have nothing to say. There are others in that media that understand the game better and they all look at the Redskins as the team to beat and think the Eagles are lucky to get 7 wins.

I was worried about the Eagles game a couple weeks ago. But Robert seems to have that "something special" that the greats like Michael Jordan. My feeling is that he may need a series or two but the Redskins will roll the Eagles and it will be a wake up call to the league that last year was no fluke and it will cause widespread panic in Philly about the Kelly regime.

Hail fm. Welcome to the board. You'll like it here I'm sure. As for your OP, I stopped listening to the "experts" years ago. Each year the media scrutiny gets ratcheted up another notch, so these talking heads are forced to come up with even more to say about everything. Most of the time it sounds parroted and so scripted I wonder how much of what they said was their actual thoughts; be willing to bet very little if any of these opinions are theirs.

This is entirely gut-feeling, but I for one can't remember the last time I looked forward to a season with as much excitement as I do this one. I've been a fan my entire life, from the OTHG to now, and the years since the '91 title over Buffalo have been mostly painful, occasionally stirring...but never weighted with potential. Until now that is. I know there are so many what-ifs, and a lot of things have to go right for the B & G to get their 4th Lombardi, BU-UUT...it could happen.

Forgot how good that feels, to truly believe my 'Skins have the tools to go all the way. That's my "expert" opinion, lol. It, like those you referenced, are exactly the same in that each of them plus a dollar will get you a decent cup of coffee at any AM-PM in town.

See ya out there.

I can see why someone might think the NFC East is overrated: Everyone always thinks the Cowboys and Giants will do better than they actually do — the Cowboys especially. And then everyone is either in love with or intrigued by Kelly and his new scheme.

I've seen more mainstream analysts pick the Eagles than the Skins to win the division, which is strange. If you just go by talent the Eagles are not looking poised to win much of anything this year: their offensive line is questionable at best and their defense is going to struggle. Vick simply isn't a top-tier quarterback, and the QBs behind him won't do squat.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years the Redskins actually look deep at almost every position (except at safety) and even have emerging stars in several crucial positions. We are the safer pick by any reasonable estimate.

Irn-Bru wrote:I can see why someone might think the NFC East is overrated: Everyone always thinks the Cowboys and Giants will do better than they actually do — the Cowboys especially. And then everyone is either in love with or intrigued by Kelly and his new scheme.

I've seen more mainstream analysts pick the Eagles than the Skins to win the division, which is strange. If you just go by talent the Eagles are not looking poised to win much of anything this year: their offensive line is questionable at best and their defense is going to struggle. Vick simply isn't a top-tier quarterback, and the QBs behind him won't do squat.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years the Redskins actually look deep at almost every position (except at safety) and even have emerging stars in several crucial positions. We are the safer pick by any reasonable estimate.

I always laugh at the "experts". How many years have they predicted the Cowboys to win the division, the Super Bowl? How many years have we listened to them chant the Cowboys mantra?....Wet their pants over Romo the great?

How many years have the Cowboys delivered?....0.... How many playoff games have they won recently?....0.... In fact, how many playoff games have they been in recently?....0....How often have the "Experts" been right?....0.... Chances the "experts" will be right anytime soon? ....0....Number of idiots that believe they are experts....Pick the number of idiots on NFL Network....That includes Casserly too.

Juggernaut!

I don't buy that. It would be fun, and great for Philly, if Chip Kelly can bring his Oregon offense to the NFL, but the Eagles don't have a good defense. The Cowboys have Romo at QB and the owner thinks he is a GM. They will be mediocre at best. I don't think the G-Men are as mighty as they use to be. The Redskins definitely have a window of opportunity to enjoy some success. That of course is dependent on Bob3's knee, but two major knee surgeries in three years doesn't bode well for being around too long.

While there are some who have gotten a little carried away with expectations, I think I speak for the board when I say it's nice just to be taken serious for a change. It's been a long twenty years.

Hey... what's up, fellas? Really excited about the upcoming season.

Irn-Bru wrote:Meanwhile, for the first time in years the Redskins actually look deep at almost every position (except at safety) and even have emerging stars in several crucial positions. We are the safer pick by any reasonable estimate.

Completely agree. I believe depth and continuity are the key factors to success.

Whether or not the NFCE is overrated when compared with every division in the entire league, I'll leave that subjective debate to others. But picking the Skins to finish the 2013 season 3rd or 4th in the division is a head-scratcher. I agree with others regarding the Cowboys always being picked every year to reach the Super Bowl and, the Giants run of Super Bowl victories in the recent past makes them a safe pick. But judging from the current landscape within the division, I'm stunned any so-called expert would pick the Skins to finish the year behind the rest. The Skins have the most continuity and, from what we witnessed in this preseason, appear to have solid depth on both sides of the ball.

Giants - The Giants are struggling on offense, limited up front and a lack of talent and depth at RB. In fact, their offensive struggles have been defined as "scary." Defensively for the Giants, it’s almost easy to forget "the Giants ranked 28th against the pass and 25th against the run in 2012, or that the 383.4 yards per game they yielded was worse than every team in the league except New Orleans. When the Giants lost three out of four to open December and torch their playoff hopes, they gave up an average of 421 yards and nearly 28 points per game. They Giants statistically had the second-worst defense in the league."

Further, the Giants have lost Osi Umenyiora and Kenny Phillips to free agency and are currently without their best defensive play makers in Jason Pierre-Paul and S Stevie Brown, both out with injuries. The Giants are also going into this season without their 3 starting LB's from last year.
In their place "is a questionable combination of untested young players (Mark Herzlich, Spencer Paysinger, Jacquian Williams), inexpensive free agents (Dan Connor, Kyle Bosworth), and injury-prone veterans (Aaron Curry, Keith Rivers). And behind them is a secondary, minus departed safety Kenny Phillips, that formed the backbone of the 28th-ranked pass defense last year."

Cowboys - Jason Garrett has been stripped of his play-calling duties. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan will now call the plays this season. (a head-scratcher considering Callihan's horrible record with the Raiders and at Nebraska.) Tony Romo has now been given carte blanche control in weekly game planning. The Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator and are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense with questionable position players to fill the new roles on defense.

Philly - Well, it's a complete unknown. But we Redskins fans are well aware of what happened the last time a high profile college coach with a high profile college offensive scheme came into the NFL. While it's true that defensive coordinators around the league don't have tape to study of the system Chip Kelly plans to use this year, it's also true that Chip Kelly's 'new scheme' is untested at the NFL level and therefore no one has any idea how successful it may or may not be. The Eagles have some decent skill players on offense, but have no depth behind them. The Eagles are also rebuilding their defense with a new defensive coordinator and are also switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 with questionable personnel. Their run defense has been horrible and their pass defense not much better. We all know it takes time when switching defensive schemes.

Every other team in the division lacks continuity on one or both sides of the ball and has injury/depth problems. So, as I see it, the Skins are entering the season with the most continuity on both sides of the ball and appear to have solid depth all the way around. Those two factors alone make them a more desirable pick within the division in my book.

aswas71788 wrote:

Irn-Bru wrote:I can see why someone might think the NFC East is overrated: Everyone always thinks the Cowboys and Giants will do better than they actually do — the Cowboys especially. And then everyone is either in love with or intrigued by Kelly and his new scheme.

I've seen more mainstream analysts pick the Eagles than the Skins to win the division, which is strange. If you just go by talent the Eagles are not looking poised to win much of anything this year: their offensive line is questionable at best and their defense is going to struggle. Vick simply isn't a top-tier quarterback, and the QBs behind him won't do squat.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years the Redskins actually look deep at almost every position (except at safety) and even have emerging stars in several crucial positions. We are the safer pick by any reasonable estimate.

I always laugh at the "experts". How many years have they predicted the Cowboys to win the division, the Super Bowl? How many years have we listened to them chant the Cowboys mantra?....Wet their pants over Romo the great?

How many years have the Cowboys delivered?....0.... How many playoff games have they won recently?....0.... In fact, how many playoff games have they been in recently?....0....How often have the "Experts" been right?....0.... Chances the "experts" will be right anytime soon? ....0....Number of idiots that believe they are experts....Pick the number of idiots on NFL Network....That includes Casserly too.

ex=has been
spurt=high pressure drip

Baldinger is the worst. Broadcast C team that we were saddled with for every game for years when we sucked. Screw that guy.

fm330 wrote:Hello everyone,

According to Brian Baldinger and Steve Wyche the NFC East is the most overrated division in football. They also picked the Redskins at #3 in the division behind the Eagles and Giants. This was from this morning...

I have to admit, I am a bit uncertain about our chances in game one Monday night against the Eagles. RG is considered "healthy" but might be a bit rusty and the Eagles offence under Chip Kelly is an unknown at this point.

Thoughts?

The NFC East is NOT the most overrated division in the NFL

The Redskins are the defending NFC East champions and until the other teams can show they are better they will remain that ...

I have to admit to being very excited to see RG3 show that he is still one of the best QBs in the NFL at this time

back at ya

Looking around the NFL, I know why people think the NFCE is the most overrated - it's because it's the most talked about. When you have storied franchises like the Redskins and RG3, the Giants who have won 2 Super Bowls over the past 6 years, the Eagles who were one of the most dominant teams over a ten year span in the 2000s, and the Cowboys who are always in the headlines win, lose, or draw.

However, I don't see the media as a whole calling the East the most dominant. It is however, in my opinion, the most competitive from top to bottom. There is no over rating that.

...

As far as ranking the Redskins 3rd in the division this year, it's anyone's guess. If the Redskins fall to 8-8 or even 9-7, it's possible that they do finish 3rd in the division. As good as we feel about the this year's team, there are still plenty of questions/concerns where we can't be absolutely certain about anything.

If anything I think the NFCE is UNDER rated! Most media talk about the East as being a bad division personally I think it is one of the best. You can make a case it is currently the best in the NFC. Sure the NFCW has two really good teams, but the CHawks aren't any better than the Skins (reguardless of them being assumed to be great) and I'm not sure they are any better than the Gints or Cowgirls.

The Niners are the class of the NFC, but the Lams and Folding Cards aren't better than the EGirls.

The NFCC has the Packer and that's it. The Bears, Vikings, and Lions are average and Would any of them be favored over the Skins, Gints, or tTiT?

The NFCS... Worst in the conference. Sure the Falcons are good and the Saints may be good, but the Panthers and Bucs will be picking in the top ten of the draft next year.

The AFCW... Denver and that's it.

The AFCS... Houston and thats it (unless you count the worst team in the NFL (Jags))

The AFCN... Who knows what BMore will be but they wiil be in the playoffs just like evry year under Flaco/Harbaugh, the Stiller ???, the Browns are going to compete with the Jags for that top spot in the draft, and the Bungles should be the class of the division but does anyone really want to put much money on that.

The AFCE belongs to the Pats (even though Brady has NO ONE to throw the ball to). After that, the rest of the teams make that division the worst in the NFL!

^^ - I agree that the NFCE is going to be tough - I don't know about the eagles but I do think that any of the other 3 could win the division

I like the Redskins to win this again though I do see some tough divisional games

I second both skinsfan and SJ's comments. The NFCE is certainly nowhere near it's glory days of the 80's and 90s, when every team except the Cardinals was a force to be reckoned with, but I think top to bottom it's still the deepest in the NFC. The days of the "Beast" were years of unprecedented dominance however. It was almost like the teams in the East were FBS and the teams in the other divisions, 49'ers aside, were FCS...

I would even go so far as to wonder if maybe one or even two SB's weren't left on the table for either us, the Giants or Cowboys if for no other reason than the physical toll of not ONE but TWO games against diivisional rivals who were equally formidable took too much out of each unit for it to go deep in the playoffs.


What say you to that, gents? Possible, or merely highly speculative?

BigRedskinDaddy wrote:I second both skinsfan and SJ's comments. The NFCE is certainly nowhere near it's glory days of the 80's and 90s, when every team except the Cardinals was a force to be reckoned with, but I think top to bottom it's still the deepest in the NFC. The days of the "Beast" were years of unprecedented dominance however. It was almost like the teams in the East were FBS and the teams in the other divisions, 49'ers aside, were FCS...

I would even go so far as to wonder if maybe one or even two SB's weren't left on the table for either us, the Giants or Cowboys if for no other reason than the physical toll of not ONE but TWO games against diivisional rivals who were equally formidable took too much out of each unit for it to go deep in the playoffs.


What say you to that, gents? Possible, or merely highly speculative?

Oh, I 100% agree that the NFCE is a shadow of what it once was but so is the entire NFL. No division will ever be that dominant again. And yes I do believe that because we beet up on each other our teams were worn down by the time we faced teams like the 49er (who always had a cake walk playing in the worst division in football in the 80's).

skinsfan#33 wrote:

BigRedskinDaddy wrote:I second both skinsfan and SJ's comments. The NFCE is certainly nowhere near it's glory days of the 80's and 90s, when every team except the Cardinals was a force to be reckoned with, but I think top to bottom it's still the deepest in the NFC. The days of the "Beast" were years of unprecedented dominance however. It was almost like the teams in the East were FBS and the teams in the other divisions, 49'ers aside, were FCS...

I would even go so far as to wonder if maybe one or even two SB's weren't left on the table for either us, the Giants or Cowboys if for no other reason than the physical toll of not ONE but TWO games against diivisional rivals who were equally formidable took too much out of each unit for it to go deep in the playoffs.


What say you to that, gents? Possible, or merely highly speculative?

Oh, I 100% agree that the NFCE is a shadow of what it once was but so is the entire NFL. No division will ever be that dominant again. And yes I do believe that because we beet up on each other our teams were worn down by the time we faced teams like the 49er (who always had a cake walk playing in the worst division in football in the 80's).

Which is why the Skinsare the "real" team of the eighties. The 49ers got the Falcons, the Aints, and the old Rams twice a year and a guaranteed playoff birth. If the Skins had been in that division, we might have won five or six times.

Deadskins wrote:

skinsfan#33 wrote:

BigRedskinDaddy wrote:I second both skinsfan and SJ's comments. The NFCE is certainly nowhere near it's glory days of the 80's and 90s, when every team except the Cardinals was a force to be reckoned with, but I think top to bottom it's still the deepest in the NFC. The days of the "Beast" were years of unprecedented dominance however. It was almost like the teams in the East were FBS and the teams in the other divisions, 49'ers aside, were FCS...

I would even go so far as to wonder if maybe one or even two SB's weren't left on the table for either us, the Giants or Cowboys if for no other reason than the physical toll of not ONE but TWO games against diivisional rivals who were equally formidable took too much out of each unit for it to go deep in the playoffs.


What say you to that, gents? Possible, or merely highly speculative?

Oh, I 100% agree that the NFCE is a shadow of what it once was but so is the entire NFL. No division will ever be that dominant again. And yes I do believe that because we beet up on each other our teams were worn down by the time we faced teams like the 49er (who always had a cake walk playing in the worst division in football in the 80's).

Which is why the Skinsare the "real" team of the eighties. The 49ers got the Falcons, the Aints, and the old Rams twice a year and a guaranteed playoff birth. If the Skins had been in that division, we might have won five or six times.

Gibbs>Walsh Walsh.
Had Gibbs had a HoF QB or two, how many more SBs would he have won, even in the NFCE.

Irn-Bru wrote:I can see why someone might think the NFC East is overrated: Everyone always thinks the Cowboys and Giants will do better than they actually do — the Cowboys especially. And then everyone is either in love with or intrigued by Kelly and his new scheme.

I've seen more mainstream analysts pick the Eagles than the Skins to win the division, which is strange. If you just go by talent the Eagles are not looking poised to win much of anything this year: their offensive line is questionable at best and their defense is going to struggle. Vick simply isn't a top-tier quarterback, and the QBs behind him won't do squat.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years the Redskins actually look deep at almost every position (except at safety) and even have emerging stars in several crucial positions. We are the safer pick by any reasonable estimate.

I agree, but believe the Cowboys and Eagles generally underperform. The NYGs have won a couple SBs recently. Add the fact we have only had a couple good seasons over the past 20 years and I think people that don't look further would say the division is overrated.

Now, why we would be ranked 3rd baffles me. We have only gotten better and healthier since last year's 10-6 season.

Then again, the mainstream media LOVES a new shiny toy. They love new coaches and FAs --- when they rarely work out in their first season. The media used to rate us high after our grand "off-season champs" years. They don't understand the game well enough to know better.

This division is the most tough one in the whole conference, IMO. Since 2004, no team in the division has won the title back to back years. And from 09 to last year, every team in the division won the title (Dallas, Philly, NY, Us). How does that make an "overrated division"? If anything, the teams in the division are overrated (Cowpukes the most by far) but the division itself is one of the toughest.

yawns who cares what they think..

you know what they say about opinions.