This year probably wont be any different. Andy Reid is still one of the top 10 coaches in the league, he just needs to adjust a bit more and break from the game plan if the run is working.  Their keys to 2012 are, have a positive turnover ratio and keep Vick upright  in the pocket. He took a lot of punishment last year. While some of it was due to his running, he seemed to take more hard hits behind the line of scrimmage as opposed to down the field. And if DeSean Jackson can stay focused and Vick can get him the ball enough to keep him happy, combined with Macklin, Celek and the late season emergence of Riley Cooper, look out.  McCoy is extremely dangerous out of the backfield both running and catching the ball. And with good defensive ends and a very good secondary all they need is some solid play from their LB’s and their wide 9 defense could be dominating against a pass happy NFL. Barring them believing the press clipping and shooting themselves in the foot again, the Eagles will be in the hunt for the division title.

The defending Superbowl Champion N.Y. Giants will only be better this year and will be in the hunt for the division title with the Eagles. They have the best Coach and QB in the division. Their receiving Duo of Cruz and Nicks is top notch, and could be the best in the league. Even with the loss of Kareem McKenzie they will still have a good offensive line and have already shored it up with the addition of Locklear and they will get their 2011 draft pick James Brewer back.

Their defense is already better with the emergence of JPP and the return of Terrell Thomas. Keith Rivers could be the answer at LB if he can stay healthy and live up to his pre draft potential. The only real question mark is at the RB position. Where will the replacement for Jacobs come from. It will probably be a combination of what they have and possibly someone from the draft. A legit run at the division is well within reach.

Last year at this time all we heard about was Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. 9 months later all we heard were excuses about why the Cowboys had imploded. Bottom line has been and still is, they are a soft team. Romo is a good QB but seems to fold under the pressure of the big game. They have a good front 7 on defense, but after that it is just a ton of questions. The running game as well as the receiving corp were extremely unpredictable and mostly ineffective. They did have some big plays, but they were inconsistent. The secondary will still be weak and get burned on a regular basis. They still could be a 9-7 team, but with the Giants and Eagles being in double digit wins I believe  Dallas will come up short of the playoffs.

The Washington Redskins will be better than they have been in recent years. With the probable drafting of RG3 they will have an immediate improvement on offense. Unfortunately after Santana Moss and Roy Helu on offense and Brian Orakpo on defense, there is not much else to speak of. Shanahan will probably have this team over achieve in the first part of the season, but  they will come back to earth again down the road. The Redskins will not be much better than 7-9.

While the rest of the football world looks towards the Tebow Brady match-up, The Giants take on the Washington Redskins (4-9) in New Jersey tomorrow at 1:00 Eastern.  The Redskins have struggled this year after a good start due mainly to injuries.  No Giants fan wants to hear about how injuries have affected another team, but the losses by the offensive side of the ball have prevented the Redskins from finding much success this year.

Offense:  The Losses of  WR Santana Moss for a large portion of the season, RB Tim Hightower, and TE Chris Cooley, among others has taken away all the balance of this offense.  When your choices at QB are John Beck and Rex Grossman, losing weapons like the above mentioned names is a killer.  The ‘Skins average only 17.5 points per game and are last in rushing yards at 94.  Rookie Roy Helu has stepped in and done an admirable job replacing HIghtower, and the Giants must concentrate on stopping him both in running situations and out of the backfield.  The Redskins showed last week a myriad of trick plays and mis-directions that will test the discipline of the Giants.  Half back passes, wide receiver passes, throw back screens, and double reverses will all be utilized tomorrow to somehow score enough points to be competitive.

Defense: The strength of this Redskin team is up front on defense.  They have drafted and signed well in this area.  They play a three four with both outside linebackers being very active in the pass rush recording 34 sacks as a team.  The Giants will need to continue their strong work up front and give Eli time to find his receivers downfield.  The ‘Skins placed Safety LaRon Landry on IR this week.  LaRon, who regularly gets flattened by Brandon Jacobs, is their best run stopper from the secondary. The secondary has 9 interceptions on the year and the team has an abysmal -14 turnover ratio.

The Giants will need to play well on offense as has been the norm the past few weeks.  Getting off to a fast start and converting early will go along way in this game.  The defense will need to stay disciplined, stop the run, and let Rex Grossman deal with the pressure from the front four.  These last three games are all extremely important to the Giants, but the two division games against these Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys are MUST wins.  I see Eli continuing his good play and the Giants getting a win here.

If you’re like me and kicking yourself for not picking up Kevin Smith last week, who went on to score 3 touchdowns, then take a look at the following players who should be available in your league to help you out for the playoffs

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