Giants: by Brian Abate
After a few miserable seasons of refusing to commit to a rebuild but losing anyway, the Giants finally decided to commit to a rebuild last season. Daniel Jones had an encouraging rookie season but struggled with ball security and led the league in fumbles. New York also lacked the depth to overcome injuries to key players, including Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram. Corey Coleman also missed the entire season because of a torn ACL. They signed running back Dion Lewis, who will compete with Wayne Gallman to become Barkley’s backup. While all of those players are expected to return, the Giants have to address their biggest problem on offense: a dreadful offensive line. They signed Cam Fleming, a backup with the Cowboys last season, to a deal. The Cowboys had one of the best offensive lines in the league and Fleming is a low-risk signing who could pay off for the Giants. They will likely also address the offensive line at some point in the draft.
The team’s biggest problem on defense last year was their inability to get to opposing quarterbacks. So far, the Giants have yet to re-sign their best pass rusher, Markus Golden, who had 10 sacks. They did re-sign Leonard Williams but he managed just 0.5 sacks in 15 games. One position that should improve from last season is linebacker. Standout rookie Ryan Connelly tore his ACL early in the season. He is expected to be ready by next season. The Giants also signed Blake Martinez. Both are expected to start. The team also re-signed David Mayo, who played well after he stepped in for Connelly last season. The Giants also signed cornerback James Bradberry to lead a young group of defensive backs including Deandre Baker and Julian Love who showed promise as rookies last season.
Over/Under Prediction: The Giants O/U is set at 6 this season. New York finished with just four wins last season but new signings and getting key players back from injury should help the team improve. Still, the Giants have not done enough to address their biggest problems. They lack edge pass rushers and may lose their best player at the position in Golden. They also have not addressed the issues with their offensive line other than signing Fleming. That combined with Jones’ issues holding on to the ball is a recipe for disaster. Look for the Giants to try to address these areas in the draft but they would have to rely heavily on rookie if they don’t make any more moves in free agency. It will likely be another long season for the Giants
Prediction: Push (6 wins)
Redskins: by Gianluca Colageo Milea
Four score and seven years ago, the Washington Redskins made the playoffs (or at least that’s what it feels like). The Redskins have continually lacked stability at the quarterback and head coaching positions. The franchise hopes to change the trend with the current duo of the young Ohio State product Dwayne Haskins and former Carolina Panthers’ HC (Riverboat) Ron Rivera. Rivera has signed a couple of his former players including the likes of Kyle Allan and Thomas Davis. While Davis is transitioning into more of a mentor/locker room presence as the 37 year old prepares for retirement, Kyle Allen could be a large part of the future of the franchise. Allen was presumably brought in to compete with 2nd year pro Dwayne Haskins for the starting job. Allen showed flashes last year as he stepped in for the injured Cam Newton, winning 5 of his first 6 starts, throwing 9 TDs and 4 INTs during that stretch. Allen would go on to lose his next 7 games and would be ultimately unsuccessful in convincing the Panthers’ front office that he was the franchise quarterback that they were ready to commit to, as they signed Teddy Bridgewater this offseason. The Redskins were also able to sign J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber which should help with the presumed departure of 3rd down back Chris Thompson. The team however still has a lot of holes. The offensive line is abysmal, and made it very difficult for Dwayne Haskins to find his footing in the NFL last season. All signs are pointing towards the Redskins drafting Chase Young with the second pick which will definitely help the pass rush. Overall, the team has some young pieces and will most likely continue to stockpile good draft picks for the next few years as they finish at the bottom of the division.
Over/Under Prediction: The Redskins O/U is set at 5 this season. Barring the signing of a big name free agent I would look for them to finish the season under 5 wins. The team is coming off of a 3 win year and will play the AFC North and NFC West this year. It will be very difficult for them to match up with the Ravens, Steelers, 49ers and Seahawks. Also, the Cardinals, Browns, and Bengals all present different and new challenges with the signings of Deandre Hopkins, Kevin Stefanski, and (eventually) Joe Burrow. While it will be fun to watch Chase Young adapt to being a dominant presence in the NFL, I would not expect much this season from the Washington Redskins.
Prediction: Under
Cowboys: by Gianluca Colageo Milea
Big things are expected out of Jerry’s World every year and the team seems to fall short… every year. Not to sound like Stephen A. Smith, but the lofty Superbowl expectations for the Cowboys need to stop. The team tagged Dak Prescott, gave Amari Cooper a 5yr/ $100mil contract and signed Blake Jarwin for 3yr/ $24.25 mil in an effort to solidify the tight end spot with the departure of Jason Witten. The secondary needs a lot of help, Jerry went out and signed safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and cornerback Anthony Brown to complement Chidobe Awuzie. One of the biggest blows to the team was the retirement of All-Pro Center, Travis Frederick. The Cowboys will need to sure up this position quickly as they resume offseason workouts following the Coronavirus league mandated shut down. The adjustment to a new center will be challenging for Dak as he also transitions to a new playbook. Mike McCarthy could be the piece the Cowboys were missing all along. He has proved to be a brilliant offensive minded head coach in this league and enters a situation with a plethora of weapons. Many people argued that Jason Garrett was holding the team back, it will be very interesting to see how Dak, Zeke and the rest of the team respond to the changes in leadership.
Over/Under Prediction: The Cowboys O/U is set at 9.5 this season. Once again, I am going to have to go with the under here. It is very tempting to select the over with an offense featuring Dak, Zeke and Amari Cooper. The Mike McCarthy hiring will definitely bring a much needed change of pace to the team and provide for a more than electric offense. I am just not convinced that the defense is there to cement the Cowboys as one of the league’s top teams. While they do play in one of the worst divisions in football, I would not sharpie the Cowboys in as a lock for any matchup. The team really struggled against good competition this past year and was not able to win a division that was entirely up for grabs. They will have to overcome stringent competition to surpass 9.5 wins against the AFC North and NFC West this upcoming season.
Prediction: Under
Eagles: by Chris DiGeronimo
The Eagles were probably the best of the worst in 2019, as they were able to win the seemingly unwinnable NFC East. The injury bug hit the Eagles hard, forcing them to play 3rd and 4th string backups on a weekly basis. The good thing is history will probably not repeat itself in 2020. The Eagles have made some solid offseason moves that have added some depth to positions, while also making a splash on the trade market. The birds acquired Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions for a third- round pick and a fifth- round pick. The two sides were also able to agree on a three-year, $50 million extension with $30 million guaranteed. This move adds a number one corner to an average defense, which will definitely help the big guys up front. Slay was probably the biggest addition to the roster, but they added some pieces that will add to their defensive depth. Philadelphia added safeties Jalen Mills,Will Parks, and Rodney McLeod to a two year and one year deals respectively. They also added NT Javon Hargrave to a three-year, $39 million deal that includes $26 million fully guaranteed. Overall, the Eagles made some solid offseason moves, and it will be interesting to see how these pieces fit into Jim Schwartz’s defense.
Over/Under Prediction: The Eagles O/U is set at 9.5. I believe the Eagles will reach 11 wins and grab the over, but there are a lot of factors that are going to play into their win total in 2020. The first factor is the play and health of Carson Wentz. If he is able to return to 2018 first half form, they would be in the Superbowl conversation, but that probably isn’t realistic. If they are able to get 70%-75% of 2018 Wentz and he remains healthy, they should be okay offensively. Another factor is the health of Alshon Jeffery and Desean Jackson. Both receivers missed six and 14 games respectively last season, and that can’t happen again in 2020. If they can both stay healthy for more than 10 games that just adds another dynamic that cannot be duplicated by any other receivers on the roster. Another player that needs to return to 2018 form would have to be Zach Ertz. Ertz had a historic 2018 which led to a disappointing 2019 that was riddled with unrealistic expectations. With the pressure virtually off him to repeat those numbers, he should return to the reliable pair of hands we all know and love. Players like Dallas Godert will also play a factor as another weapon for Wentz to use. Overall, if everyone stays healthy and is on the same page, the Eagles shouldn't have a problem repeating as NFC East champions.
Prediction: Over
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