My first FanPost on MHR.  I've been doing an email thing called Brad's NFL Picks since 2000.  I do a preview of each game and predict the winner.  I've been about 64% accurate.  In August, I've done a prevue for each conference.  Here's what I sent out on August 4 for the NFC East: (I haven't been able to get this thing to stop getting rid of my indents and paragraphing - sorry about that).

So, here we are in August, and there's already been a pre-season game, so let's take a look at this year's version of the National Football League - NFC East:

NFC EAST:  NFC East will play the NFC West and the AFC North.   

DALLAS COWBOYS   Cowboys were 13-3 last year but lost in Dallas 21-17 in the playoffs to the Giants.  'Boys also get to play the Bucs and at Green Bay.      So, the 'Boys had a great year in 07, until the last game.  Which was close (they held the Giants to just 52 total yards in the second half), but it was the Giants' year.  'Boys feel like this will be The Year, since they return most of their key players from last year, and added Adam 'Pacman' Jones, the suspended corner who last played for the Titans.  Jones is very talented, and did a great job returning kicks as well as defending passes.  But can he come back from the year off?  Can he stay out of trouble?  Will Commissioner Goodell reinstate him?  If all the answers are yes, Jones will combine with pro bowl corner Terence Newman for one of the best corner tandems in the league.      

Boys have Tony Romo at QB, and he is already one of the best in the league, if you don't count his INT's, and if you don't count his post-season record (0-2), and if he doesn't slide late in the season like he did last year. Actually, the whole team slid in December - after starting 12-1, they went  1-2 in the last three weeks of December (then they lost to the Giants in January in their first playoff  game). 'Boys let their starting RB Julius Jones leave in free agency, but still have Marion Barber, who really was their best RB, and they drafted speedy Felix Jones out of Arkansas.  'Boys only real problem is at receiver.  Wide out Terrell Owens is still one of the best, and has been staying out of trouble, and TE Jason Witten is one of the best (4 straight pro bowls).  But after that, they don't have much.  If either of those guys goes down, it will cause a huge problem.  If they stay healthy, the Cowboys have a real good shot at going all the way this year. Their D was 9th in the league last year, 6th vs. the run, 13th vs. the pass, and they didn't lose too much, and picked up LB Zach Thomas from Miami, and Jones (if Goodell reinstates him). They'd really like  a good  - they haven't won a playoff game since 1996, and this will be their last year in good ol' Texas Stadium, as next year they move into a brand new mega stadium - kind of like the mega churches all the televangelists love.  

NEW YORK GIANTS Giants were 14-6 last year (10-6 in the regular season).  They play their division, the NFC West, the AFC North, and the Carolina Panthers and at Minnesota.  This is the team that won it all last year.  But remember how early on, Coach Tom Coughlin was in trouble, and most people thought that QB Eli Manning was a bust?  The Giants had had problems for some years with slow finishes after fast starts. Last year they had another fast start (6-2) and then finished the regular season 4-4.  But then they got hot in the playoffs, winning three road games to advance to the SB.  All of those road games were close, with the last one (at Green Bay) going to OT, and they needed a dumb INT by Bret Favre to win 23-20.  Then they had the miraculous win in the SB - down by 4 with a minute and a half to go, Manning escaped the rush, heaved to ball down field to a third string wide (David Tyree, who may not make the team this year), who made maybe the most amazing play ever. To watch a slide show of the play, click on this link:    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/football/s080529_tyree/flash.htm?gid=532   No touchdown on that play, but it was third and long before the play, first and ten after.  Shortly, Manning to Burress in the end zone put an end to the Patriots perfect season.

Anyway, that was then and this is now.  The Giants have problems again.  They've lost four key D players to free agency, and DE Michael Strahan retired, and tight end Jeremy Shockey was traded to the Saints. Remember, he broke his leg last December, and missed the run to the Big.  Some folks opined the team was better off without him (his yapping at Manning to give me the ball being a distraction to the young QB) and word is the team tried to trade him in the off season, but didn't.  So he's gone, and maybe the Giants will be better without him, but he was, and is, a talented tight end.   But the Giants have a good, veteran O line, very good RB's, good wide outs in Toomer and Burress, and a good young TE in Kevin Boss, and good young wides in Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss.  Can the Giants repeat?  Probably not.  They play in maybe the toughest division in the NFL, and also have to play the AFC North and Carolina and Minnesota, all good teams.  That'll take a toll.  And it's hard to repeat - only the Broncos and Patriots have done it since the early 90's, when Dallas beat Buffalo two years in a row.  

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Eagles were 8-8 last year.  They play their division, the NFC West, the AFC North,  the Atlanta Falcons and at Chicago. Donovan McNabb had a bad knee injury in 2006, and wasn't quite himself last year.  Some think it made him a better QB, since he couldn't run around as much, so had to stand in and throw it.  He seems to be 100% this year, and the Eagles are optimistic.  Brian Westbrook remains one of the best all-purpose RB's in the league (1,331 ground yards on just 278 carries plus 771 air yards on 90 catches.). But the Eagles don't have any great wide outs (Westbrook was the leading receiver, Kevin Curtis second with 77). Eagles did sign a great CB, Asante Samuel, away from the Patriots, but he plays the left side, the same spot as Lito Shepard, who is also very good but wants out of Philly.  I suppose Coach Andy Reid will make something work.  The rest of the D is Okay, but the Eagles may again end up 4th in their division (the other three teams all made the playoffs last year).    

WASHINGTON REDSKINS Reds were 9-7 last year, and made the playoffs, but lost in their first game 35-14 at Seattle.  They play their division, the NFC West, the AFC North, the New Orleans Saints, and at Detroit.  The shooting murder of DB Sean Taylor last November was a huge loss for the team.  He was a heck of a player, and popular with his teammates.  But they stuck together and had a decent year. Young QB Jason Campbell is looking good.  He completed 250 of 417 for 2,700 yards and 12 TD's (plus 11 INT's in his first full year as the starter), before going out with an injury.  Ancient Todd Collins came in for the last month and played great, leading the team to a 4-0 December record.  Collins hadn't even been in the league the last couple years.  Their new rookie QB, Colt Brennan, from Hawaii, was very good the other night in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, when the Reds beat the Colts.  Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts provide a very good RB tandem, and Antwan Randle - El and Santana Moss are good receivers and the Reds spent three second round picks on wides, so maybe they can pass the ball some this year. TE Chris Cooley is one of the best all around TE's in the league.  The D was 8th in the league, and didn't suffer any real losses in the off season.     

They have a new head coach in Jim Zorn, who used to run around for the Seahawks in the 70's and throw lots of completions to Steve Largent.  Zorn has never been a head coach before, not even a coordinator - just a special teams coach.  But he was hired by owner Dan Snyder last winter to be the O coordinator.  Then, after spending a few weeks looking for a head coach (after the retirement of Joe Gibbs) and not finding anyone, Snyder turned to Zorn and said, heck, why don't you be the head coach.  So Zorn becomes the sixth head coach for the Reds since Snyder bought the team in 1999.  Early reports are that Zorn is popular with  the players.  Zorn intends to throw the ball more, and Portis, who had a career high 47 catches last year (for 389 yards) is likely to catch more than that this year.  Tough FB Mike Sellers can catch a few out of the backfield also.  I think the Reds will be a fun team to watch this year, but they are in a very tough division.