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2015 NFL Preview: NFC East
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 8/26/2015  at  11:14:00 AM
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2015 NFL Preview: NFC East

The next NFC division that we’ll be taking a look at is the NFC East, which features a completely revamped Philadelphia Eagles team:

DALLAS COWBOYS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 13-5
ATS Record: 11-7
Over/Under: 9-8-1
Points Scored: 28.4 PPG (5th in NFL)
Points Allowed: 22.1 PPG (t-14th in NFL)
Odds to Win Super Bowl 50: 16/1

2015 Preview:
Fueled by arguably the best offensive line in football, the Cowboys rode the ground game to a division title last year. DeMarco Murray is gone, but it might not matter who’s carrying the workload behind this front five. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan worked wonders with the Dallas passing game. He reined in quarterback Tony Romo by introducing an offense with more pre-snap reads and quick drops, mitigating Romo’s tendency to freelance. Dez Bryant is the clear No. 1, and Linehan effectively moves him around the formation to create one-on-one opportunities. Tight end Jason Witten remains the No. 2 target, working intermediate routes. Terrance Williams is the deep threat, and the Cowboys are using more three-receiver sets to get slippery slot receiver Cole Beasley involved. The Cowboys’ best move this offseason may have been retaining defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli with a three-year contract: Dallas went from last in the NFL in defense in 2013 to 15th in points allowed last year. The Cowboys also finished second in the league with 31 takeaways. One issue is that the season-long loss of Orlando Scandrick will severely hurt their secondary. Dallas will need Morris Claiborne to contribute in a big way.

NEW YORK GIANTS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 6-10
ATS Record: 7-9
Over/Under: 10-6
Points Scored: 23.7 PPG (13th in NFL)
Points Allowed: 25.0 PPG (t-22nd in NFL)
Odds to Win Super Bowl 50: 45/1

2015 Preview:
The Giants have never quite gotten things figured out up front. That, combined with injuries in the backfield, have limited what they’ve accomplished in the running game. They’ll try again with a system heavy on gap blocking. Rashad Jennings is the early-down workhorse back, as he’s at his best churning for extra yards after contact. Shane Vereen will eat up about half of his playing time as a passing-down back, on the field frequently when offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo runs his spread concepts. Eli Manning proved capable of making necessary pre-snap adjustments and getting the ball out quickly. The Giants use a lot of slants by receivers and outlet routes by the backs and tight ends to open things up. Odell Beckham proved nearly impossible to cover in one-on-one situations, and a healthy Victor Cruz will put defenses in a pick-your-poison situation. The Giants allowed 135.1 rush yards per game in 2014, which ranked 30th in the NFL. They made a few minor moves to address that, adding DT Kendrick Ellis and DE George Selvie. Rookie S Landon Collins should contribute immediately, but the health of DE Jason Pierre-Paul is a major question mark .

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 10-6
ATS Record: 9-7
Over/Under: 10-5-1
Points Scored: 29.6 PPG (3rd in NFL)
Points Allowed: 25.0 PPG (t-22nd in NFL)
Odds to Win Super Bowl 50: 14/1

2015 Preview:
It’s an all-new backfield in Philadelphia, and it appears as if head coach Chip Kelly is trying to recreate his Oregon rushing attack. The tempo and spread concepts of this offense opens up enormous running lanes, something that straight-ahead power slashers like DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews should be able to take advantage of more than LeSean McCoy did. Murray will surely be the lead back, but with the tempo they play, the Eagles should have more than enough carries to split between their two new backs. Darren Sproles will still play a role as a multi-purpose weapon, primarily serving as a receiving threat out of the backfield. Sam Bradford will deliver the deep ball more than anything else, as the Eagles use a lot of deep crossing patterns to help make up for their middling talent at receiver. Jordan Matthews and rookie Nelson Agholor will serve as receivers 1 and 1A, with Riley Cooper and Miles Austin rotating in as No. 3 possession guy. There may not have been a worse CB duo in the NFL in 2014 than Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams, who will be replaced in 2015 by former Seahawk Byron Maxwell and the winner of a competition among Nolan Carroll and Walt Thurmond. The Eagles also traded for ILB Kiko Alonso.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

2014 Statistics:
SU Record: 4-12
ATS Record: 5-11
Over/Under: 7-8-1
Points Scored: 21.4 PPG (18th in NFL)
Points Allowed: 27.4 PPG (t-29th in NFL)
Odds to Win Super Bowl 50: 100/1

2015 Preview:
The Redskins moved away from the Shanahans’ zone-blocking scheme to one that incorporated more man-blocking concepts. It didn’t go particularly well for Alfred Morris, though it could be part concept and part the subtraction of Robert Griffin III as a running threat to draw defenders and open up running lanes. Griffin, for as long as he keeps the starting job, seems unlikely to do much again this year as far as designed runs. Matt Jones figures to pick up the bulk of the third-down snaps due to his pass-protection skills, and he could end up pushing Morris for early-down snaps. Gruden would like to incorporate the kind of pass-happy offense he ran in Cincinnati, but he doesn’t have a capable QB. Griffin continues to be a trainwreck with his poor fundamentals, and neither Kirk Cousins nor Colt McCoy are starting-caliber. Pierre Garcon works as a traditional West Coast possession receiver while DeSean Jackson is the field-stretcher. They’d love to get Jordan Reed working as a security blanket, if he can stay healthy. The Redskins addressed the loss of FS Ryan Clark to retirement by acquiring Dashon Goldson from the Bucs. They further addressed the secondary with the signings of CB Chris Culliver and SS Jeron Johnson. DT Terrance Knighton was brought in to help improve the run defense.


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