By Bob Bonett
NFC East
Giants (11-1)
I don’t think that Plaxico Burress is the reason that the Giants are no longer the be-all-end-all favorites to win the Super Bowl; I think it’s the circumstances surrounding the gun-wielding scandal that could hurt Big Blue.
Antonio Pierce and Ahmad Bradshaw were allegedly present when Burress shot himself in the leg at the Latin Quarter. The Giants have proven they can win without Burress; Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer, Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss and Kevin Boss all proving to be more-than-ample targets for Eli Manning. If there’s more of a fall-out and Pierce and Bradshaw are implicated, the Giants can’t win without their defensive captain, and will have trouble on the ground without Bradshaw.
I’m not jumping off the Giants’ bandwagon … yet. They are still the favorites – albeit no longer runaway favorites – to come out of the NFC, and they still have a good shot at winning the Super Bowl. But a brutal remaining schedule – Philadelphia, Dallas, Carolina and Minnesota – will show how good the Giants actually are.
Cowboys (8-4)
The mark of a good football team? Back to back multi-touchdown wins over basement dwellars. The mark of a really good football team? The ability to win on the road against the NFL’s elite.
Dallas will have the chance to prove the latter this week in Pittsburgh. With Tony Romo clearly back to his old self and the defense working like a finely-tuned machine, the Cowboys are back to being a real contender in the NFC.
Will they win on Sunday? Tough to say. The Steelers are coming off of their most dominant win of the season, a 23-point victory over the reigning AFC-champion Pats, and are showing that their defense is pretty close to impenetrable. It’ll take a complete effort from the ‘Boys to get the ‘W.’ Unlike a month ago with Brad Johnson running the show, it’s more than possible for Romo and Big D to emerge victorious.
Redskins (7-5)
It was an all-around bad Sunday for the ‘Skins. First, Eli Manning outplayed Washington’s favorite son, Jason Campbell, resulting in a 16-point victory. Then, in what was a poor decision – excuse me for biting my tongue – the team totally botched a pregame ceremony to honor their fallen comrade, cornerback Sean Taylor. Shaun Powell wrote an article worth checking out about it.
Looking forward, if the ‘Skins want to make the playoffs in the NFC, 11 wins is a bare minimum; in other words, there’s no room for error. Their first must-win game is Sunday night in Baltimore. I maintain that the Ravens are overrated; still, it won’t be a cupcake for Jim Zorn’s team at a rowdy M&T Bank Stadium.
Eagles (6-5-1)
Playoffs are a LONG shot for the Eagles. A 10-5-1 record is probably not enough to leapfrog over the likes of the Falcons, Cowboys and Redskins. But after the return of the old Donovan McNabb last Sunday, and, finally, the proper utilization of Brian Westbrook in the team’s 48-20 win over Arizona, Philly is again a respectable NFL franchise.
That being said, things could go south this Sunday. A road trip to take on the red-hot Giants, with or without Burress, has the makings of a big-time win for Big Blue. Maybe Andy Reid can surprise everybody and get his team to put up somewhat of a fight – and perhaps, in the process, save his coaching job. Or maybe Reid will remind everybody why the entire city of Philadelphia is calling for his head.
AFC East
Jets (8-4)
Everything went wrong for the Jets on Sunday. It started with a terrible play call, (a first-quarter wide receiver reverse in heavy rain), and culminated in Brett Favre’s worst game as a Jet.
Now, just a few days after pundits pegged New York as the best team in the AFC, pessimism among Jets fans is running rampant and fears of a late-season collapse have replaced hopes of a Super Bowl win. In order to bounce back, Favre, Kris Jenkins and Laveranues Coles need to step it up.
Sunday’s game, the first of two West Coast trips in three weeks, is no gimme. Don’t lose hope and expect to see an undisciplined team on the gridiron this week, though. Remember, the last time the Jets lost, they reeled off five consecutive convincing wins to get back on top of the East.
Patriots (7-5)
Yes, they were embarrassed at Foxboro Stadium. But remember that it was against the Steelers, arguably the best team in the AFC.
After back-to-back 400-yard performances, Matt Cassel reminded everybody – yours truly included – that Tom Brady is New England’s ultimate signal-caller. Classic Brady would never have lost by 23 at home, especially in a game as big as last Sunday’s.
Like the Jets in S.F., New England heads west to take on the Seahawks Sunday. If I’m a Pats fan, I’m licking my chops, because Seattle reasserted their standing among the league’s worst with a 25-point loss to the Cowboys last week.
Dolphins (7-5)
This isn’t the BCS; it doesn’t matter how you win in the NFL, as long as you come out on top. For the third time in four weeks, the Dolphins beat one of the league’s worst teams by less than a touchdown: a 16-12 nail-biter against the Rams.
Ronnie Brown continues to find himself largely absent from the boxscore every game lately. He managed just 48 yards on 15 carries last week, resulting in a fair amount of action for Ricky Williams (who responded well with 54 yards on 12 rushes). Was Brown’s early-season success an aberration? Or will he return to prominence?
Sunday’s trip to Buffalo will answer that and another looming question surrounding Miami: Are the Dolphins real contenders in the AFC East? A win of any kind and Miami is firmly set up for a winner-takes-all game against the Jets in Week 17. A loss, and it’s “Sayonara 2008” for the ‘Phins.
Bills (6-6)
There’s ugly, and then there’s “you ain’t got no alibi” ugly. Buffalo was the latter last week in a 10-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Remember Week 4, when the Bills moved to 4-0 with a 31-14 win over St. Louis? Neither do I. Dick Jauron has led this team into a tailspin, with 6-10 a real possibility for Buff.
Buffalo has two difficult road trips (New York and Denver) and two tough home contests (Miami and New England) left on their schedule. With Trent Edwards doubtful and an incompetent JP Losman the only other option for the Bills under center, December is shaping up to be a long month up north.