Football is in the air and a new NFL season is just around the corner. In preparation for the 2004 season, we have provided team-by-team forecasts highlighting key information that you can actually use to cash in during the pre-season. While we do not actually recommend playing NFL pre-season games, that doesn’t mean there are not other solid wagering opportunities available. Our team forecasts are designed to provide insight on predicting total teams wins, so that you can take advantage of the value found in wagering on the Total Team Wins futures propositions.
Part I of our NFC East Preview covers the Philadelphia Eagles & Dallas Cowboys, while Part II discusses the Washington Redskins & New York Giants. Upcoming articles will feature the remaining teams and divisions.
NFC East: Part I
Philadelphia Eagles: Prediction Over 9.5 Wins - The Eagles finished the 2003 regular season with an impressive 12 wins and they head into 2004 as the team to beat in the NFC. Philly made some serious improvements in the off-season acquiring (WR) Terrell Owens and (DE) Jevon Kearse. Owens will finally give the Eagles a go to guy on offense, something they haven’t had in the past. Kearse will help a defense that was weak rushing the passer, finishing last season with just 38 sacks.
However, everything was not golden this summer for the Eagles as the defense took a major hit with the loss of (LB) Carlos Emmons, who very well may have been their best defender last year. The secondary also took a hit with the departure of both (CB’s) Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. Smaller corners Lito Sheppard & Sheldon Brown will replace Taylor and Vincent, so there could be a drop off in the pass defense.
There is a lot of pressure on (QB) Donovan McNabb to improve on his sub-par 2003 numbers and finally deliver a championship to Philadelphia. With the improvements made in the off-season, the Eagles should once again reach the double-digit mark in wins this year, especially having one of the easiest schedules in the league.
Dallas Cowboys: Prediction Under 9 Wins - The Cowboys had a great rebound season in 2003 earning 10 wins, their first winning season in 4 years. Much of that success was due to Dallas’ #1 ranked defense, as its offense was average at best.
Several attempts were made this off-season to upgrade the offensive, including the trade for (WR) Keyshawn Johnson and signing of (RB) Eddie George. While Keyshawn should be a great improvement over the disappointing Joey Galloway, it is questionable whether Eddie George can improve a running game that averaged only 3.9 yards per attempt. The Cowboys booted last year’s starting running back Troy Ham brick because he managed only 3.5 yards per carry; however, George managed only 3.3 yards per carry for Tennessee in 2003, so only time will tell if the running attack improves. Dallas also drafted Notre Dame’s Julius Jones as their running back of the future, so if all else fails, Jones could step into the action.
The QB situation took an unexpected turn in the past few weeks, with the recent release of starter Quincy Carter. It now appears that 41 year-old Vinny Testaverde has the inside track to start the season as the Dallas signal-caller. Testaverde certainly bring more experience to the table than Carter, but he has never been a true leader or winner on the field and it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank at the latter stages of his career.
On defense the Cowboys have not made many changes. They did add (DE) Marcus Wiley from San Diego, but their secondary took a hit with the departure of (CB) Mario Edwards to Tampa Bay. Despite these changes, the defense should once again remain its strength in 2004.
A repeat 10 win season appears to be a tough feat considering the current QB situation, as well as improvements made by divisional teams. Look for the Cowboys to drop a notch this season in the win column.
Click Here for Part II of our NFC East Preview featuring the Washington Redskins & New York Giants.