From: un040251@wvnvms.wvnet.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: The Mighty NFC East
Date: 12 Apr 92 05:16:23 GMT
Organization: West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing

> 	I'm looking forward to football season already...and I think the NFC
> East will be the most exciting division anyone's ever seen.  The AFC just
> doesn't have any great teams in it, the four best teams in the NFL exist in the
> NFC...three of those in the NFC East.

The Bills are the only team that was truly competitive over the last two
years.  Giants crashed, Skins were nothing the year before, Cheifs have yet
to truly go after the SB, LA Raiders had a slight fall, Oilers were WC team
the year before, SF crashed, Cowboys were nothing the year before. Chicago
really isn't SB caliber, Detroit nothing the year before...the list marches on.
So how can you say they do not make the top 4 list of teams if they were the
#2 team back-to-back?  One could argue that until the Cowboys prove that they
will be back one should not yet put them into the SB (don't count your
chickens before they are hatched).  Though I think they will be up there,
your statement of thge top 4 teams in the NFL being in the NFC is VERY
shaky and even shakier is saying the AFC "doesn't have any great teams in it"
Is asking for flames galore.

> 	In the AFC, the Bills and Oilers are probably the two best, and will
> most likely have the two best records again in the regular season.

Agreed.  Unless Krieg does indeed pan out with the Chiefs or Moon finally
shows his true age of 50.  :)

>  I think the Jets are on the rise,

As do I but until they get some big impact players don't put their name and
Super Bowl in the same sentence without a negative.

> and the Patriots should be interesting to watch. 

Yeah Mac is fun to watch..he is the only coach I have seen tackle a player.

> The Bengals should rebound,

I am not sure if they will.  I still think Shula Jr. was given his job with
no real justification.  He has not really done anything spectacular or
noteworthy for anyone.  He has only his name to his credit.  The Bengals
hope coaching is in his genes.

> although not enough to overpower the Oilers,

Agreed.

> and the
> Chiefs won't be easy to beat now that they have a good qb in Krieg.  In fact,
> if Krieg puts up the numbers he's had in the past, the Chiefs could end up
> representing the AFC in the Superbowl.

No they won't.  Krieg is a curse!  How Knox did as well as he did with this
moron is beyond me.  Krieg will turn the ball over a lot.  He always has
and always will.  He has been in the league for like 13 (?) years and
still he acts like a rookie!  He is almost as bad as Brister, ok not 
that bad...When he is hot, he can take a team far but, he cools off SO quickly.
When you have a ball-control Offense like the chiefs, and have a 
turnover prone QB like Krieg you are asking for trouble.  I do not kmow how
KNox managed to win 7,8,9 games a year with that moron and a weak cast.

>  I really don't think it matters,
> though.  The NFC will most likely add another win to that streak in the
> Superbowl.

I also believe this but watch for the Bills if they are still hungry...they
can be dangerous if Levy would get off his ass and do something during that 2
week break!

> 	Four teams in the NFC stand out above the rest : the 49ers, Cowboys,
> Redskins and Eagles. 

As the NFC's best I agree, but not in all of the NFL.  and wait to see if Joe
M. can not only comeback but return to form.  

> Granted, the Saints have shown they can be contenders,

Oh whoopee...Their defense carried them and now it looks as though they may
lose their #1 star to the Lions.  BTW has anyone heard more on the
Swilling-Lions deal?

> the Falcons look as though they're on the rise,

Yeah but they aren't SB caliber quite yet.  I personnally thin k they will not
be until Glanville is shipped away.  They play to recklessly to win
consistently against the conference's best in the playoffs.

> the Giants have potential to return to old form

Not yet they don't.  They need to get better play from Hoss, a TE, good WRs,
LB help since LT and Banks both look to be headed down the tubes.  as well
as an over all youth infusion on both lines.  Oh BTW their coach has yet to 
show that he can adequately perform.

> and the Bears can never be counted out

Ditka said that he didn't want to go back to the playoffs and lose in round 1
or 2.  He said he would rather be out of the playoffs a couple years and
re-enter with a SB contender.  But with Detroit on the rise, and TB showing
signs of development, and the Packs inevitable return with Holmgren....it 
looks like if tehy don't make it now, they may find themselves constantly
finishing just out.  The Bears need a rebuilding job...a total youth movement.

> let's look at the top four teams once again.  
> 	The 49ers are strong contenders after missing the playoffs with a 10-6
> record this past year (remember, everybody with a record above .500 made the
> playoffs in the AFC).  After a 4-6 start, with a Steve Young-led team, Bono
> finished up the season in good fashion.  Young is a great quarterback on the
> wrong team.  The 49ers need a right-hander if they want to succeed in getting
> the ball to Rice more often.  Montana and Bono are perfect starter and backup
> for the 49ers.  The 49ers won their last six games, and convinced the world
> that they would've been very tough to beat had they made the playoffs.  I
> believe with the return of the great Joe Montana, they will continue this drive
> and win the NFC West without much trouble.

You don't mean to tell me that you trhink the reason Young couldn't cut it is
because he is a lefty do you?  Look at Esiason! ok look at the old Esiason!
Look at Young's passer rating!  Rice didn't get fewer because of Young bneing a
lefty, it was because Rice had an off-year (for him...most WRs would love a
1,000 yard year for a good year) and he played with two new QBs that he was
unused to, and the only negative on Young is that he is too jumpy.  He leaves
the pocket to soon in an O designed for a QB to sit in the pocket.  When an
O is designed for a QB and then a new QB comes in suddenly with a different
style, you do not have enough time to design a completely new system to
incorporate the new QBs skills (tyhough some adjustments are possible and were
done to accomodate Young's scrambling abilities).  Bono has a Montana style
though and fit right into the system, that is why Bono did better.  But Young's
passer Rating tells you that he did an ADEQUATE job.

> 	The Eagles also finished up the season at 10-6, also just barely
> missing the playoffs.  The Eagles are an entirely different team than the
> 49ers...they were a team without a qb to guide them, but a defense that
> wouldn't quit.  McMahon did a good job as a starter, but when he was injured,
> the Eagles were dead.  As the number one defense in the league returns this
> year, it will be protecting the offensive firepower that Randall Cunningham
> brings onto the field.  Randall, unlike Pat Ryan of all people, can put enough
> points on the board to win games.  Although the Eagles don't have much of a
> running game, again Randall provides this...in his last complete season rushing
> for over 900 yards.  The Eagles will be tough to beat and interesting to watch.

Rabdall also averaged like 8 or 9 yards a carry.

> 	The Redskins are the Redskins.  They just won the Superbowl, and they
> aren't losing much at all.  They will not be easy to beat, as they are an
> all-around balanced team.  They won't fall like the Giants did, Gibbs is too
> smart for that.  They'll be as strong as ever.

Agreed but since I am Skins fan I must say they will be better cus Ervins
will (or should at least) be taking over the rushing tole and then some D's
are gonna tremble!

> 	Last but not least, the Cowboys.  If this draft can provide the Cowboys
> with the defense they need to succeed, the Cowboys can go over the top.  After
> a 1-15 season, Johnson led them to a 7-9 season in which they just missed the
> playoffs.  Last season, they went 11-5, winning an imperative game over the
> Eagles in week 16 of the season that shot them into the playoffs on a 5 game
> winning streak.  They won their first playoff game in five (?) years in
> Chicago, proving they can win a big game under pressure, ON THE ROAD.  That is
> the sign of a true contender.  With all the improvements over the last few
> seasons, the Cowboys won't give up now.  Their fight to be the NFL Champion
> will be tough, but they're willing to give it all they've got.  They return
> with last years rushing champion, Emmitt Smith, AND last years receiving
> champion, Michael Irvin, along with two other pro-bowlers in Jay Novacek and
> the rising Troy Aikman, who comes back from his injury at the end of last
> season.  

If memory serves (and it usually doesn't) weren't the Cowboys 12-4????
I think though that there will be 1 off year before they become perennial SB
contenders again.  This is because I see the Skins with 1 more year before 1/2
their starters retire, and the Eagles are looking at a possible dream season.
With these two mega-powers battling the Cowboys will be hard pressed to make
a serious noise, but they should make the playoffs.
BTW Irvin was not the NFL's recieving Champ...Jeffires had 100 catches

> 	The NFC, especially the East, will be great to watch this year.  I
> can't wait!  I only wish the AFC were this exciting...
> 
You mean like they were in the past withg the Centrals 4 team races for the
crown, or the AFC West's 3 team race this year with Seattle tagging along
behind, or this years last playoff berth being decided on the last play or so
between NY and Miami? that kind of exciting?

> 							Ken Ruggiero
> 							University at Buffalo
> 							GO COWBOYS!!

Brian Mulholland
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro