NFL Betting – The Wild and Crazy World of the NFC East
Even the best online sportsbook has a hard time keeping track of the NFC East during the regular season. The Giants struggled to win the NFC East title but then went on to win the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles were the "dream team" at the start of the season but it wound up being a nightmare. The Washington Redskins always looked a quarterback away from being a contender and the Dallas Cowboys keep on making headlines for everything except winning.
As the 2012 season approaches, the betting sites are putting out their speculations on what will happen in the NFC East. In the end, predicting what will happen in the NFC East is about as easy as predicting the weather in Buffalo, NY. Nothing in the NFC East is what it seems.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins made a lot of improvements to the team in areas where it needed help. The draft helped to bring in a little depth on defense and free agency helped to put some much needed punch on offense. But the biggest move was the drafting of quarterback Robert Griffin III. If the Redskins were really only a quarterback away from a playoff spot last year, then Griffin is that quarterback. Washington has a strong defense, a good offensive line and a lot of offensive weapons. The jury is still out on the Washington running game. But if the Redskins can run the ball effectively, then this could be a good season for the Skins.
Predicted Finish: First
Philadelphia Eagles
The online sportsbook experts have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. The biggest reason is that the Eagles have addressed many of its deficiencies in the offseason. The offensive line was reinforced and the receiving corps was stabilized. But the Eagles just do not have that intangible that makes a team a champion. Quarterback Michael Vick has yet to show that he can perform in the big games and that is something that will keep the Eagles at bay this year. Philadelphia could wind up being a wild card in the NFC, but the expectations in Philadelphia are too high this year.
Predicted Finish: Second
New York Giants
The Giants had a drop-off in performance the last time head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning won a Super Bowl together. The Giants have lost wide receiver Mario Manningham to the San Francisco 49ers and the running game is in shambles. That championship defense should still be there for New York, but the offense will struggle and the team will struggle as well.
Predicted Finish: Third
Dallas Cowboys
The best online sports betting sites have gotten so used to the Cowboys falling well short of expectations that there is no reason to think that Dallas will suddenly become a contender now. Quarterback Tony Romo has failed to prove that he is a championship caliber signal caller and the Dallas running game is in chaos. The Dallas defense should be much improved in 2012, but that will not be enough to save the Cowboys from another disappointing campaign.
Predicted Finish: Fourth
