NFL Week 16 Preview: NFC East Special Edition

NFL week 16 has arrived and that means we are left with only two weeks to determine who makes the 2013 playoffs. This season has flown by and been pretty unpredictable like most seasons seem to be these days. There are still a number of teams alive in the playoff chase and Sunday that number is bound to dwindle down just a bit.  The one division that has been the most unpredictable this year has certainly been the NFC East. This Sunday could be another crazy one, including the rivalry between Dallas and Washington.

The Cowboys are coming off a week in which the talk was how did they possibly blow a 26-3 halftime lead to an Aaron Rodgers less Packers team last week. It was one of the worst collapses in the history of the Cowboys’ franchise, but now they have to regroup to face the Redskins in Washington. A loss to the Redskins on Sunday and the world may just collapse for the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys (7-7) @ Washington Redskins (3-11)

The Redskins have dealt with their share of drama this year including the benching of star quarterback Robert Griffin 3. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan made the decision to start Kirk Cousins over Griffin and it was met with its fair share of criticism by fans and media alike. Cousins has had a pretty nice career as a backup, but it’s usually easier to be more affective when you are the backup because the fact teams don’t draw their game plan up for the backup quarterback.

The Cowboys are still alive for a playoff spot and if Dallas could somehow win the NFC East all the memories from last weekend would be forgotten. The Cowboys should have the upper hand against the 3-11 Redskins, but in a rivalry game anything can happen. I believe the Cowboys will bounce back and win in Washington, but in a much closer game than people expect.

I believe the Cowboys get the win 31-21 over the Redskins on Sunday. The Cowboys pass game will the difference against a suspect Redskins’ secondary that has allowed some big plays down field this season. The run game for Dallas will have to be used and stuck with unlike what they displayed last Sunday against the Packers. The Cowboys will win and keep their playoff hopes alive for another week.

New York Giants (5-9) @ Detroit Lions (7-7)

The Giants are out the picture in the NFC East, but could play spoiler for the Detroit Lions. The Lions still have hopes of winning the NFC North and making the playoffs once again. Detroit is coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Monday night in which Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker hit six field goals to account for all the Ravens scoring.

This week the Giants have to travel to Ford Field to face a determined and motivated Lions team. The pass rush of the Detroit Lions should be the difference in this contest against a beat up Giants offensive line. The Lions will have to attack Eli Manning and put him on the ground to put the Giants in third and long situations. This will put the Lions in even more of a pass rushing mindset which could make for a long afternoon for the Giants and Manning.

I believe the Lions will find a way to win this one and keep their playoff hopes alive in the NFC North. It will continue the down season for the Giants and leave even more questions about the future of Manning and the entire roster entering the 2014 season. The Giants tried making their annual late season run, but just didn’t have the magic that was present in their Super Bowl seasons of 2007 and 2011.

The Detroit Lions win 34-17 in Detroit to stay alive for the NFC North crown. The Giants will finish third in the NFC East this season and should have a pretty high draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. That pick will be used to help Manning and the Giants in the future, but the 2013 season will be one to forget for the Giants’ fans, coaches and players.

Chicago Bears (8-6) @ Philadelphia Eagles (8-6)

In the game of the day for both the NFC East and NFC North, the Bears travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. These two teams both sit at 8-6 and very much in the playoff conversation this year. The Bears are in a battle with the Lions to win the NFC North crown, while the Eagles are trying to hold off the Cowboys to win the NFC East crown. A win for either the Bears or Eagles on Sunday night and their playoff chances increase enormously.

The Bears are welcoming back Jay Cutler who returned last Sunday against the Browns for the first time since early on in the season. The Bears and Cutler were able to take down the Browns, but Cutler showed rust which is to be expected in his first game back in a while. This week he will have to be sharp against the Eagles on the road in order to win and keep their NFC North title hopes alive.

The Eagles, under first year Coach Chip Kelly, have been one of the best stories of the 2013 season. Since Kelly and the Eagles inserted Nick Foles at quarterback they have taken off. Foles has passed for over 2,000 yards with 23 touchdowns so far this year and has brought a leadership that was much needed at the quarterback position. He will have to continue that success Sunday night against the Bears’ defense if they hope to win the NFC East.

I believe the Eagles will get the job done behind Foles and company. The Eagles will hold serve at home and defeat the Bears 31-24 in a game that turns out to be one of the best games of the day on Sunday. The Eagles will keep the advantage in the NFC East and look primed to make a playoff run come January. It has been a great story this year for Kelly and the Eagles and that story will continue Sunday night in Philadelphia.