MARQUE MATCHUP: Falcons vs. Saints, 8:30PM ET, Monday
From Giants-Jets to Chargers-Lions, there is no shortage of solid matchups on the Week 16 schedule. But it doesn’t get any bigger than Atlanta-New Orleans on Monday night. With a victory, the Saints will clinch the NFC South and keep themselves in contention for the No. 2 seed in the conference playoff picture. With a victory, the Falcons would clinch a playoff berth and remain in contention with the Saints for the NFC South crown. But for Atlanta, this game means much more than clinching a spot in the postseason. If they lose, they could accomplish the same thing next week at home against the hapless Buccaneers. No, a victory over the Saints in New Orleans would prove that the Falcons have the pieces in place to take down one of the elite teams in the conference. A win would also go a long way in instilling confidence in a Falcons team that has been inconsistent all season. Beat the seemingly unbeatable Saints on their home turf and the sky is the limit when it comes to the playoffs. Lose and have doubts remain about whether or not you can beat any of the top teams in the NFC. With cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) expected to return this Monday, the Falcons should be at full-strength defensively. And given how good Matt Ryan has looked running Atlanta’s no-huddle attack recently, the Falcons certainly have the weapons to pull off the upset in New Orleans. But whether or not they can do it is another question, especially considering the Saints are averaging nearly 40 points a game at home this season.

THE POTENITAL (NOTEWORTHY) UPSET: Eagles over Cowboys, 1:00PM ET, Saturday
Three weeks ago the Cowboys had a golden opportunity to take a two-game lead over the Giants in the NFC East and they went out and lost to the Cardinals in overtime. The following week, they blew their one-game lead over the Giants when they lost to New York at home, 37-34. My point is that the Cowboys have been in these positions before, when they’ve had chances to improve their standing in the division only to choke the opportunity away. They now have a one-game lead over the Giants again after New York inexcusably lost to the Redskins at home (a game in which I highlighted in this section last week). Now Dallas has a chance to either hold onto its one-game lead or win the division outright with a victory and a New York loss to the Jets. But something tells me Jason Garrett’s squad could choke on applesauce again. Philadelphia has been the most inconsistent team in the league this year but Andy Reid’s team is certainly capable of going into Dallas and knocking off the Cowboys in grand fashion. And if the Giants beat the Jets earlier in the day, the ‘Boys are even more likely to succumb to the pressure.

THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: GREEN BAY PACKERS (vs. Bears, 8:20PM ET, Sunday)
It doesn’t get any easier for the Packers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. All they have to do is beat the rudderless Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Christmas night and then they can rest their starters for two weeks if they choose to. Of course, they just lost to a rudderless Kansas City team a week ago so it’ll be interesting to see how Green Bay responds on Sunday. The Bears have looked completely inept offensively since Jay Cutler and Matt Forte went down with injuries (and justifiably so), but their defense has be known to keep Green Bay’s offense in check. Just last year, the Bears held the Packers to 10 points in Green Bay on a cold January afternoon at Lambeau and if Josh McCown can somehow revive Chicago’s dead offense, the Bears could pull off the upset. (Hey, crazier things have happened.) That said, this is a game the Pack should win. Again, it doesn’t get any easier for them to clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference.

PUT UP OR SHUT UP: DETROIT LIONS (vs. Chargers, 4:15PM ET, Saturday)
It’s been over a decade since the Lions made an appearance in the playoffs and it’s been nearly two decades since they won a postseason game. But they have a chance this Saturday to do something they haven’t done since 1999: Play past Week 17. All they have to do is beat the suddenly surging San Diego Chargers at Ford Field. Granted, even if the Lions lose they can still win next week and clinch a playoff spot. But next week they play at Green Bay and there’s no telling what the Packers will do in terms of resting starters. Thus, it’s best if Detroit handles its own business this weekend by knocking off San Diego, but it won’t be easy. Over the past three weeks the Bolts have played like everyone expected them to at the start of the year. Suddenly Philip Rivers has stopped turning the ball over, Ryan Mathews is running like a man possessed, and the defense has been lights out. Not that they would but if the Lions think the Chargers are going to waltz into Ford Field and lie down, than Detroit has another thing coming. Keep in mind that the Lions’ secondary is still banged up, which obviously plays into the hands of Norv Turner and his vertical passing attack. It’ll be interesting to see if Jim Schwartz’s squad can rise to the challenge and play with a little composure for once. If not, the Lions will put a ton of pressure on themselves to beat the Packers next week and end their horrific playoff drought.

Eagles @ Seahawks, 8:20PM ET, Thursday
Philadelphia is just the latest example of what usually happens to everyone’s preseason chic pick. Granted, there’s still time for the Eagles to turn things around and if they win out, there’s a chance they could sneak in the back door of the postseason. But I’m not so sure they’ll even win tonight against the Seahawks. Although they lost to Washington last Sunday, Seattle is usually tough to beat at home and the Eagles have been sleepwalking all year. That’s a very undisciplined, unfocused team that Andy Reid is running these days.

Raiders @ Dolphins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Just when positive things start to happen in Miami, Brandon Marshall finds himself in handcuffs. Apparently police in Broward County, Florida briefly detained the receiver after he was accused of fleeing a $142 cab fee around 5:00AM on November 14. The rest of the details are fantastic. The cab driver said that Marshall “didn’t know where he wanted to go” and “When I woke him up and told him he had to pay, he said he wasn’t and started arguing for me to take him home.” Get this, Marshall blamed the “misunderstanding” on the cab driver’s “accent,” although it sounds as if he wouldn’t have understood anyone given the condition he was in. How good of shape are you when you’re falling asleep in the back of cabs at 5:00AM?

Broncos @ Vikings, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Von Miller underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair torn ligaments in his thumb and may not play on Sunday for the Broncos. That’s bad news for a Denver team that has had to rely on its defense and the one-quarter of magic from Tim Tebow every week. Miller is a runaway candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and if he can’t go, the Broncos defense will be down one of its biggest playmakers (if not the biggest playmaker). Of course, if Adrian Peterson doesn’t suit up for Minnesota then Denver only really has to worry about Percy Harvin.

Falcons @ Texans, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Don’t be surprised if T.J. Yates surprises this Sunday. First and foremost, he played in a pro-style offense under John Shoop and Butch Davis at North Carolina and Atlanta will be down two of its top three corners (Brent Grimes and Kelvin Hayden). Christopher Owens, who will start for Grimes (knee), was the poor lad that was repeatedly torched by Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Divisional Round last January and Dominique Franks (who will start at nickel in place of Hayden), has received very little PT the past two years.

Titans @ Bills, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
While I think the Texans can survive thanks to their running game and defense, this is the time for the Titans to take the governor off and amp things up. Tennessee has a legitimate shot of catching Houston in the AFC South because of T.J. Yates’ inexperience. But the Titans need to win, including this weekend against a struggling Buffalo team. The Bills are without Fred Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick is reeling right now. Tennessee has to take advantage.

Bengals @ Steelers, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
It’s put up or shut up time for the Bengals this weekend in Pittsburgh. If they can’t prove that they can beat the Steelers, then nobody is going to consider them legit contenders. On the flip side, if Andy Dalton and Co. pull off the upset then Cincinnati will very much remain in the thick of things in the AFC North. This game could provide a very clear picture of how the rest of the season will play out for the Bengals.

Panthers @ Bucs, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
What a complete role reversal for Tampa Bay. While the Saints and on a smaller scale, the Falcons, improved their rosters this offseason, the Bucs rested on their laurels outside of signing a punter (Michael Koenen). The Tampa front office, which has always been cheap anyway, figured it didn’t need to make any upgrades after the team won 10 games last year and now the Bucs are paying for it. They’re clearly overmatched and lack playmakers to compete with New Orleans and Atlanta in the division. If they lose at home to the upstart Panthers this Sunday, it’ll officially be the lowest point of the season for the Bucs.

Colts @ Patriots, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
There’s really not any point in breaking this game down, right? I mean, not even a little bit. The Colts haven’t played well all season and while a quarterback change may bring a little optimism to Indy’s locker room, the switch is Curtis Painter for Dan Orlovsky. That’s only about a droplet of optimism right there.

Chiefs @ Bears, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
As painful as it may sound to Mike Martz, he’s going to have to design his offense around Matt Forte and then sit back and watch Devin Hester and the Chicago defense win games from here on out. Because Martz obviously can’t run his offense with Caleb Hanie in the same manner as he did with Jay Cutler. Hanie would be okay if Fotre was the focal point of the offense but will be exposed if Martz tries to force the issue through the air. That said, the Bears should eat Tyler Palko alive so as long as Hanie doesn’t throw another four interceptions then Chicago should be fine.

Jets @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
The Jets need to be careful this Sunday. For as inconsistent as Washington’s offense has been this season, its defense will get after the quarterback. Plus, it’s clear that Rex Grossman makes the Redskins a more competitive team than when John Beck is under center, so it probably won’t be a walk in the park for Rex Ryan’s crew this weekend. If Mark Sanchez didn’t find some of his lost confidence last week when he threw four touchdown passes, the Jets could easily lose this Sunday on the road.

Packers @ Giants, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
Normally the Giants play their best football when their backs are against the wall and maybe they will again this Sunday. But what I witnessed on Monday night was an overmatched defense that is really feeling the effects of injuries (which date back to the preseason). Drew Brees and the Saints are explosive but even Sean Payton’s offense pails in comparison to what Aaron Rodgers and Co. bring to the table. It may be another long day for the New York defense.

Cowboys @ Cardinals, 4:15PMET, Sunday
The Cowboys have a golden opportunity to potentially take a two-game lead over the Giants in the NFC East because while they’re playing the 4-7 Cardinals, New York will host the undefeated Packers at the same time on the other side of the country. The Cowboys can’t afford to muck this up, although this is the same team that was nearly beaten by the Redskins and Dolphins, respectively, the past two weeks. With the way Dallas has a tendency to underachieve at times, don’t be surprised if Arizona keeps things close on Sunday.

Ravens @ Browns, 4:05PM ET, Sunday
As they proved last week against the Bengals, the Browns can sneak up on opponents if teams aren’t careful. Cleveland’s offense maxes out at about 17 points but the Browns defense is competitive. With Baltimore coming off a hard-fought win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving night, the Ravens better not get caught sleepwalking this week.

Rams @ 49ers, 4:15PM ET, Sunday
With Jack Del Rio being fired on Monday in Jacksonville, you have to wonder how much longer Steve Spagnuolo has in St. Louis. In defense of Spags, the Rams’ schedule was brutal at the start and injuries have taken their toll in the secondary and along the offensive line. But the team isn’t even watchable right now. Personally, I think Spagnuolo has at least one more year to turn things around in St. Louis but it wouldn’t be a shock if come Monday he were out of a job. I think it would take a blowout loss on Sunday though.

Lions @ Saints, 8:20PM ET, Sunday
Detroit’s playoff hopes could vanish very quickly over these upcoming weeks. The Saints are a solid football team overall but they’ve proven to be unbeatable at home this year. And considering the Lions won’t have Ndamukong Suh (two-game suspension) to rush Drew Brees this weekend, New Orleans may put up 40-plus points again. (Detroit is also down a few players in its secondary, which always bodes well when a team is about to take on the Saints in New Orleans.)

Chargers @ Jaguars, 8:30PM ET, Monday
Somebody had to pay for the complete mismanagement of Blaine Gabbert this season and unfortunately for him, that man was Jack Del Rio. Gabbert should have been holding a clipboard in his first year but instead he’s starting every week despite not being ready. It’s not surprising to see him struggle considering how raw he was as a prospect back in April. As for San Diego, things just keep getting worse and worse for Norv Turner. The Bolts lost left tackle Marcus McNeill to a season-ending back injury earlier this week and had to claim Jared Gaither off waivers from the Chiefs. Now Philip Rivers will have even less time to throw interceptions.

Patriots @ Steelers, 4:15PM ET
This is an intriguing matchup not only because of the two teams but also due to the individual matches within the game. The Patriots arguably have the most efficient passing attack in the league, but they’ve struggled defending the pass for much of the season. Thanks to Ben Roethlisberger and the big-play ability of Pittsburgh’s receivers, the Steelers could strike for a long score at any point. I think this one will live up to the hype and with a whole slew of garbage matchups on the Week 8 schedule, I hope it does.

Cowboys @ Eagles, 8:20PM ET
It’s time to see how many of the Eagles’ problems Andy Reid was able to iron out over the bye week. Philadelphia looked great against Washington the week before its bye, but Dallas will provide a more difficult challenge than the Redskins did. DeMarco Murray is coming off a breakout game and the Eagles haven’t been able to stop the run all season. If Murray can get going again, the Cowboys have a chance to potentially put the nail in the coffin of their bitter rivals.

Lions @ Broncos, 4:05PM ET
The Lions have more pressing issues to worry about than whether or not Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player. Matthew Stafford (ankle) is hobbled, Jahvid Best (concussion) is out for another week and the defense can’t stop the run. The Broncos might not be the better overall team in this matchup but Tim Tebow has breathed new life into Denver and will be fired up to play at home. This will not be an easy road trip this weekend for the Lions.

Vikings @ Panthers, 1:00PM ET
Rookie quarterbacks will be on display this Sunday in Carolina when the Panthers host the Vikings. Outside of the two interceptions he threw to Charles Woodson in the third quarter last week, the Vikings had to be pleased with Christian Ponder’s first professional start. If Minnesota wants to give Ponder an opportunity to notch his first win, then the Vikes better get Adrian Peterson revved up. Carolina’s run defense has been bad all year and it would be wise to keep Cam Newton on the bench considering how bad Minnesota’s pass defense is.

Chargers @ Chiefs, 8:30PM ET Monday
This matchup certainly got more interesting over the past few weeks. After starting the year 0-3 the Chiefs have rattled off three-straight and who can forget the beating they gave the Chargers on Monday night last season? Of course, they won’t have Jamaal Charles this time around but Jackie Battle is starting to come on as KC’s leading rusher. The Chargers’ offense was blanked in the second half last Sunday against the Jets, leading to speculation about whether or not Philip Rivers may be hurt. If he’s not, then it’s time for him to step up on Monday night in what has turned out to be a pretty big divisional game.

Jaguars @ Texans, 1:00PM ET
Blaine Gabbert has received most of the attention this year in Jacksonville, but it’s been the Jaguar defense that has stolen the show. They absolutely dominated the Ravens on Monday night and thanks to strong play out of linebackers Daryl Smith and Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville ranks sixth in yards allowed this season. The Jags’ defense will certainly be tested this weekend, especially if Andre Johnson returns from the hamstring injury that has held him out for nearly a month.

Cardinals @ Ravens, 1:00PM ET
There was simply no excuse for the Ravens not to score at least two touchdowns and beat the Jaguars last Monday night. Joe Flacco has got to be better than what he’s shown so far this season. His accuracy is way down and last week he completed 21 passes for only 137 yards at 3.6 yards a clip. That’s brutal. It’s great that the Ravens want to get Ray Rice more involved, because they should. But if this team is a legit Super Bowl contender like most say, then Flacco has to raise his level of play. He can start this weekend against an Arizona defense that’s allowing nearly 275 yards per game through the air this season.

Browns @ 49ers, 4:15PM ET
Statistically speaking, the Niners aren’t playing the best defense in the league. They’re 11th in yards allowed per game, second in points, second in rushing yards allowed and 22nd in passing yards allowed. But there’s no doubt that the Niners are playing well in all three areas of the game (run defense, pass defense and pass rush). That said, how far can they go if Frank Gore and the running game can’t carry the offense? Fortunately for Jim Harbaugh and Co., they shouldn’t have to worry about that question this week. Cleveland’s three wins have come against NFL powerhouses Indianapolis, Miami and Seattle. The Browns have wilted against good competition all season.

Redskins @ Bills, 4:05PM ET
The Bills have a huge opportunity to jump back into first place with a win and a New England loss. The Patriots are in Pittsburgh this Sunday, which is certainly not an easy place to play so if they lose and the Bills beat the Redskins, Buffalo and New England will be tied at 5-2 atop the AFC East standings. But first things first:: the Bills need to beat a banged up Washington team in Toronto this Sunday.

Saints @ Rams, 1:00PM ET
No team has allowed more points this season than the Indianapolis Colts. Which team has given up the second most points this year? You guessed it: the St. Louis Rams. If the Cardinals don’t find a way to come back and beat the Rangers in the World Series, it might be a bad sports weekend for the city of St. Louis.

Dolphins @ Giants, 1:00PM ET
Apparently Tony Sparano put his 5,182 square home up for sale this weekend. According to Sparano, he’s selling the house because it’s too big now that his daughter has gone off to college, which is certainly plausible. What’s more plausible, however, is that Sparano isn’t long for Miami following the team’s 0-6 start. With the players seemingly checking out, how long can the front office keep Sparano employed? I don’t want to see anyone lose their jobs, but the writing has been on the wall for weeks.

Colts @ Titans, 1:00PM ET
It’s amazing to think that the Titans have one of the worst rushing games in the league considering they have Chris Johnson as their running back. But it’s been a collection of things that have ruined Johnson’s season up to this point. First and foremost, he wasn’t in football shape when he came into the season because of his holdout, and Tennessee’s run blocking has been brutal this season. The good news is that the Colts have one of the league’s worst run defenses so if the Titans can’t get it going on the ground this Sunday, then they may never get their rushing woes corrected.

Bengals @ Seahawks, 4:15PM ET
The Bengals have a golden opportunity to get to 5-2 on the year, which would be incredible when you consider how many pundits didn’t think they would win five games all season. That said, a trip to Seattle is nothing to sneeze at. No matter how poorly the Seahawks might be playing, they always raise the level of their play when they’re at home. Andy Dalton has been decent this season but the rookie has never played in an environment like Seattle’s before. Of course, Cincy’s defense has been solid all year and given the Hawks’ QB troubles, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bengals roll.

49ers @ Lions, 1:00PM ET
Neither of these teams has to prove anything this weekend. Both the Lions and 49ers are legit and if you disagree then you really haven’t been paying attention lately. No team in the league is playing better defensively right now than San Francisco and Detroit’s passing game is only overshadowed by the league’s elite (i.e. New England, New Orleans and Green Bay). This is the most intriguing matchup in Week 6 and I can’t wait to see the result.

Bills @ Giants, 1:00PM ET
What a great test for both of these teams. The Bills are 4-1 but in their two road games this season, they crushed a bad Kansas City team and lost to the Bengals after squandering a double-digit lead at halftime. The Giants, meanwhile, were playing with loads of confidence until they overlooked the Seahawks last week at home. Focus won’t be an issue for either of these teams as they both look to use this game as a measuring stick.

Eagles @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET
It’s funny, the Eagles haven’t played a full four quarters since Week 1 and have dropped four straight and yet, you get the feeling that people still expect Andy Reid and Co. to figure it out. Well, it’s now or never. If the Eagles can get to 2-4 with a bye week coming up, maybe they can put a little run together in the second half. But if they lose this week to another divisional foe then Reid and his coaching staff will have to sit on a five-game losing streak for two weeks. With their backs against the wall, if the Eagles can’t win this Sunday their deficit in the NFC East may be too much to overcome.

Panthers @ Falcons, 1:00PM ET
People are attempting not to break their necks jumping off the Falcons bandwagon – and for good reason. Their offense is broke and coordinator Mike Mularkey keeps trying the same conservative tactics to try and fix it. He’s either unable or unwilling to change and either way, the Falcons keep losing. Even though Atlanta owns the better record coming into this NFC South showdown, it’s Carolina that’s covered in optimism right now.

Rams @ Packers, 1:00PM ET
The mini scare they received last week in Atlanta may have proven to be great for Green Bay. Before the Falcons built a 14-0 lead on the Packers, Green Bay may have believed it was invincible. But they quickly got things corrected, won the game, and now they can get re-focused with another inferior team in the Rams coming to town this weekend. Two weeks ago the Packers crushed the Broncos and if they want to keep firing on all cylinders, Green Bay needs to rout a bad St. Louis team as well.

Jaguars @ Steelers, 1:00PM ET
I guess all those claims that the Steelers’ run was over after they lost to the Texans were a tad overstated, huh? The Steelers looked like their dominant selves last Sunday against the Titans and now get to feast on a rookie quarterback in Blaine Gabbert this weekend. The Jaguars haven’t had much offense since Gabbert took over the quarterback reins and they could once again struggle at Heinz Field this Sunday. That’s not an easy place to play when your resume is lacking experience.

Colts @ Bengals, 1:00PM ET
The Bengals have a golden opportunity to get to 4-2 on the season but they face a huge test this Sunday. No not on the field, as the Colts are less fearsome than a box of puppies. But mentality this is a prime opportunity for Cincinnati to be overconfident. They know they should beat the Colts and that’s often how NFL teams get burned. If anything, Marvin Lewis and his team should remember how overconfident the Bills were coming into Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Buffalo believed it had a win locked up after knocking off the Patriots the week before and the Bills squandered a double-digit lead at halftime. Beware the letdown, Cincinnati.

Cowboys @ Patriots, 4:15PM ET
The Cowboys are overmatched but they’ll also get some key players back from injury and had two weeks to prepare for this game. Not that any team wants to get into a shootout with Tom Brady, but the Patriots’ defense can be had. It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Romo can put the Detroit game behind him and will his team to victory against one of the best teams in the league.

Texans @ Ravens, 4:05PM ET
It’s gut-check time for Houston. The Texans lost two of their biggest playmakers in Andre Johnson (hamstring) and Mario Williams (pectoral) the past two weeks, but that just means that other players need to step up. It’s time for Matt Schaub to put a game on his shoulders and prove that he can win another big statement game. The Ravens had two weeks to prepare for this game and were rolling before heading into their bye. If the Texans don’t man up, it could be a long afternoon for them in Baltimore.

Saints @ Bucs, 4:15PM ET
Tampa Bay was finally exposed last week in San Francisco and things don’t get any easier for the Bucs this week with the Saints coming to town. This will be the third-straight road game for the Saints, who continue to roll after dropping their season opener in Green Bay. If they’re not road-weary, they could create some breathing room between them and the Bucs in the NFC South with a win this weekend. If they lose, then Tampa might restore some of the confidence it lost last Sunday.

Browns @ Raiders, 4:05PM ET
One week after their emotional victory in Houston, the Raiders return home to face a Browns team that has had a Charmin Extra Soft schedule up to this point. Cleveland’s two wins have come against the winless Colts and Dolphins, while their two losses were by double-digit points to the Bengals and Titans. This is a game the Raiders simply must have. Cleveland’s defense has actually played pretty well thus far, but it also hasn’t faced a real offense yet. (No offense to Tennessee.) The Raiders have the firepower on offense to put this game away early but they can’t overlook a team that has had two weeks to prepare for them.

Vikings @ Bears, 8:20PM ET
If the Bears have any shot of keeping pace with the Packers and Lions in the NFC North, they can’t lose this Sunday at home to Minnesota. The Vikings haven’t played as poorly as their 1-4 record would indicate. Their pass rush has been solid and their run defense has been outstanding. Given the issues the Bears have had along their offensive line, Jared Allen and Co. could take over this game in a heartbeat. Adrian Peterson has also been known to have some big games at Solider Field, so the Bears need to treat the Vikings as if they were the Packers coming to town.

Dolphins @ Jets, 8:30PM ET Monday
The Jets have had major issues the past three weeks but they’re still better than Miami. Lose to the winless Dolphins at home and Rex Ryan will have a serious issue on his hands. This would be a great time for the Jets to iron out some of their problems in the running game, as Miami has been one of the worst run defense teams in the league.

Word has it that the Eagles loaded up this offseason. BIG TIME.

They added Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, Anthony Hargrove and Vince Young to a roster that already included Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel. In other words: CHAMPIONSHIP!

Following their huge offseason, there’s no doubt that the Eagles should be favored to win the NFC East, but let’s pump the breaks for a second and play devil’s advocate. Just like any team at this point of the year, they have question marks. Below are three factors I believe could make Philly fail to live up to the hype.

(For those wondering why I didn’t include DeSean Jackson’s contract situation: I fully believe that the Eagles will pay D-JAX at some point, which is why I chose to focus on other factors.)

1. Michael Vick
Last season, Vick compiled career-highs in completion percentage, touchdowns and QB-rating, while posting a career-low in interceptions and interception percentage. Now let’s see if he can do it again. Talent has never been the issue with Vick – consistency has. When he set a then career-high for completion percentage in ‘04 with Atlanta, he regressed as a passer in ‘05 and ‘06. He’s also injury-prone and has a habit of forcing the action when his team is trailing in the fourth quarter and counting on him to make a play. (One example of this came in last year’s playoffs against the Packers in which he was picked off in the end zone on the Eagles’ final drive.)

There’s no doubt Vick has matured as a player and a person. Prison and not being coddled by an owner (Arthur Blank) and head coach (Jim Mora) will do that for an athlete. But let’s see if Vick can put together back-to-back successful seasons before we anoint him a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. He has a habit of getting complacent in his situation, especially when he has nobody behind him to push him. Granted, Andy Reid is 10-times the coach Mora was, but it remains to be seen whether or not Vick will stay hungry for 16-plus games. Remember, he’s 2-3 as a starter in the playoffs and 0-3 in postseason games in Philly.

2. Juan Castillo
Juan Castillo is a fine coach and I believe in his abilities Monday through Saturday. I’m pro-Andy Reid and despite what many people believe, I don’t think his hiring of Castillo was simply one of his “I’m smarter than everyone and I’ll prove it” decisions.

But the fact remains that Castillo has zero experience as a defensive coordinator. When you look at his resume, the only experience he has on the defensive side of the ball came at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the early 80s, where he was a defensive line/linebackers coach, and at Kingsville High School in the late 80s when he was a linebackers coach/defensive coordinator. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see how Castillo performs in-game. Thanks to his personnel and the fact that the Eagles will probably be playing with the lead more times than not, he should be fine. But what happens when his unit is playing from behind? What happens when it gives up a big-play or conversely, when it needs to make something happen?

Again, it’s not a matter of if Castillo can put together a game plan, react to what an offense is doing, or get his players to buy into his philosophy. It’s whether or not he can make the right decisions on Sunday. No matter how you slice it, he’s a big question mark heading into the season.

3. Lofty Expectations
Expectations are a bitch. They’re a bitch in any profession, especially in those that garner as much media attention as sports do. How will this team react going into the season as the favorites to win the NFC East and potentially even the Super Bowl? Nobody knew what to expect from the Eagles last year with Kevin Kolb taking over for Donovan McNabb and they wound up winning 10 games thanks in large part to Vick. But heading into this year, Andy Reid and Co. will have a massive bulls-eye on their backs. Opponents will want to down the “Dream Team” and it’s not like the Giants and Cowboys are going to just hand the division over either. Dallas should be much improved with the return of Tony Romo and the Giants won’t be pushovers thanks to Tom Coughlin.

Thanks to their offseason additions, the Eagles should be favored. There’s no argument there. But how will they play when every single one of their opponents will see them coming?

Tony Grossi traces the history of the offense in today’s Plain Dealer, starting with Paul Brown, then to Bill Walsh who joined him in Cincinnati and then on to Holmgren and other like Andy Reid. The “West Coast” nickname was originally coined by Bill Parcels.

It’s a great read for anyone who appreciates football schemes and how they evolve through the years. The bottom line for Browns fans is they have a quarterback in Colt McCoy who has the potential to flourish in this system. That said, the West Coast offense relies heavily on timing, so expect some growing pains as the Browns try to install a new system in a year without any off-season prep. I suspect the Browns and other teams installing new systems with play their starters much more in the pre-season.

Andy Reid is smarter than you.

Everyone thought he would finally go with an outside hire when he had to find a new defensive coordinator. And why wouldn’t he? Replacing Jim Johnson with in-house option Sean McDermott backfired, so surely he would go with someone established like Dick Jauron or Jim Mora.

Only Reid hired his offensive line coach instead. Don’t adjust your monitors, you read that right. In an unprecedented move, Reid hired his offensive line coach to coordinate his defense.

And you want to be my latex salesman.

Juan Castillo deserves an opportunity to have success before everyone says he can’t. He did coach linebackers and defensive line to start his career at Texas A&M Kingsville, so it’s not like he’s always been stuck on the offensive side of the ball. From what I’ve read, he’s also gotten this far on hard work and his ability to coach up and motivate players. That sounds like a winning combination for a coach.

But does he know how to put together a defensive game plan? Does he know how to implement a scheme? Does he even know how to be a playcaller? Considering he has zero experience on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL, it’s hard to fault anyone who thinks this is a horrendous hire. Just because he’s a hard worker doesn’t mean he has what it takes to become a great coordinator. Just because he can relate to his players doesn’t mean he’ll be able to make the personnel adjustments on Sundays in the heat of the moment.

Reid claims that Castillo did help out on defense last year. Great, you mean the unit that had the worst red zone defense in the league and saw all of its coaches fired?

Reid now has a bulls-eye on his back. If this move fails, he and Castillo will be looking for jobs together in a year or two. If Reid believes that Castillo is the best man for the job then so be it – I hope it works out. But you don’t hire your offensive line coach to become your defensive coordinator without putting all your eggs in one basket.

Again, the problem with this move isn’t that Reid didn’t make a conventional hire. Mike Martz and all of his offensive genius didn’t pan out in Detroit and San Francisco. Everyone praises the work Gregg Williams has done in New Orleans, but don’t forget he was a bust as a defensive coordinator for the Jaguars in 2008. A lot of conventional moves don’t work out either.

But Reid had zero room for error when it came to hiring his next defensive coordinator. Zero. Here’s hoping he is smarter than all of us.