Ravens @ Patriots, 3:00PM ET, Sunday
Call me old fashioned but I think this game will come down to the play of the quarterbacks. Joe Flacco usually doesn’t have to throw for many yards because Baltimore’s defense limits the production of the opposing offense. But what if Tom Brady and Co. is firing on all cylinders this Sunday? What if the Patriots do the unthinkable and draw the Ravens into a shootout? Can Flacco beat Brady in a wildfire?

If the Patriots were smart, they’d use the Chargers’ 34-14 Week 15 beat down of the Ravens as a blueprint to beat Baltimore. In that game, Philip Rivers got the ball out of his hand quickly, attacked Baltimore down field and thus, never allowed the Ravens’ fierce pass rush to get into a rhythm. If Baltimore, which led the league in sacks this season, can’t get to the quarterback then its defense can become ordinary. In their 12 wins this season, the Ravens sacked the quarterback 43 times. In their four losses, they got to the opposing signal caller just five times. Considering New England has one of the better offensive lines in the game, it’s not unfathomable that the Ravens will have trouble defensively this weekend.

Which leads me back to Flacco. Can he be the quarterback that threw for 300 yards and led the Ravens to that great fourth-quarter comeback in Pittsburgh this season? Or will he succumb to the pressure of trying to go toe-to-toe with Brady? Nobody will confuse New England’s defense with San Francisco’s but the Patriots did harass Tim Tebow last weekend. If they’re able to take away Ray Rice and Torrey Smith like Houston did last week, will Flacco step up?

Baltimore has often been a match up problem for New England. But the Patriots seem hell bent on getting back to the Super Bowl so it’s probably safe to say that the Ravens will get New England’s best effort this weekend.

Giants @ 49ers, 6:30PM ET, Sunday
With all due respect to the other contenders still left in the playoff field, the Giants are probably the most complete team remaining. The Patriots have the better offense and the 49ers have the better defense, but the Giants aren’t far off in either category. They also have a better quarterback in Eli Manning than the Ravens have in Joe Flacco, the latter of which has been highly inconsistent this season.

But the question is whether or not the Giants have started to read their own press clippings. As I’ve written before on this site, the G-Men are the perfect underdog. When their backs are pressed firmly against the wall and they believe that it’s them against the world, they beat teams like the Packers and Patriots (multiple times, in fact). When they’re well aware that they’re the favorite, they’re liable to lose to inferior opponents like Washington, Seattle or a Michael Vick-less Philadelphia team. The Giants are just weird that way.

That said, New York has very few weaknesses. They finished dead last in rushing during the regular season but the duo of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs looks much more potent now that at any time this year. When he protects the football, Eli is tough to beat and he has a trio of wide receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham that can win individual matchups in coverage. If the defense has a weakness, it’s in the secondary but the pass rush is so good that it masks the holes in the backfield. Yes, the Giants are a complete team.

But let’s pay a little respect to the 49ers, who knocked off a team in the Saints that many people believed was unstoppable. Led by Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Carlos Rogers and rookie Aldon Smith, the Niners don’t have many weaknesses defensively (if any). And while they don’t have as many weapons offensively as the Giants do, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis have proven that they can take over games this season.

The Niners also have home field advantage and have already beaten the Giants once this season (27-20 in Week 10). So again, if the Giants think they’re going to breeze in and out of San Francisco on its way to Indianapolis, they better pause to re-focus. They’ll have to earn what they get this weekend.

- While their pass rush was suspect early on, the Giants’ offensive line did a fantastic job opening holes for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Then the Falcons’ defense helped out by constantly diving at shoestrings instead of wrapping up. The G-Men hadn’t run the football well all year but they finally got their bruising, punishing style back today.

- It took a while for Eli Manning to get going but once Jacobs and the running game started to open up passing lanes, the Giants’ offense really took off. One thing Manning did was stay patient. John Abraham was getting a ton of pressure on him early on, but Eli stood tough and constantly kept his eyes downfield. When his receivers started to beat the coverage, he made accurate passes and then guys like Hakeem Nicks did the rest. (Again, with a lot of help from piss poor tackling by Atlanta.)

- It’ll be interesting to see how New York fares next weekend heading into Green Bay. They hung with the Packers earlier this year in New York and they certainly have the weapons to pull off an upset. They’ve also looked like a more confident team these past three weeks, so we’re probably in store for a great matchup in the Divisional round. Then again, the Packers aren’t going to piss themselves like the Falcons did today.

- While the media will surely make this game about the Giants (who did dominate, there’s no question), you can’t overlook the fact that Mike Smith, Mike Mularkey and Matt Ryan continue to kill the Falcons in big games. His defense bailed him out by getting a safety on the next possession but Smith blew it by going for it on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter. Instead of taking a field goal after a successful drive (the Falcons’ first in three possessions), Smith went for it, then the Falcons’ o-line didn’t get any push and Ryan was stopped short. Then, in the same situation in the third quarter, Smith elects to go for it again and Ryan is stuffed on another sneak. This isn’t the first time that Smith has blown it on fourth-and-1 this season. He cost the Falcons a potential victory against the Saints earlier this year by going for it on his own 29-yard-line in overtime. The Falcons were stuffed then too, and the Saints received a rather easy victory. Smith clearly has no idea what “risk versus reward” means and he cost his team yet again today. Both of those plays deflated an offense that couldn’t move the ball to save its life and a defense that had kept the team in the game. It was stupid, stupid coaching from a man that has been fantastic in the regular season but now 0-3 in the playoffs.

- Of course, Smith doesn’t call the plays for the Falcons – that’s Mike Mularkey’s job. Why Mularkey would run two quarterback sneaks when his offensive line had gotten zero push all day is beyond me. Mularkey wants to be a head coach again in the NFL and the Falcons should be praying he gets his shot. He’s a horrendous playcaller in big games because he gets too conservative, too predictable and he puts his players in losing situations. He has no imagination when it comes to game planning for good defenses and he can’t make in-game adjustments either. His game plan today was to run Michael Turner 25 times and hope that would be enough. When the Giants’ shut down the Falcons’ running game, Mularkey had no other plan. For this offense to only score two points is pathetic, especially when you consider how vulnerable New York’s secondary was coming into the playoffs. And hey, the Falcons’ offense wasn’t even though ones that scored the two points – that was the defense. I just keeping thinking about the Miami Dolphins, who are reportedly interested in Mularkey as a head coach. What are they thinking after today? “Yep, that’s our guy! Dude clearly knows how to win.”

- Of course, Mularkey isn’t on the field. Matt Ryan has proven to be a pretty good regular season quarterback but he quivers when the spotlight is on him. Just like he did versus Chicago, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans earlier this year, Ryan anticipated the rush instead of reacting to it. When he’s scared, he takes his eyes off his receivers and immediately looks to dump the ball off. At this juncture, it’s entirely fair to play the, “Can Matt Ryan ever win a playoff game?” card.

- Hey Roddy White, that’s not a flaming arrow coming at your face – it’s the ball. Try catching it.

- I actually feel for Atlanta’s defense because until the fourth quarter, they played well enough to win. They didn’t tackle well but their top corner Brent Grimes was deemed inactive before the start of the game and they were without starting strong-side linebacker Stephen Nicholas as well. They also lost their starting strong safety William Moore in the first half, yet despite being overmatched they hung in there while the offense continued to fail them. It’s certainly not the defense’s fault that Atlanta came up short in the postseason yet again.

- When you watch a punchless, scared team like the Falcons, you have a greater appreciation for teams like the Packers, Saints, Steelers, and Patriots, who don’t lack that killer instinct when it comes to the postseason. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they can’t trade up in the draft for a backbone.

Bengals @ Texans, Saturday, 4:30PM ET
The biggest concern for the Bengals right now might be the fact that rookie Andy Dalton has hit a wall. He’s topped 200 yards passing in just one of his final five games and he missed practice on Wednesday after being hospitalized with flu-like symptoms. In his Week 14 matchup against Houston, he went 16-of-28 for 189 yards and one touchdown, which wasn’t enough as the Texans rallied for a 20-19 victory. For all the talk surrounding Houston’s quarterback situation this week, Dalton may be the key to this game. The Texans’ pass rush is one of the best in the league and their run defense has been stout as well. Cedric Benson was limited on Wednesday because of a foot injury and he’s also been dealing with a back issue. If the Bengals can’t get their running game going, Dalton will become the focus. Wade Phillips will surely throw a few wrinkles at the rookie in his first postseason game, so it’ll be interesting to see how Dalton responds to his biggest test as a pro. Win or lose, Dalton has had a great year and performed well beyond expectations. But for the Bengals to advance to the Divisional round, he’ll have to raise the level of his play.

Lions @ Saints, Saturday, 8:00PM ET, Saturday
The key to this game isn’t Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson or Detroit’s secondary. Believe it or not, it isn’t Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham or Sean Patyon either. The key to this game is Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cliff Avril, Corey Williams and the rest of the Lions’ defensive line. You don’t beat an elite quarterback by blitzing him on every play. You beat him by dropping defenders into coverage and rushing him with your front four. Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady – they’re all the same. They can beat a blitz because they know their respective offenses like the back of their hand and they know exactly where to go with the football to burn a defense. But like any quarterback, they struggle the most when under pressure. Granted, it’s easier said than done to only bring four down linemen on a given play. If Suh and Co. don’t reach Brees, he’ll have plenty of time to wait until his receivers get open before delivering those accurate passes of his. Plus, a big reason why Brees is so good is because his offensive line has been excellent in pass blocking this season. Opponents try to overload with blitzes because Carl Nicks, Jermon Bushrod and Jahri Evans have been immovable objects up front. But it’s gut-check time for the Lions. They certainly have enough offensive weapons to match Brees and Payton, but if they can’t bring heat using their front four then they’ll be dead upon arrival.

Falcons @ Giants, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
While most of the national focus this week is on the explosive battle in New Orleans and whether or not Tim Tebow has any magic left in that inaccurate left arm of his, this Falcons-Giants matchup might be the most even of the four Wildcard games. Both teams are built to run the football and therefore, fans may be treated to a heavy dose of Michael Turner, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. But it’s been the play of Matt Ryan and Eli Manning that has gotten the Falcons and Giants as far as they are. Ryan’s 92.2 QB rating is his best in four seasons as a pro and in his last four games he has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 10:0. Manning, meanwhile, has compiled a QB rating of 92.9 this year, which is only bested by his 93.1 mark in 2009. He also set franchise records for passing yards (4,933), attempts (589) and completions (359), and has set an NFL record by throwing 15 of his 29 touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He’s one of the biggest reasons, if not the biggest reason, that the Giants have five wins this season in which they erased fourth-quarter deficits. While Atlanta’s ability to slow New York’s pass rush will be a huge factor this weekend, this game will likely come down to the basics: penalties, turnovers, and execution (or lack thereof).

Steelers @ Broncos, 4:30PM, Sunday
With how pitiful Tim Tebow and the Denver offense looked last week at home versus Kansas City, there are plenty of NFL observers who envision a blowout this Sunday at Sports Authority Field. But as I wrote earlier this week in my “Five Questions…” piece, the Steelers aren’t exactly steamrolling into the playoffs. In their last four games Pittsburgh is averaging just over 14 points per game, which includes a 27-0 win over the hapless Rams in Week 16. It’s no coincidence that the Steelers’ offense started to struggle when Ben Roethlisberger hurt his ankle in a Week 14 victory over the Browns. But even two weeks prior to that when Big Ben was healthy, the Steelers managed just 13 points in a 13-9 win over the Chiefs. For as bad as Tebow has looked the past two weeks, Denver’s defense certainly has the capability of keeping things close, especially if the Steelers can’t run the ball without Rashard Mendenhall (season-ending knee injury). Granted, the Broncos aren’t going to win if they only manage a field goal like they did last Sunday, but this might not be the rout that many people expect.

What’s the deal with Rice’s hip?
There have been conflicting reports about the status of Viking receiver Sidney Rice’s hip. Said coach Leslie Frazier on Friday: “Our medical staff has assured us that he’s going to be fine…productive for years to come.” He also stressed that Rice is a high priority and the Vikings want to sign him to a long-term deal. But Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Sid Hartman reports that “close friends” of Rice claim that he’s dealing with an arthritic condition in his hip after playing hurt last season. If you’re looking to choose a side in this race, I’d go with the head coach over the beat reporter. But that’s just me.

Shurmur likes the idea of Hillis and Hardesty teaming up
New Browns coach Pat Shurmur told the media on Friday that he likes the idea of a two-back tandem featuring bulldozer Peyton Hillis and second-year back Montario Hardesty. I don’t know why he wouldn’t. Bill Walsh used Roger Craig and Tom Rathman together in his version of the West Coast Offense when the Niners won the 1988 Super Bowl. The book is still out on Hardesty, but Hillis proved to be a one-man wrecking crew at times last year and showed that he can catch the ball out of the backfield, too. Good coaches use the weapons they have and it would be a shame for the Browns not to incorporate some two-back looks with both Hillis and Hardesty lined up in the backfield.

Coughlin admits Jacobs needs to carry the ball more
It’s assumed by many that the Giants will dump running back Brandon Jacobs and his $4.65 million salary this offseason. But after hearing the comments coach Tom Coughlin made on Friday, maybe the G-Men plan to keep Jacobs around next year. “As you look at everything at the end of the year, Brandon was fresher than he’s ever been, healthier than he’s ever been and probably needs to carry the ball a little more,” said Coughlin, who also said that Jacobs has “a lot of gas in the tank.” Considering Ahmad Bradshaw is a free agent, Coughlin’s comments are rather interesting.

Bush not expected to be released
Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune doesn’t expect the Saints to release Reggie Bush before the end of the league year on March 4. Triplett writes that the team will probably wait and work on a “possible extension or restructure.” I find it hard to believe that the Saints would pay Bush the $11.8 million he’s owed next season, so he’s going to have to take a dramatic pay cut if he wants to stay in New Orleans. As of right now, it seems like he is willing to do that.

Newton “physically imposing,” Mallett…not so much.
Wes Bunting of the National Football Post is at the scouting combine this week and was there when the quarterbacks weighed in on Friday. Cam Newton checked in at 6-5 and 248 pounds, while Ryan Mallett was nearly 6-7 and 253 pounds. According to Bunting, Newton looked “physically imposing” and has an “impressive” athletic build, while Mallett “had a bad body” and seemed “soft.” For those who have seen photos of Tom Brady at his combine weigh-in, these comments could mean very little. (That’s not a knock on Bunting, who is an excellent draft analyst. I’m just pointing out that Brady didn’t look like an extra from the movie “300″ when he was drafted and he’s gone on to win three Super Bowls.)

Brandon Jacobs is following the handbook for disgruntled athletes to a “T” right now, as he’s already openly complained about his role in the Giants’ offense, made a public scene and will now ask the Giants to trade him.

With the way Jacobs has handled his demotion over the last couple of weeks, which includes a recent run-in with the media during a locker room interview session and throwing his helmet into the stands during last night’s loss to the Colts, the Giants probably wouldn’t mind if the two sides parted ways as well.

The problem is that Jacobs is only in the second year of a four-year, $25 million contract that the Giants gave him in February of 2009. He’s owed $3.65 million this year, $4.65 million next year and $4.9 million in 2012. He’s only 28, but it’s not like he’s a bargain right now – at least not how he’s a) acting and b) playing.

And that’s the bigger problem: his on-field play has been brutal over the past year and two weeks. He gained only 3.7 yards per carry last season and is gaining just 3.3 YPC in two games this year. Granted, he’s only had 16 carries, but he’s done little to nothing with those 16 carries that would convince a team to make a deal for him.

The Bills haven’t made it public, but they would probably be willing to trade Marshawn Lynch for a mid-round pick. Even with all of his baggage, why wouldn’t a team want to acquire him over a disgruntled Jacobs, who-oh-by-the-way is four years older than Lynch?

It appears as though Jacobs is stuck in his current situation for the foreseeable future.

Three years ago, Brandon Jacobs carried the rock 202 times for 1,009 yards and four touchdowns for the Giants during their Super Bowl season. In 2008, he bested those totals by rushing 219 times for 1,089 yards and 15 touchdowns.

But in 2009, his carries went up but his yardage declined. He rushed 224 times for 835 yards, which comes out to a paltry 3.7 YPC average. Making matters worse, he scored only five times while backfield mate Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 778 yards and seven scores.

Now Jacobs is pissed. He received only 10 carries in the Giants’ four preseason games, down from 21 totes last year. Meanwhile, he’s lost his starting job to Bradshaw, who is now New York’s featured back.

Following the team’s final preseason game last week against the Patriots, Jacobs had this to say to ESPN New York:

“No question,” Jacobs said. “To be in this business, you have to know that. No one’s your friend in this business. This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That’s just the way it goes. It’s been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this, you’re crazy.”

“It’s almost hard to stay positive in a situation like this, but that’s what I’ve got to do,” Jacobs said.

On Wednesday, Jacobs told the Newark Star-Ledger that people had made too big of a deal out of what he said:

“I’m happy,” the Giants’ leading rusher over the past three seasons said. “People get different things confused through words. That’s not the case. The case is I’m here to win football games and ride it on out with my teammates.

“People get things mixed up and make big deals out of everything that’s not even really what it is.”

Well, he didn’t look too happy during this locker room interview yesterday:

As with any athlete who is seemingly at the top of his game one moment and the next he’s being replaced, I feel for Jacobs. But like he said in his comments above, he knows what this business is all about. With how much money owners have invested in players and their franchises, which is why coaches and general managers can’t sit around and hope that a player is going to round back into form when they’re coming off a injury-riddled season like Jacobs is. Thus, that’s why Bradshaw is now the starter.

With that in mind, Jacobs has two choices. He can either pout and spend a miserable season in New York, or he can make the most out of the situation and realize that every offense in the NFL now needs two backs in order to be effective all season. It’s his choice though, and if he decides to go with option A then I can almost guarantee that he’s going to regret it sooner or later.

2010 NFL Division Previews & Predictions: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West | 2010 Question Marks Series

Much like its counterpart in the AFC, the NFC East is extremely difficult to predict this year. Three of the top four teams are legitimate playoff contenders and the Redskins have improved after going 4-12 last season.

It’s going to be a battle in this division this year, much like it is every season.

Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC East in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.

1. Cowboys

What to Like: The ‘Boys already had quite the offensive core in Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Marion Barber, Jason Witten and Felix Jones. But then they had Dez Bryant fall to them in the first round last April, which gives the offense yet another playmaker that defenses have to deal with every Sunday. After finishing sixth last year in total offense and 14th in scoring, I don’t see any reason why Dallas shouldn’t light up the scoreboard again this season. Defensively, DeMarcus Ware returns as a pass-rushing terror from his outside linebacker position and the unit is littered with underrated players like Jay Ratliff and Igor Olshansky.
What Not to Like: The biggest two question marks surround the free safety and left tackle positions. Alan Ball is an intriguing prospect, but he’s only a rookie and no matter how well he plays, he’s going to make some mistakes. At left tackle, the ‘Boys dumped long-time veteran Flozell Adams and replaced him with the inexperienced Doug Free, who played well on the right side last year but he has never been counted on to protect a quarterback’s blindside. The good thing is that if Free struggles, the team added Alex Barron this offseason as insurance. The other concern when it comes to the Cowboys is that they have a habit of fading down the stretch, with last year being the exception. I put that on coaching more than anything and with Wade Phillips (good coach, but he doesn’t come without his criticisms) still roaming the sidelines in Dallas, that means a late-season free fall isn’t out of the question.
Keep Your Eye On: Dez Bryant, WR
The Cowboys’ first round pick has already turned heads this offseason (both for his play on the field and his decision not to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads after practice) and if he can recover from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for the preseason, he’s going to have opportunities to make plays out of the team’s three receiver set.
The Final Word: This is the most talented team in the division and they’re pretty deep at most positions. The problem is that the Cowboys usually get in their own way down the stretch and late season collapses are nothing new to this franchise. That said, they got the playoff monkey off their back last year by advancing to the second round and as long as Phillips can keep this squad motivated, the ‘Boys should win the East for the second straight year. Their offense will be tough to stop and their defense will put pressure on the quarterback. The talent is there, now let’s see if the execution follows.

Dallas Cowboys 2010 Question Mark: Free Safety

2. Eagles

What to Like: Obviously the biggest question surrounding this team is whether or not Kevin Kolb can replace Donovan McNabb at quarterback. In the limited snaps he took last year, Kolb proved that he could run Andy Reid’s offense, so let’s see if he can do it on a weekly basis now. One thing’s for sure, he has plenty of playmakers at his disposal in the offense thanks to running back LeSean McCoy, receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, as well as tight end Brent Celek. Jason Peters and Winston Justice return to make the tackle position one of the team’s strengths. Defensively, Philly is absolutely stacked on the defensive line. Trent Cole gets more attention for his pass-rushing ability but he’s equally as good, if not better, against the run. Brodrick Bunkley is also well adept at shutting down the run and has emerged as the Eagles’ best interior lineman. Throw in Victor Abiamiri (when healthy) and rookie Brandon Graham and this unit is chockfull of playmakers. In the back seven, Asante Samuel and Quintin Mikell are studs, rookie Nate Allen has loads of potential and I love the addition of Ernie Sims (trade/Lions), as long as he can stay healthy. Don’t forget that MLB Stewart Bradley returns from an ACL injury that wiped out his entire 2009 season.
What Not to Like: The depth in the secondary is a concern and although there has been nothing but rave reviews about Allen thus far, he’s still a rookie and has yet to be tested. The bigger issue is at cornerback, where Ellis Hobbs will step in for Sheldon Brown across from Samuel. Hobbs finished last season on injured reserve after suffering a serious neck injury and hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with his play dating back to his days in New England. If he were to go down with another injury, Joselio Hansen, Macho Harris or Dimitri Patterson would be thrust into a starting role despite none of them proving that they could be full-time players.
Keep Your Eye On: Nate Allen
Talk about a future playmaker. Allen is going to make his fair share of mistakes as a first-year starter, but Philly fans will probably have visions of Brian Dawkins dancing through their heads this season while watching the rook. His potential is limitless and there’s little question that he’s going to be a ballhawk for the Eagles’ defense this season.
The Final Word: This is by far a boom or bust team. There’s plenty of reason to believe that the Eagles will finish third behind the Cowboys and Giants in the division, but I love their talent on both sides of the ball and you know they’re going to be aggressive defensively. They also have a favorable schedule, even though they made the playoffs last season. They only play five playoff teams from 2009, compared to the seven that the Giants will face. I put their chances of making the playoffs just above 50%, but I think Philly surprises doubters this year and finishes second in the East. Of course, I’m banking on the fact that Kolb can run the offense and won’t be a complete disaster in his first year as a starter.

Philadelphia Eagles 2010 Question Mark: Secondary Depth

3. Giants

What to Like: This won’t be the same defense that finished 30th last year in points allowed per game (26.7). Gone is defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan and his highly ineffective schemes and in is Perry Fewell, who brings an attacking style of play to the Big Apple. Under Fewell, the Giants should get back to using their strength on defense, which is getting after the quarterback. This team has no shortage of pass-rushers in Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Michael Boley, Clint Sintim and rookie Jason Pierre-Paul, and Fewell will find ways to use them all. Offensively, the Giants averaged 366 yards per game through the air last year, but they’d like to remain balanced with running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. After compiling a 93.1 QB rating last season, Eli Manning returns again as the rock of the offense and he’ll have plenty of help in the passing game thanks to receivers Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, as well as underrated tight end Kevin Boss.
What Not to Like: There’s no other way to put it: the defense has to be better this year – dramatically better. This team gave up 427 points last season, including 41 or more in three of their last four games. They allowed the most points in franchise history since 1967 and even though this is only Fewell’s first year in New York, he’s excepted to produce right away. The biggest question I have is whether or not Jonathan Goff can play the “Mike” linebacker in Fewell’s scheme. This isn’t to say that Goff isn’t a good player because he is. He can be a force against the run but he struggles in coverage, which is something he’ll be asked to do in Fewell’s defense. Can he turn and run with a back or tight end in coverage? We’ll find out soon because opponents are going to test him. The Giants also have some injury concerns at the moment, most notably at strong safety with Kenny Phillips and outside linebacker with Keith Bulluck. As of right now, it sounds like both of them are healthy, but we’ll see what happens once they start going full force in regular season games. The Giants could really use a healthy Phillips (a rising star) for a full season.
Keep Your Eye On: Osi Umenyiora
I list Umenyiora here because he’s an interesting study right now more than anything. Three years ago he was one of the major keys to the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Then an injury wiped out his entire 2008 season and last year he struggled mightily getting back onto the field and publicly voiced his displeasure with Sheridan’s defense (not that anyone blamed him). For a short period of time during the offseason, it looked like the Giants might trade him but he’s back and now the question is whether or not he can be the player he was in 2007.
The Final Word: Look, I get it. There are less questions about the Giants than there are about the Eagles, so I don’t blame NY fans for being upset that I have their beloved “Big Blue” finishing third in the division. But this team has a rough road ahead of it and they have plenty of questions themselves. Can Fewell fix the defense? Can Umenyiora and Jacobs (3.7 YPC average last season) bounce back? Is Goff the right fight for Fewell’s scheme? This team has got to get back to forcing turnovers again too, which is something it struggled with last year. The G-Men play seven playoff teams from 2009 and seeing as how they play in the toughest division in football, I don’t see them making the playoffs this year. There seems to be something missing, even if the defense dramatically improves from a year ago.

New York Giants 2010 Question Mark: Middle Linebacker

4. Redskins

What to Like: It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s “when” Mike Shanahan will whip this team into shape. While it wasn’t entirely his fault, Jim Zorn was a disaster as a head coach and in Shanahan, the Redskins get back a sense of stability and control. While I’ve always felt that Jason Campbell kind of got a bad rap in Washington, there’s no doubt that even at this point in his career, Donovan McNabb has better skill sets. He’s also better handling pressure than Campbell, and will look to get the ball out of his hands quickly if he feels a rush. The addition of massive left tackle Trent Williams via the first round of the draft was a huge boost for the O-line, as was the acquisition of former Saint Jammal Brown. Defensively, this team can really bring it off the edge thanks to second-year player Brian Orakpo and steady veteran Andre Carter. If Albert Haynesworth ever gets his head out of his ass, this defense will be pretty good at every level. The secondary features a couple of playmakers in strong safety LaRon Landry and DeAngelo Hall, even though the latter believes he’s much better than he really is.
What Not to Like: There’s major concern that Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme isn’t a fit for the current players the Skins employ on the offensive line. Williams has a ton of potential, but he’s only a rookie and has limited experience on the left side. Brown is a massive upgrade over Stephon Heyer, but he’s more of a pass blocker than a mauler in the run game. The same goes for left guard Derrick Dockery. If the new pieces on the O-line take a while to gel, that could spell trouble for McNabb, Clinton Portis and the rest of the offense. Speaking of Portis, he played in only eight games last year because of injury and unless Larry Johnson and Willie Parker find the fountain of youth, there isn’t a whole lot of talent behind him. McNabb won’t have a No.1 receiver at his disposal either, although he’s used to that coming from Philadelphia.
Keep Your Eye On: Albert Haynesworth
Haynesworth’s relationship with Shanahan will continue to be a story to follow well into the regular season. Once you think the two have reached common ground, Haynesworth does or says something to tear it all down. There’s no doubt he makes the Skins’ defense better when he’s healthy and motivated, but if he’s worried more about everything outside of just the game of football, then he’ll be useless. Not to mention, we still don’t know if he’s a good fit for the 3-4. (Even he thinks he isn’t, which is one of the main reasons he threw a major temper-tantrum this offseason.)
The Final Word: There are some pundits that think the Skins are going to magically transform from a 4-12 team to a playoff contender overnight because of Shanahan and McNabb. But the fact of the matter is that the O-line is still a major question mark and the defense is switching to a 3-4. Quite frankly, I don’t think this team has enough playmakers on offense or overall depth to contend all season. They may play well early on, but I’m willing to bet the Skins fade over the course of the year and then settle into last place in the East again. That said, this is an improved and improving squad from top to bottom.

Washington Redskins 2010 Question Marks: Offensive Line, Running Back, Receiver