The Sad Tale of the NFC Least

The NFC East has for years been known as possibly the toughest division in all of Pro Football. The race for first has been tighter in this Division than any other for much of NFL History. Even when the Cowboys enjoyed their glory days, they still had tough games against division rivals like the Redskins, Eagles, and Giants. There were games here and there that were blowouts, but for the most part, they were highly competitive.


Washington Redskins:
These days, that narrative has changed. Lately, each of these teams has a blemish that is so large that no one can have complete bragging rights. The Redskins have been going through a Roller Coaster with QB Robert Griffin III.

From the Offensive Line to his own ego, the Skins have been going through torture. Now, Griffin has become RG 3rd String as Kirk Cousins has been named the Starter. The Skins got off to a rough start because of the O-Line. That shows that Griffin was not the only issue. The line along with the Defense have been the obvious holes in that system.

Washington recently defeated the St. Louis Rams, moving them to 1-1.


New York Giants:
The New York Giants have gone 0-2. The Season started with a heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Cowboys after collapsing in the second half. What made it even worse was that the Cowboys were out of timeouts. The Giants gave them extra time on the clock to mount the comeback.

The following week, the Giants fall to the Falcons with the lethal WR Combination of Julio Jones and Roddy White.

Philadelphia Eagles:
The Philadelphia Eagles lost a very close game to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football at the Georgia Dome. Sam Bradford created a comeback for the Eagles, but it was not enough. His flaws in the Spread Offense have been exposed like RG 3rd String. To make matters worse, the Eagles get crushed by a shorthanded Cowboys team.


Dallas Cowboys:
This leads me to the team that is falling apart piece by piece, even though they are the Division Leaders: The Dallas Cowboys.

The Armor started to take hits in Week 1 with the loss of Dez Bryant with an ankle injury. Dez left the game and had surgery afterward. The time for his recovery went from 4-6 weeks to what is now 10-12 weeks. With the loss of Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and others, the warning light continues to flash in Dallas. However, Dallas managed to fight through the loss by defeating the Giants in the Season Opener at Home.

In Week 2, things go from bad to even worse when Tony Romo suffers a broken clavicle. Backup QB Brandon Weeden stepped in as a Game Manager. Our Defense and Running Game carried the weight for that game, and it seems that they need to continue doing that moving forward.

Even though Dallas is 2-0, they are a wounded 2-0. This shows that everyone in this Division is broken.

Week 1 Review (Brady Returns, Comeback Cowboys, Super Mariota )

This NFL Season got off to a unique start. Tom Brady came out of the gate firing away at all cylinders as he completed 25 of 32 passes for 288 yards and 4 Touchdowns while torching the Steelers Defense in a 28-21 victory at home in New England.

Brady clearly had a chip on his shoulder with plenty to prove coming off the heels of the recent Deflategate scandal that further tarnished his image among fans. Pittsburgh put up a battle on the Offensive side, but the score does not tell the full story of the game.

The Steel Curtain looked like the Shower Curtain when Tom was finished with them. Ben Roethlisberger went 26-38 for 351 yards and 1 Touchdown.

Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins start the season with a new Starting Quarterback: Kirk Cousins. After a rocky run with RG III as the QB, the Redskins have changed the guard with Cousins.

However, the results were not very different as Washington lost the Home Opener to the Miami Dolphins 17-10. Cousins went 21-31 for 196 yards and 2 Interceptions.

The Offensive Line was horrible. That goes to show that they are just as responsible for the past failures as Bob Griffin III (RG III). The Skins had a 10-0 lead in the second quarter but allowed 17 unanswered points from that point moving forward.

Miami is not a special team either. Ryan Tannehill is not even close to the Echelon of Russell Wilson, or Andrew Luck let alone Aaron Rodgers but the Skins Defense made him look like a much more valuable QB.

In this game, Tannehill went 22-34 for 226 yards. Redskins WR Desean Jackson was out for most of the game after tearing his left hamstring.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills pulled a major upset over AFC Powerhouse the Indianapolis Colts 27-14. Rex Ryan went from being the Cartoon Character Coach for the New York Jets to a nearly defensive genius in this game. It looks like the joke was on everybody else.

Ryan's Defense crashed down on Andrew Luck. Andrew went 26-49 for 243 yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT's. It was not his finest hour.

On the other hand, Bills QB Tyrod Taylor orchestrated three touchdown drives as he went 14-19 for 195 yards and 1 TD.  The highlight for Taylor was his 51-yard Touchdown pass to WR Percy Harvin.

The Colts were limited to 148 yards of Offense and nine first downs on its first five drives before they scored two Touchdowns in the final 16 minutes. Things were not clicking for Indy.

 Another upset came when the St. Louis Rams defeated back to back NFC Champions the Seattle Seahawks 34-31 in OT. The Rams overcame Seattle's 18-point 4th Quarter rally for the win. Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson took a pounding as he was sacked six times in this game. He still managed to go 32-41 for 251 yards and 1 TD.

Down 31-24, St. Louis tied the game after Seahawks defensive back Dion Bailey stumbled on Lance Kendricks 37-yard touchdown catch. The Seahawks are also having problems in-house, because of Kam Chancellor's contract situation.

Meanwhile, Titans QB Marcus Mariota displayed signs of brilliance in an outstanding performance as the Tennessee Titans rout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 42-14 (Routed and Scouted). Mariota went 13-16 for 209 yards and 4 Touchdowns as he outplayed 1st Overall Pick Jameis Winston.

Mariota and Winston have been linked together because of their history together in College. Jameis Winston was the 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner while Marcus Mariota won the Award in 2014.

This game was nearly a mirror image of the Rose Bowl when Mariota's Oregon Ducks wiped out Winston's Florida State Seminoles 59-20. History practically repeated itself eight months later.

The Sunday Night Season Opener took place at Cowboys Stadium as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants. Cowboys vs Giants games have always been interesting to say the least and this was no different.

Neither team was at their best. Odell Beckham Jr. was not setting the defense on fire with his playmaking. Instead, he was silent during this game.

The Giants had the lead on Dallas for much of the first half going into the second. However, their poor decision making came back to bite them.

On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys were shooting themselves in the foot with dropped passes, fumbles, etc.

Franchise WR Dez Bryant left the game following after breaking a bone in his foot. Bryant underwent successful surgery and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Meanwhile, The Cowboys overcame three turnovers that led to easy points for the Giants as Tony Romo threw an 11-yard touchdown to Jason Witten with 11 seconds left in the game. Dallas drove 72 yards with just 1:27 on their way to the game-winning score. Romo went 36-45 for 356 yards and 3 Touchdowns. The Cowboys overcame their own obstacles while rallying their comeback drive.

Eli Manning went 20-36 for 193 yards and 0 Touchdowns. The Cowboys are 8-0 vs. The Giants in Season Openers.

As for Monday Night Football, the Night started with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. After making waves in the offseason by signing Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray along with other moves, the Eagles looked very dominant during pre-season.

When the Season started, Philly looked like a totally different team. It looked like a tale of two teams once the season went underway. DeMarco Murray learned the hard way how the Cowboys Offensive line made such a difference for him in his success last season.

Coach Chip Kelly's up-tempo Oregon like Offense fizzled in that first half against the Falcons. QB Sam Bradford rallied the Eagles in the second half, but in the end nothing else really mattered.

Falcons WR Julio Jones was virtually unstoppable during this game, especially the first half. The Defense clamped down for a moment in the second half, but they could not fully slow him down. During the game, Jones had 9 receptions for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In the second Monday Night Game, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Minnesota Vikings at Levi Stadium. The Star of that game was Running Back Carlos Hyde, who recorded 26 Carries for 168 Yards and 2 Touchdowns. Colin Kaepernick went 17-26 as he added 165 passing yards as he played a fairly safe game.

The Niners unveiled new Black & Red Alternate Uniforms. They would look better if the helmets were the same color. Enough with the fashion talk, back to the game.

Adrian Peterson returned to the field after a year-long suspension from a child abuse case along with paid leave. He was clearly rusty in this game with 10 carries for only 31 yards. Bad news for Fantasy Football Owners that have him on their team.

As if that wasn't bad enough. The sloppy first half included Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater running into his own teammate for a 10-yard sack. Things were just downright awful for Minnesota.

San Francisco put the clamps on Minnesota in a 20-3 win in the Home Opener.

Top 5 NFL Players of All-Time

1. Jerry Rice
2. Walter Payton
3. Jim Brown
4. Joe Montana
5. Lawrence Taylor

1. Jerry Rice:
1,549 Receptions (1st),
22,895 Receiving Yards (1st),
207 Touchdowns (1st- 197 receiving, 10 rushing)
Pro Bowls- 13
All-Pro Selections-12 (11x 1st Team All-Pro)
Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010)
3x Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
Super Bowl XXIII MVP
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
Holds numerous NFL records
49ers All-Time Leader in Career Receptions (1,281)
49ers All-Time Leader in Career Receiving Yards (19,247)
49ers All-Time Leader in Career TDs (187)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Most 1,000 yard receiving seasons (14)
Most consecutive games with with a pass reception (274)
Most consecutive games with a touchdown reception- (13-1986-1987)
Most seasons with 50 or more receptions (17)
4 seasons with 100+ receptions
6 seasons leading the league in receiving yards
Led the league in touchdown receptions 6 times.
Postseason Records:
Most postseason games (29)
Most postseason touchdowns (22)
Most postseason receiving yards (2,245)
Most postseason receptions (151)
Most consecutive games, 100 or more receiving yards-3 (1988-1989)
Super Bowl Records:
Career points-48 (1st)
Receptions-33 (1st)
Receiving yards- 589 (1st)
Touchdowns- 8 (1st)
Receptions in a game- 11 (1st)
Receiving yards in a game- 215 (1st)
Ranked 1st for NFL Network's Top 100 Players of All-Time
Ranked 2nd for Sporting News Top 100 Players of All-Time
San Francisco 49ers #80 retired

The Consumate definition of consistency and work ethic. What else can be said about the imprint that Jerry Rice has left on the NFL? While other positions can be highly debated, no one can dispute the contributions that Rice has made during his 20-year tenure. His name is written all across the NFL Record Books. Rice's dedication, professionalism, drive and exceptional play are what have made him the legend that he has become. Rice was the most valuable weapon for San Francisco's Super Bowl Success. He was the lead option of the West Coast Offense, as he and HOF QB's like Joe Montana and Steve Young engineered legendary drives and amazing games that will go down in history. Rice is the automatic first pick for any NFL All-Time Team. Jerry's most notable achievements include being first all-time in Receptions (1,549), Receiving Yards (22,895) and Touchdowns (207). Rice is also the NFL All-Time Leader in Receiving for the Postseason, along with being a member of both the 80's and 90's All-Decade Teams. Jerry Rice was, is and will always be the San Francisco Treat.

2. Walter Payton
3,838 Carries (2nd)
16,726 Rushing Yards (2nd)
125 Touchdowns (110 Rushing-4th, 15 Receiving)
1977 NFL AP MVP
1977 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1985 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
Super Bowl Champion (XX)
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1993)
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
Pro Bowl MVP (1978)
All-Pro Selections: 9 (6x 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team)
10 seasons with 1,000 yards rushing (1st)
Most seasons with 1,300 or more rushing yards (9-1st)
6 Consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards rushing
Led the league in Rushing Attempts 4 times
NFL Rushing Champion (1,852-1977)
League leader in Rushing Touchdowns (14-1977)
League leader in Yards from Scrimmage (1977, 1978)
Career-high 275 rushing yards in one game (Nov. 20, 1977 vs Minnesota Vikings)
Games with 100 or more yards rushing, career: 77
Consecutive Games with 100 or more yards rushing: 9 (10/13/85-12/8/85)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 21,264 (3rd)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 21,803 (3rd)
Average Yards Per Game, Career: 88 ypg (7th)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Ranked 5th for NFL Network's 100 Greatest Players list
Ranked 8th on Sporting News 100 Greatest Players list
Chicago Bears #34 retired

Walter Payton has to be considered one of the best all-around players in NFL History. He was a dynamic combination of strength and agility, and played with intense physicality. His 5-10, 200 pound frame packed a powerful punch. Coming out of small Jackson St., Sweetness was exceptional from the start. In 1977, Walter won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award as he led the league in Rushing for 1,852 yards with 14 TD's. The highlight of that season came when he rushed for a then Single-Game Record 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20, 1977 in a home game in Chicago. As a bonus, he played with the flu. Payton was also named Offensive Player of the Year that season. Sweetness was the embodiment of the Chicago Bears franchise, as he has left a giant stamp on that organization. For 7 long years, Payton carried a Bears squad that was often mediocre at best. By 1982, Mike Ditka became the coach of Chicago, and started making a turnaround to bring him help. With the addition of fellow Hall of Famer Mike Singletary, Chicago built a defensive machine that would take the weight off of Walter's shoulders while he still continued to produce at a very high level. In 1984, Walter Payton joined Jim Brown on the Rushing Mountain, as he surpassed him to become the NFL's All-Time Leader in Rushing. A torch had been symbolically passed, and there was no one more deserving than Sweetness. In 1985, Walter finally put the icing on his legendary cake as he won his first and only Super Bowl when the Chicago Bears wiped out the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. In 1987, Payton retired with 16,726 yards with 125 Touchdowns. Walter also had 10 seasons with 1,000 or more rushing yards. He was also a 9-time Pro Bowler, and 9-time All-Pro Selection. In 1993, Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sadly, he passed away in 1999 at the age of 45. His legacy will continue to be held in the highest regard as his influence has been seen years after his retirement. Payton was also named to the 70's and 80's All-Decade Teams, along with a selection on the NFL 75th Anniversary Team. His nickname was Sweetness, but Payton was like Wolverine on the field.

3. Jim Brown:
2,359 Carries (25th)
12,312 Rushing Yards (9th)
126 Touchdowns (106 Rushing-5th, 20 Receiving)
3x NFL MVP (1957, '58, '65)
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
9x All-Pro Selection (8x 1st Team, 1x 2nd Team)
8x Rushing Champion ('57-'61, '63-'65)
Average Yards Per Game, Career: 104.3 ypg (1st)
Average Yards Per Carry, Career: 5.2 ypc (1st)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 14,811 (21)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 15,459 (24th)
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1971)
Ranked 2nd on NFL Network's 100 Greatest Players list
Ranked 1st on Sporting News 100 Greatest Players list
Cleveland Browns #32 retired

Jim Brown was simply a man among boys during his time. He was a revolutionary running back that you could take from his era and you can guarantee that he will have success in whatever time frame or system that you put him in. Like Wilt Chamberlain in Basketball, Jim Brown was a force to be reckoned with on the Football Field. In his rookie campaign (1957), Brown won his first NFL MVP Award, along with his first Pro Bowl Selection and Rushing Title. Brown would win another MVP in his second season ('58). In 1963, Jim set the original single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards. Brown would make the greatest impression in a short time span of any player in NFL History. Brown would finish his career with 12,312 yards, which is still good enough for ninth all-time. His 126 TD's still rank 5th among all players. Brown's averages are still at the top of all rushers, as he averaged 104.3 yards per game with 5.2 yards per carry. In translation, he averaged half of a first down. Brown monopolized the running back position, and practically carried defenders to the end zone. Jim Brown was the quintessential player of his time, as he was in a class of his own. If you were to build a prototype running back, Jim Brown would be the ultimate model. Brown was a unanimous choice for the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, along with the 60's All-Decade Team. Brown raised the bar exceptionally high, and was in a class of his own.

4. Joe Montana:
Completions: 3,409
Attempts: 5,391
Percentage: 63.2%
Passing Yards: 40,551
Touchdowns: 273
Interceptions: 139
QB Rating: 92.3
Super Bowl Champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
Super Bowl MVP (XVI, XIX, XXIV)
4x NFC Champion (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 8 (1981, '83-'85, '87-'90, '93)
3x AP First-Team All-Pro ('87, '89-'90)
2x AP Second-Team All-Pro ('81, '84)
NFL AP MVP (1989-'90)
NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year (1989)
2x AP Sportsman of the Year (1989, '90)
Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (1989)
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1990)
NFL 1980's All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2000)
Ranked 4th on NFL Network's 100 Greatest Players list
Ranked 3rd on Sporting News 100 Greatest Players list
San Francisco 49ers #16 retired

Joe Montana was the perfect Quarterback to captain Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense in the 1980's. Montana was overlooked coming into the NFL, because of his lack of size. However, what he lacked in arm strength he more than made up for with his IQ and precision. Joe also had great mobility along with a laser arm. His footwork and motion were brilliant. Montana was the king of comebacks, and game time heroics. When you are looking for a clutch QB to build a team around, Montana would be the guy. Joe would decimate opponents with short to medium passes as Jerry Rice and John Taylor excelled in slant routes during the Niners march to victory. Joe Montana has a flagship career with 4 Super Bowl trophies and 3 Super Bowl MVP Awards. Montana could manufacture a comeback victory (Super Bowl XXIII), or he could rip a team to shreds (Super Bowl XXIV). He also won two MVP Awards, along with other honors. Montana was exciting and is a standard bearer for other QB's to model themselves after. He was the chief QB of the 80's All-Decade Team, and the 75th Anniversary Team. In 2000, Joe Montana Joe Cool was one of a kind.

5. Lawrence Taylor
10× Pro Bowl (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
10× All-Pro (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
2× Super Bowl champion (XXI, XXV)
AP NFL MVP (1986)
PFWA NFL MVP (1986)
NFL sacks leader (1986)
Career Sacks (132.5-11th)
3× AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1986)
NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1986)
2× UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1983, 1986)
AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981)
Bert Bell Award (1986)
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
New York Giants No. 56 retired
Ranked 3rd by The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1999)

Lawrence Taylor reshaped the linebacker position from the moment he stepped into the NFL in 1981. Taylor changed how offenses schemes were run, as his dominance led to coaches implementing a two Tight-End System. Lawrence was an intense blend of strength, quickness and athleticism as he was able to spin past defenders to get to his assignment, whether it was the Quarterback or Running Back. LT was a menace as a pass rusher, as he would terrorize QB's on the blitz. In his 1981 rookie season, Taylor was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. This would be his first of three DPOY Awards, as he won his second straight in 1982. That season, he also made his first of ten consecutive Pro Bowls and All-Pro Teams. 1986 is considered to be Taylor's finest season of his career, as he became the first Defensive Player in 15 years to win the NFL MVP Award. That season, he lead the league in Sacks (20.5) along with his third DPOY. Taylor was the Unanimous choice for MVP that season, as he was the engine that led the Giants defensive machine to win their first Super Bowl in history. Taylor would help the Giants win another Trophy in SB XXV, before retiring in 1993. When you consider how dominant he was at his peak while looking at his entire body of work, Lawrence Taylor is the greatest defensive player of all-time. Taylor ranks 11th all-time in sacks with 132.5. LT took his rightful place in the HOF in 1999.