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Philadelphia Eagles (11-5): One day the two great masters will be friends, their great power will be seen increased.

With all the additions and hype, this team should finally win a Super Bowl for Andy Reid…right? Yeah, sure. Just ask LeBron James.

Offense: Will Michael Vick remain healthy, or will his style of play result in him getting hit one too many times? Can the new offensive line come together? Is DeSean Jackson with the program?

Crystal Ball Says: Vick was pretty patient last season and more successful than anyone thought he’d be because of it. This season will be a bit different. He will have pressure on him as opposed to being a comeback story. Vick is going to miss some time this season; he simply plays a style of football that will get him injured sooner rather than later. That means Vince Young is going to play some meaningful minutes and while he’s a better backup than most teams have, he’s not a guy Philly wants to rely on for more than a game. Andy Reid and his staff have helped Vick improve his throwing technique. They must do the same for Young, and quickly. The offensive line is a problem. New offensive line coach Howard Mudd has his work cut out for him. Injuries have caused some shuffling and Vick will find his blind side protected by Todd Herremans, a guy who’s made his living on the interior of the offensive line up to this point. Evan Mathis will in turn take Herremans’ former spot at left guard, and he should be fine. Likewise Jason Peters, who looked pretty sharp last season. Rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins will fill out the line. I don’t trust it. Sorry. Two rookies and a new blind side protector seems like a potentially damaging situation. For all the yapping about the new additions, the Eagles still have the same issue that plagued them a season ago. The skill position players—LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and DeSean Jackson—are as explosive as any trio in the league. But Jackson will have to mature; his moodiness is already legendary and he’s one drop and one whine away from becoming an enemy to the Philly faithful. Maclin is a terrific receiver, but what was that illness he was suffering from in the preseason? It’s sort of odd that we don’t really know, isn’t it?

Defense: Will Juan Castillo be able to effectively step in as defensive coordinator? Will the new defensive line perform well? Are these linebackers any good? Will the secondary improve?

Crystal Ball Says: Here lie the questions. The defensive line is going to have a totally new look. Brandon Graham is lost for at least 6 games after microfracture surgery. New additions Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin will add some serious power to the line, which will see several players rotate in and out. Defensive end Juqua Parker, a pass rush specialist, returns, as does Antonio Dixon. Dixon is a run-stopping force with the potential to add some pass rush moves and become one of the better interior linemen in the league. Mike Patterson has been cleared to play following that scary seizure he suffered in the preseason. Despite the clearance, his health must remain a concern. Trent Cole, a quarterback’s worst nightmare, needs to save some gas for the end of the season in 2011. He isn’t the biggest guy and tends to wear down. With the Eagles’ goals being what they are, they will certainly need Cole’s edge rushing ability when January rolls around. Perhaps the new additions can give Cole the breathers he needs during the regular season. The linebackers are the team’s weak spot. They got rid of Stewart Bradley and Ernie Sims and now have Jamar Chaney on the strong side, rookie Casey Matthews in the middle, and Moise Fokou on the weak side. Don’t be surprised at all if Matthews hits the pine, Chaney slides over to the middle and Keenan Clayton gets the strong side gig. Matthews has looked overwhelmed throughout the preseason. Regardless of who plays, this unit is shaky. Again, a serious trouble spot in 2010 was not addressed. The secondary, however, was addressed. Big time. Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were brought in and Asante Samuel was kept. The interesting thing here is that neither Samuel nor DRC tackles well and one of them—likely Rodgers-Cromartie—will be asked to cover the slot, something with which they are unfamiliar. Is that picking nits? Perhaps. But all three can cover and there is no better threesome in the league. Free safety Jarrad Page and strong safety Kurt Coleman are big-time hitters, which will endear them to the fans. If and when free safety Nate Allen regains his form following knee surgery, this secondary is going to be very deep and is likely the best in the league.

Bottom Line: The Eagles certainly went out and splashed some money around, but that doesn’t guarantee anything other than a division crown in my eyes. Let’s see if Reid can coach this group to a Super Bowl title. Anything less will be unacceptable.

Dallas Cowboys (10-6): He who will have the government of the great cope will be prevailed upon to perform several deeds.

Jason Garrett begins his first full season as the man on Jerry Jones’ hot seat. Pressure and some holes in key places will make this a tough task for him, but a playoff spot is there for the taking.

Offense: Did this team underachieve last season, or are they a .500 team? Can Garrett rein his team in and avoid the sloppiness that was omnipresent under former coach Wade Phillips? Can Tony Romo return and lead the team to a playoff berth? Is Felix Jones a feature back?

Crystal Ball Says: There is indeed talent here. However, the offensive line is in a state of transition and is a huge factor when considering the success of Romo and the offense as a whole. Doug Free returns at left tackle after answering his critics in 2010. He played better than anyone, myself included, thought he was capable of. Bill Nagy will start at left guard, and the 7th-rounder needs to show that he’s back after a freak moped accident that cost him his starting gig in college and several rounds in the draft. Phil Costa replaces Andre Gurode, who was cut after making several Pro Bowls as the Cowboys’ center. If Costa falters, the team will have much to answer for in nickel and diming Gurode. 32-year old Kyle Kosier will play right guard, which is odd since the team made it clear that they wanted to get younger up front. Kosier is adequate and without any other options, Dallas was pretty lucky to retain his services. Right tackle will be manned by the 9th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Tyron Smith. The former Trojan is a stud in the making; he’s athletic and injects youth and toughness to a line in need of both. But will the line play well as a unit? We shall see. They’ll be protecting Tony Romo, who is in need of a major rebound season after a lost 2010. Romo isn’t a kid any longer. He’s 31. He has outstanding weaponry at his disposal in receivers Miles Austin and soon-to-be household name Dez Bryant, along with ever-present Pro Bowler Jason Witten at tight end. There are no more excuses for Romo—he simply must have a solid season. Felix Jones has been handed the starting running back job based on potential alone. Sure, Jones is lightning quick and a solid receiver out of the backfield, but he’s worn down and proved only that he cannot take a licking and keep on ticking. This is a gamble, one that is insured only by the average Tashard Choice and the potential of rookie DeMarco Murray. But make no mistake—the offense is all dependent upon Romo. Pressure hasn’t brought out the best in him. He’ll have one more chance to prove he can deal with it.

Defense: Will Rob Ryan’s attacking style bring out the best in this unit? Can the secondary improve?

Crystal Ball Says: The thought of DeMarcus Ware unleashed in Ryan’s riotous system is a notion that has to be sending ripples of fear through the league. Ware is a beast, plain and simple. For my money he’s the best pass rusher in the league, and he can play the run and drop into coverage as well. He’ll prosper in the new system. But other players must improve. Jay Ratliff’s game needs to improve, especially against the run. By moving him around, Ryan should get the most out of him. That’s essential. Kenyon Coleman comes over with Ryan and will start on Ratliff’s left up front. Jason Hatcher will play on the right and Marcus Spears will see plenty of time assuming he recovers from a preseason groin injury. The line must improve its pass rush and Ratliff in particular needs to play the run far better than he did in 2010 if this defense is to succeed. Linebackers, other than Ware, must manage to produce a pass rush. I don’t see where it’s coming from. Anthony Spencer sort of disappeared last season and Ryan is confident he can restore him to the up-and-comer everyone thought he was a year and a half ago. Spencer does have 11 sacks in 2 seasons, but his play was disappointing toward the end of last season. Bradie James is in his last season for Dallas, and only an injury to rookie Bruce Carter is giving him that much slack. James simply can’t cover and had problems against the run last season. Keith Brooking is 35 and despite his leadership abilities, it’s time for Sean Lee to get the lion’s share of the play. Lee is a playmaker in waiting and the longer he waits, the more the defense will suffer. I like Brooking and he clearly has something left in the tank…but it’s not starter material. And then there’s the secondary. Worse safety play than the 2010 Cowboys I cannot recall. Thankfully Alan Ball is no longer even playing the position, and Ryan brought Abram Elam over from Cleveland to replace him. It can’t be anything but an improvement. The team brought Gerald Sensabaugh back for a season. He was, at best, mediocre in 2010. The corners weren’t much better. Terrance Newman was awful and the groin injury he sustained during preseason may be a blessing in disguise; Orlando Scandrick played better than Newman all last season and should be playing instead of the 33-year old Newman in week one anyway. Mike Jenkins was among the worst corners in the league last season. He will have a chance to erase that in 2011. Jenkins had a terrific 2009 and might have thought he had it made, choosing to cruise through his prep work for 2010. Ryan and the Cowboys are counting on a return to 2009 form and the embarrassment Jenkins suffered last season should be all the motivation he needs in 2011.

Bottom Line: I’ll believe it when I see it. Every season is supposed to be the season for these guys. I think there’s enough talent on offense and Ware can single-handedly take over games on defense…but not every game. Ten wins would be an achievement and with the Giants and Skins easy pickings, I can see it happening.

New York Giants (7-9): When the man will give way to none, will wish to abandon a place taken, yet not taken.

Somehow the Giants finished 10-6 last season and although they failed to make the playoffs, they had every reason to feel optimistic heading into the off-season. However, not much was done by GM Jerry Reese to bolster the team and now, with a slew of injuries, that optimism is a distant memory.

Offense: Can Eli Manning avoid throwing a ton of interceptions? Will the retooled offensive line come together?

Crystal Ball Says: The party line has been, “Well, Eli’s interceptions were a result of his receivers deflecting his passes.” Yeah, OK. How many were deflected? 5? 6? The guy had 25 picks; you can’t blame the receivers for all of them. In his 6-plus seasons as the Giants’ starter, Manning has had a touchdown to interception ratio of 2:1 just once, and only one time was he even close to that mark. They weren’t all deflected. To write last season’s epidemic of turnovers off as a freak is a copout. Manning simply needs to take better care of the football. He’ll be trying to do that behind a revamped offensive line. Gone are Rich Seubert and Shaun O’Hara, two mainstays on Manning’s line. The new line will have William Beatty at left tackle. The 3^rd rounder from 2009 missed half the season in 2010 and that came after he failed to beat out David Diehl for the gig last season. He is a talented player, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready to face DeMarcus Ware, Brian Orakpo, and Trent Cole twice a season. Diehl will slide over to replace Seubert at left guard, and his vulnerability to speed rushers will be less of a hindrance on the interior. At center, David Baas arrives from the 49ers to replace O’Hara. It looks like an upgrade on paper, but I need to see the in-game chemistry between Baas and Manning before I’m willing to concede that point. Chris Snee, the best player on the line, returns at right guard while Kareem McKenzie will once again start at right tackle. The 32-year old played extremely well last season, but he has a history of being injured and although there’s some depth in the form of Mitch Petrus, Kevin Boothe, and ultra-raw James Brewer, but the retooling has me concerned from a cohesion standpoint. The team let—regardless of what they say—Steve Smith go, citing the seriousness of his injury as the cause for dragging their heels in pursuing him. If he produces in Philly the team will have a great deal to answer for because a third receiver is something they’re lacking. Hakeem Nicks is a top-10 receiver and Mario Manningham is becoming a big-time threat on the outside, but Smith did the dirty work for this team and was a major asset on 3^rd down. Victor Cruz will get a crack at the slot gig, but preseason ain’t the regular season and he’s going to find that out. Ahmad Bradshaw needs to hold onto the ball, but I believe he will. Between him and Brandon Jacobs, running back is one position that isn’t a question mark.

Defense: How much time will Osi Umenyiora miss, and can Jason Pierre-Paul be a full-time threat? How big a deal are the injuries?

Crystal Ball Says: Umenyiora is going to miss at least a couple of games. Even if he returns in week 3, he’s not going to be at full speed. He had 11.5 sacks last season and, despite the contract squabbles, the team desperately wants him in the fold. It’s easy to say Jason Pierre-Paul will simply step in and pick up where he left off late last season, but being a starter and playing 16 games is quite different than getting a few starts late in the season after everyone else has racked up game time. Don’t get me wrong—I’m down with JPP; I just want to see if he’s up to the down-to-down rigors of a full slate of NFL games before I’m ready to jump out of a pool to praise him. The Giants would be wise to spell JPP with Dave Tollefson, who played quite well last season. He’s not a flashy guy and he gets forgotten with the big names, but the guy does whatever is asked of him. Justin Tuck will play the other bookend on the line. His play will suffer if JPP isn’t able to carry the load, but he’s good enough to minimize that suffering. On the inside, Linval Joseph is thrust into the starting lineup after being an invisible man in his rookie season. He has the size and strength to be a run stuffer, but potential remains just that until production shows up. Barry Cofield, whom Joseph replaces, will be missed. Chris Canty wasn’t very impressive in his debut season for Big Blue, but has apparently dedicated himself during the off-season. I’m happy about that, but I still need to see on-field production on a consistent basis before I tip my cap to him. Linebacker is the team’s weak spot, and not much was done to upgrade it during the off-season. Jonathan Goff is now injured and out for the season. I best hurry up and finish this entry before another Giant gets hurt. With Goff out, late round rookie Greg Jones might be pressed into action in the middle. That’s a yikes. Michael Boley played tentatively all season, which may have been due to a shoulder injury. He’s had surgery on that shoulder and hopes to bring the playmaking ability he flashed in 2009 to the table. He must stay healthy if this unit has any chance to improve from its dismal 2010 season. Clint Sintim hasn’t done anything as a Giant, so I don’t want to hear what a great loss he is after he suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. His absence will force Mathias Kiwanuka to play linebacker instead of defensive end. He’ll be OK there, but his talents are better suited to defensive end. And, of course, he’s an injury risk. Awesome story Mark Herzlich will provide linebacking depth as he is forced to learn in a hurry due to the injuries. This, as it has been for a few seasons, is a trouble spot. The secondary suffered a blow with the Terrell Thomas injury. Thomas played well last season and while Aaron Ross can provide cover in his stead, the team’s depth has been drastically reduced when you factor in the injury to rookie Prince Amukamara, who will miss the first month of the season and struggle to catch up once he does return. Corey Webster is solid on the other side and will likely see fewer balls come in his direction as teams pick on the inferior Ross. Injuries have taken a strength—depth at defensive back—and turned it into a weakness. That means the safeties need to impress, and they have the skills to do so. The athletic Kenny Phillips is over a year removed from his knee injury and should be back to his normal intimidating self in 2011. Antrel Rolle will play free safety on early downs, but then shift to nickel corner on 3^rdrd corner. This is what happens when you’re ravaged by injuries…and the season hasn’t even started yet. One more note about Rolle and Phillips. They criticized Tom Coughlin for being too uptight and while you never like to hear players getting on a coach, the last time Coughlin took some hits for his charming personality, the team won the Super Bowl the following year. I’m just saying: sometimes it’s healthy to air things out. That being said, each player should probably concentrate on playing solid football from now on.

Bottom Line: I just don’t like the team’s chances this season. Manning has looked dreadful; hardly like a player who is excited at the prospect of erasing a 25-interception season. The weakness at linebacker and lack of depth in the secondary are going to be exposed, and the Giants will not be playoff contenders in 2011.

Washington Redskins (7-9): The greater army put to flight in disorder, scarcely further will it be pursued.

The quarterback carousel continues under Mike Shanahan, who is still waiting to win something without John Elway. It’s unlikely that this will be the year.

Offense: Is Rex Grossman the answer? If he is, what exactly is the question? Is Mike Shanahan the right coach for this team? Will a running back emerge as a true number one?

Crystal Ball Says: Sexy Rexy gets the week one job. I say week one because his leash is shorter than Tyrion Lannister. When, not if, Grossman stumbles, John Beck will relieve him. But Grossman won the job on merit; he played better than Beck in the preseason. If the stars align Grossman can succeed, but it’s rare that quarterbacks have everything go their way on a consistent basis as far as pass blocking and route running go, so expect Grossman to frustrate; his best season saw him throw 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. As a result, the running game must produce. Ryan Torain looked good at times last season, but he’s already banged up. Rookie Roy Helu has the one-cut style Shanahan’s system favors, but he’s still raw so the job, for now, belongs to former Cardinal Tim Hightower. He’s looked very lively thus far in Washington and it may turn out that the change of scenery will do him good. However, I have to hesitate to get excited about a back who couldn’t wrestle the job away from Beanie Wells. Expect the typical Shanahan division of labor at the position. The receivers on this team are intriguing. Santana Moss had a terrific 2010: 93 catches and 1,115 yards. Not bad considering the quarterback situation. He’s joined by Jabbar Gaffney, who edged out Anthony Armstrong for the starting job. Gaffney is solid when it comes to shorter routes and is an underrated complement to Moss. Armstrong will still see some targets but needs to expand his repertoire; right now he’s a sure-handed receiver, but one who tends to run all of 3 routes. Rookie Leonard Hankerson has talent, but dropped far too many passes in the preseason to be counted on as anything more than a number 4 guy at this point. Tight end is a sticky wicket. Chris Cooley is a legitimate weapon…when healthy, which he’s not. He’s got a bum knee and instead of dealing with the injury the team should let Fred Davis emerge as the tight end. Davis impressed when given the chance last season, and his size/speed combo are worth seeing more of. The offensive line is a major question mark. Left tackle Trent Williams struggled mightily at times last season, both with the opposition and his own conditioning. He simply has to recognize that it’s a 16-game season. Inside, there’s trouble brewing. Chris Chester will start at right guard, which isn’t exactly a good thing. He couldn’t cut it in Baltimore and although he’s OK in the run game, he will struggle when the team passes the ball. Center Will Montgomery suffers from the same division of skills, and left guard Kory Lichtensteiger does as well. Jammal Brown played well down the stretch last season and returns at right tackle. There is a major problem with this line’s ability to pass protect, which is sort of a problem when you have iffy quarterbacks.

Defense: Will the 3-4 prosper this season? Will there be a pass rush from anyone other than Brian Orakpo?

Crystal Ball Says: Well, it won’t be Albert Haynesworth’s fault this season if the defense struggles. They have guys like Adam Carriker and Barry Cofield—who was imported from division rival New York—who are better suited to the 3-4. But Carriker isn’t a pass rusher up front, and Cofield is a 3-4 end, not a nose man. Stephen Bowen brings a bit of pass rush from Dallas, but it remains to be seen if he’s starting material. Brian Orakpo is the team’s pass rush and one of the better ‘backers in the league. However, he faded down the stretch last season. If he’s wants to be considered an elite player, he needs to bring it for 16 games. Someone whose motor never stops is the rookie on the other side, Ryan Kerrigan. He’s one of those players who always seems to be around the ball; that’s not luck, it’s hard work and instinct. His play should take some pressure off Orakpo. On the inside, the seemingly ageless London Fletcher returns to lay serious wood on the opposition. He’ll need to cover for Rocky McIntosh, who is a decent player when in a rotation but isn’t a solid starter. The secondary features cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who makes highlight films (and apparently Pro Bowls) because he makes some big plays, but his gambling style leads to blown assignments. He’s a hot or miss guy, hardly reliable in a big spot. On the other side, Josh Wilson will be an improvement over Carlos Rogers. Wilson will make plays of his own without the swashbuckling that Hall insists upon bringing. Safeties LeRon Landry and O.J. Atogwe are underrated as a tandem. Landry is among the better run supporters in the league, while former Ram Atogwe excels as a pass defender and turnover maker.

Bottom Line: If not for the quarterback situation, this team could contend for a playoff spot. But that’s a huge “if.” With the guys they have throwing the ball a .500 record would be an accomplishment.