I’ve never said they aren’t playoff caliber, just that I don’t see them making the playoffs. Again, I hope I’m wrong. You’ve given me some good reasons to think that I might be wrong. But I’m still taking a stoic approach to this season until it seems evident that they are noticably better than their NFC East counterparts.

1. Starting with last season, what were the causes for a 6-10 season?

a. No pass rush leaving the LBs and Secondary exposed (Darren Howard and the experience of Juqua Thomas is proving its dividends already)

b. Injuries to major players (you can never predict when these will occur, but suffice it to say that you immediately improve once the injured player heals and you don’t rely on a backup)

c. Reliance on the pass/Imbalance of Run-to-Pass ratio (The T.O. effect was there early and the unproven run game was there late, although Moats got some valuable PT. This remains to be fully addressed, but the team is equally committed to developing their RB corp along with their WR corp. The balance will be determined week-to weak depending on the weakness of the Defense).

d. T.O. (No T.O., no disruptions)

e. Others include O-line depth (Enter Winston Justice and Max Jean-Giles, positional battles along the front for the best talent available, locking in key contributors to LT contracts for peace of mind and longevity at a position that could make or break a team – See Seattle this year for reference); D-line issues (Exit Corey Simon, enter Brodrick Bunkley), LB play (again better line play makes their job so much easier).

2. Why the other NFC East hopefuls are as good as many say:

Giants – Tiki is getting older, Manning – Shockey – Burress still haven’t played well on a big stage. Secondary improved, but D-line is centered on double teaming Strahan and allowing others to get at the QB – a strong O-line counteracts this, Arrington is a plus, but by how much???, and major reason is that the players simply do not like playing for their coach, no team has less team unity in the division. Record 9-7

Redskins – Improved skill positions, but many players serve the same role, QB position still a huge ???? I have seen nothing in pre-season to warrant a major upgrade of the team, Defense solid, but can they matchup as well as they did last year? And if Portis is gimpy all year, ala Travis Henry’s sternum, their fortunes can turn pretty quickly. Record 10-6 with a healthy Portis, 7-9 if he misses more than 3 games.

Cowboys – What can I say here except subtraction by addition. Bledsoe will be replaced by Romo is my prediction, he simply is not accurate or mobile and the defense of all teams have improved – bad sign. RB – can Jones stay healthy? Is Barber a real change of pace back or just a 2 game wonder? How many TE do they need to run block?? Kicker with chip on his shoulder rarely makes the kicks when needed. Parcels interest is waning. Record 8-8, 10-6 if Romo replaces Bledsoe by mid season.

In summary, The Eagles are certainly a playoff caliber team and have been so for the past 5 years. Last years record was a one-off event, the competitive NFC East may be back, but not to the point of dethroning the team with the most solid base (financial and talent wise) in the division.

1. Stating with last season, what were the causes for a 6-10 season?

Your W|L prediction go against too many trends regardless of what team we are discussing.

Preseason games mean absolutely nothing other than weeding out the marginal players from the keepers.

The Eagles have never put a big emphasis on linebackers, due to the schemes they run. D.Line and Corners/Safeties are key to their defense.

Eskin may be abbrasive, sexist, arrogant at times, however, I don’t think he got to where he is today being a moron. So the fact that you have now called Eagles fans morons makes you what….a genius.

Most of the counter arguements have raised some intutive points.

So what team do you support?

For fear of beating a dead horse, I see a team that is much improved health wise over last year. That in and of itself is a major improvement. Further, I don’t buy the wide receiver issue. The Eagles have won with nobodies before. And lest anyone forget, T.O. wasn’t available for the playoffs, and they still made it to the super bowl. Yes, maybe they won’t win by a large margin, but with the vastly improved (healthy) defense, I don’t think it’s much of an issue.

And realistically, the Colts have an excellent air attack but have not managed to get to the super bowl. The Patriots have essentially just Tom Brady, and managed to win a couple. And as mentioned before, they didn’t have Corey Dillon for all their SB runs.

Don’t underestimate Mr. Dawkin’s value as the motor of this team. He isn’t a detraction while on the field, he is certainly a much needed spark for the D.

And, don’t forget the competition. There aren’t any notable improvements made by any of the other teams in the division. As long as Manning, Shockey and Burress aren’t on the same page, they will falter. I don’t believe the Redskins’ offense is particularly potent (or moreso than the Eagles, anyway), and the Patriots couldn’t win with Bledsoe at quarterback (but Brady could) – he isn’t going to fare much better in Dallas, even with T.O. (a powderkeg as it is).

I’m not going to say the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl, but I don’t think playoffs are out of the question. The makeup of the team is largely the same as those that have gone to the NFC Championship game in past years, but with an older, wiser McNabb and an arguably more athletic receiving corps.

Every team in the league has holes. You’ve deconstructed the Eagles, but have yet to explain to whom you’re comparing them that would give cause to an 8-8 or 9-7 season. The Patriots? The Steelers? The Colts? The Cowboys? The Panthers?