NFL 2015

jets are not pretenders. when decker, marshall and ivory are on the field and the defense is not banged up they are a playoff team. looking at the rest of their schedule they should get at least 9-7 but 10-6 isn't out of the question. playing the jags, bills twice, miami again, texans and oakland isn't scary at all.
 
Yeah that Ryans pick was beastly. Overall the QB situation in the East is pretty bad with Romo on the bench. Bradford sucks but Foles hasn't looked any better, so Chip has to be happy about that. I'm just happy no one in the NFC East looks ready to run away with it while Dallas heals up. Giants game is a must win though.

Cowboys are still the best team in the division with Romo and Bryant healthy. The problem is they might not win a game without Romo. Eagles defense is the best unit in the division, which gives them the edge.
 
Cowboys are still the best team in the division with Romo and Bryant healthy. The problem is they might not win a game without Romo. Eagles defense is the best unit in the division, which gives them the edge.

Romo is on IR for 4 more games. Of those 4, I think both the Giants game and Buccaneers game are should-wins, especially with the D at full strength, and Dez potentially being back this week. If the defense had been at full strength for the Atlanta or NO games those probably would have been wins.

The Seahawks game is looking more winnable now than a few games ago, as their oline is doing its best to imitate a series of swinging doors.

I want to see Cassell though of course before getting too hyped - but he is definitely an upgrade over Weeden. Also kind of excited to see what kind of show-everyone, thumping attitude Michael will bring.
 
Separate post on defenses:

I would give the nod so far to the Eagles defense easily, but I want to see Dallas at full strength. The biggest difference in my mind to a full strength 2015 Eagles and Cowboys D comparison is at safety. Eagle and Cowboy CB play is about par (although not great), and full strength front 7 is probably evenly matched also (and very good). But the Eagles have servicable safeties and Dallas has an ok SS at FS and a suddenly horrible FS at SS. Church has played like dogshit, and Wilcox is really a box strong safety trying to play free safety, and still raw at that.
 
Eagles safeties are more than serviceable. Jenkins is playing amazing right now and Thurmund isn't far behind. They're both making plays in the run and pass, and are playing as true safeties as well as corners.

If both defenses are at full strength I think ours is clearly better. Fletcher Cox is a DPOY candidate and Bennie Logan is beasting it as well. The Eagles also have better depth. The Eagles were down to their 5th string ILB on Monday and still kept up their play.
 
Eagles safeties are more than serviceable. Jenkins is playing amazing right now and Thurmund isn't far behind. They're both making plays in the run and pass, and are playing as true safeties as well as corners.

I haven't watched the Eagles much so I'll take your word for it. It would take little to be better than what Dallas is fielding.

The Eagles also have better depth. The Eagles were down to their 5th string ILB on Monday and still kept up their play.

I don't know about that. Dallas is pretty deep at LB. Also, I think Hardy and Cox are a push.
 
Who would you rather have coming off the bench: Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson or DeMeco Ryans and Jordan Hicks (37 tackles, 1 int, 1 FF, 3 FR in 4 games as a rookie)?

Hardy did look great in his first game back, but Cox is absolutely dominating both the run and pass game from the 3-4 DE position. With the exception of JJ Watt, I don't know if there's a defensive player I'd rather have at the moment.
 
Ryans is a starter. Wilbur, Gachkar, and Wilson are all pretty solid for depth.

Cox is having himself a season, but Hardy has his own body of work to point to overall. It's not his fault he has only 1 game this season, but 2 sacks and a FF on Brady of all people is a pretty significant entry statement.
 
Cox is an excellent player but there are plenty of defensive players I'd take over him. Justin Houston, Luke Kuechly, Von Miller, Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins etc
 
Ryans is a starter. Wilbur, Gachkar, and Wilson are all pretty solid for depth.

Cox is having himself a season, but Hardy has his own body of work to point to overall. It's not his fault he has only 1 game this season, but 2 sacks and a FF on Brady of all people is a pretty significant entry statement.

Ryans isn't a starter. Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks are the starters at ILB.

Agreed Hardy has an impressive resume. That's why I stipulated "at the moment."
 
IIRC Kendricks and Alonso started the Falcons and Cowboys games. Either way, they rotate a lot. Nonetheless, you can flip it however you want. Make it Alonso or Kendricks coming off the bench and that's still gonna be better than what the Cowboys have to offer.
 
IIRC Kendricks and Alonso started the Falcons and Cowboys games. Either way, they rotate a lot. Nonetheless, you can flip it however you want. Make it Alonso or Kendricks coming off the bench and that's still gonna be better than what the Cowboys have to offer.

Yeah Alonso is better than any of the Cowboys backup LBs, but I would hope a 3-4 team has an additional better LB than a 4-3 team. Doesn't go as far though.
 
ESPN currently has Alonso and Kendricks listed as Out, but I don't know how up to date that is, because it looks like the Cowboys Defensive DC on ESPN hasn't been updated since like the preseason. At least 3 guys that are on IR or released are still showing.

Front 7 Comparison:

Dallas:
Line: Hardy, T Crawford, Hayden, Lawrence. | Gregory, Irving, J Crawford, Mincey

LBs: Lee, McClain, Hitchens | Wilson, Gachkar, Wilbur

9 Good players, 3 Stars.

Philadelphia:

Line: Cox, Logan, Thornton | Hart, Allen, Curry

LBs: Barwin, Ryans, Kendricks, Graham | Jones, Alonso, Hicks, Curry (again)

9 good players, 1 Star.

The difference is really in safety play. I don't think PFF is all that great, but they have the Philly safeties as the top duo in the league so far this year, so that's something. I didn't look at how they ranked the Dallas safeties since I already know they suck.
 
If you want to make an argument for Kendricks I can see that, but no one is going "oh shit, Ryans is coming on the field". If we went off tackle totals or whatever, almost any starting LB in the league is better than Sean Lee but we know that isn't the case.

No one wanted McClain because he's a headcase, not because he isn't great at football.