INTRO: A new idea I had in order to help me go through the NFL team’s rosters and examine all the personnel and coaching changes, etc., one-by-one. I’m going to look at two teams head-to-head in seven key categories (my bias on what is ‘key’). The team that gets my vote in each category gets a ‘win’…the first team to 4 wins moves on to the next round. Just a quick, hopefully fun, way to take the temperature of each team heading into the 2023 preseason.
The seven categories…it’s actually six because one category is so important that it’s worth double:
1-2) The quarterbacks comparison…the winner of this gets 2 wins, or if too close to call it could be a 1-1 split.
3) O-Line -- Judging which team has the better O-Line…the most critical aspect of a team after the QB.
4) Cornerbacks -- After O-Line, I think the most critical position is shutdown corners (or not having any).
5) Head Coach/Organization -- A battle of which coaches will get in the way less, to some degree but also an edge given to teams that will attract free agents or be a desired destination in trades…and what teams are filling the stadium for home games, etc. Everything rolled into one judgment call.
6) Offensive Weapons -- Which team has the better, scarier RB-WR-TE group.
7) Kicker -- If it comes down to #7, of course the kicker should make the determination...as the kicker often determines the winner of a 59+ minute war prior with a last second make/miss.
As we lead into each category and tap a winner -- I’m also listing the major add/loss for each team in the offseason so far, just to eyeball it as a list.
Is this a brilliant way to judge teams over another? Who knows! But it struck me as something fun to do while studying each team this preseason, after the majority of offseason moves have been made.
DAL major adds: CB Gilmore, WR Cooks, DT Mazi Smith, TE Schoonmaker, LB Overshown, CB, E Scott, FB Luepke
DAL major losses: OG McGovern, TE Schultz, WR N. Brown
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PHI major adds: DT Carter, OG Steen, LB N. Smith, SAF S. Brown, RB Swift
PHI major losses: DT Hargrave, OT Dillard, RB Sanders, OG Seumalo, LB Edwards, SAF Epps, SAF Gardner-Johnson, QB Minshew
QB (2x): Dak is solid, started having the yips late season 2022, but he’s fine, probably…but he’s nowhere in the class of Jalen Hurts.
Eagles take the (2-0) lead.
O-Line: Dallas has a decent O-Line, but Philly has one of the top O-Lines in the game.
Eagles pitching a shutout (3-0).
CBs: This gets interesting with the Dallas acquisition of Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore and Diggs vs. Slay and Bradberry. I think Diggs is a little overrated and Gilmore is getting closer to a ‘fade’ period…Slay and Bradberry still on top of their game. Eagles win.
Eagles sweep Dallas (4-0) and move on to the NFC Final Four.
HC/Organization: Philadelphia seems to be a place where players interested in winning want to go to…or if they played for Georgia in college. Dallas seems to be a place where players who want to suck some more payroll and attention go…go to cozy up to Jerry Jones for $$$.
I’m not a huge fan of Nick Sirianni, but he’s doing fine…and, alternatively, Mike McCarthy, to me, is one of the worst head coaches in the league the past decade. Organization and coaching edge to Philly.
The Eagles now run it to (5-0).
Weapons: I’ll take the Eagles WRs and TEs, and the RB matchup is about a push for me. Eagles win out here as well.
Philly now stomping Dallas (6-0).
Kicker: Long time solid kicker Jake Elliott or trying-to-find-a-replacement is the kicker for Dallas. No contest for Philly.
Eagles sweep Dallas with impunity (7-0).
Upcoming Matchups (next round):
MIA v. CIN in the AFC Final Four
JAX v. KC in the AFC Final Four
PHI is headed to the NFC Final Four
MIN v. DET for the NFC North
TB v. NO for the NFC South
ARI v. SEA for the NFC West
