Northern Lebanon, or "NL", is your typical high school. School dances and football games are all the rage. There was nothing better than a weekend with a game on Friday and a dance on Saturday. Football games and getting into trouble, that's high school.

Unfortunately for this school, the football team had a history of, let's say, sub-par seasons. Over the past eight years, the school had a record of 20 wins, and 60 losses, meaning the school had lost 75 percent off its games played since 1999.

2006 had not been much better for the Vikings of Northern Lebanon after fielding a 4-6 team for the second consecutive year, a decent year by NL standards. The team had shown life with a 4-3 record after seven weeks before losing the last three games of the season.

But 2007 was going to be different.

This team had an entire town excited for football. High school fans from all around knew that this team was going to be a force to be reckoned with. This was a group of kids who had won at every level.

Pee-Wee (six, seven, and eight years old) - 9-0-1

Pony (nine and 10 years old) - 6-4

Midgets (11 and 12 years old) - 10-0

Middle School (13, 14, and 15 years old) - 5-2

Now it was time to prove their worth at the Varsity level, and everyone was watching. The entire class were seniors now and would once again control the fate of the team and the hopes of a town starved for a winning program.

The last time the school had gone to the playoffs was 1991 when the football team was a perfect 10-0, and the last winning season was 1994.

This team was being compared to the team in '91, and for good reason. They had the makings of a winning club, a team with several players looking to head off to the college ranks once their time at good ol' NL was over.

The '06 season had just barely ended before everyone had their sights set on early September of '07 to see what this team of destiny could really do.

Tragedy Strikes This Small Town

On January 19th, 2007, shortly after 6 PM, a car traveling north, driven by Katie Eckert, 17, and passenger Charles Bates, 17, on Route 343 crossed the double-yellow lines into the opposite lane and collided with a minivan traveling south, hitting the van sideways on the passenger side.

The two teens in the car traveling north were pronounced dead at the scene. Those two teens were students at Northern Lebanon. One of them, Charles Bates, was a football player, and the other, Katie Eckert, his girlfriend, played field hockey.

In the blink of an eye, two lives and one teammate, were lost. That teammate was beloved by the entire team not only because of his skills on the football field, but as a friend to all with whom he came in contact.

The school did something unprecedented by holding a double viewing in the auditorium of the school itself, allowing all students to come and see their fallen classmates.

The seats were full and the walls were lined with people from the school and all over town coming to pay their finals respects to their brother, their sister, their cousin, their nephew, their niece, their friends.

Football Becomes an Escape

After the grieving process begins, people need something to use as an outlet for their emotions and their problems. What better outlet than football?

Over the next several months teammates came together in a way never before seen in these parts. Anything having to do with football became an escape for all who knew and loved Charles.

Lifting and running, gamplanning and practicing all became ways to release their minds from the grief they were feeling and allow them to work towards something to honor his memory and his love for the game.

Charles became motivation for everyone as well.

When someone felt like they couldn't sprint that last 10 yards, they did it for "Batesy." When it was just too hot to continue running the play, they did it for Batesy. When that ankle hurt and couldn't go anymore, they pushed it.

All for Batesy.

September, 2007

Mini-camps were over. Two-a-days had come and gone right along with the team camp at Shippensburg University. Scrimmages were history.

It was time to strap on the pads, put on the real jerseys, buckle the chinstraps, tighten the cleats, and go out there and show why this team had the expectations they had.

They didn't know it at the time, but boys were about to become men, just a game of football became an homage to a fallen friend who always gave everything he had for the team he loved so much, and every inch gained was one inch closer to being able to pound your chest in the endzone and scream, "This one's for you, Batesy!"

It was time to go.

Week 1 - Northern Lebanon @ Pine Grove (Non-league play)

"How 'bout those undefeated Northern Lebanon Vikings?!" - OC Shawn Webb

The game started with an NL kick return nearly going the distance, and would get the ball rolling for a blowout at Pine Grove. Three plays was all it took to draw first blood for the Vikings, 7-0.

Pine Grove would drive the field and score three points on a field goal, but that would be the first and last time they got the opportunity. From a 7-3 score, the Vikings took control of the game with a strong running game and defense, a persona that would follow the Vikings for the rest of the season.

When the dust cleared, Pine Grove had been dealt a humiliating 34-3 loss at the hands of the Northern Lebanon Vikings.

Result: W, 34-3, 1-0

Week 2 - Northern Lebanon vs. Fleetwood (Non-league play)

"Your program is going up, ours is going down." - Fleetwood Head Coach

For the losing tradition that NL had, Fleetwood was even worse. They were a winless or one-win team for the past few years, and showed little signs of improving in 2007.

NL had their way with Fleetwood, scoring in every conceivable fashion. Passing, running, interceptions and fumble returns as well as kick and punt returns, the Fleetwood Tigers were embarrassed at NL.

With the score 56-0 in the middle of the third quarter, the backups were put in en route to a 62-20 victory.

Result: W, 62-20, 2-0

Week 3 - Northern Lebanon vs. Hamburg (Non-League Play)

"I'd give it all, I'd give for us, Give anything, but I won't give up" - Nickelback Far Away

Hamburg was a special game for the Vikings because of what had happened the previous season.

Down 7-6 late in the fourth quarter, the offense drove down the field and found themselves within the two-yard line of Hamburg's endzone with only a couple minutes remaining. A fullback dive was the call, and the call was for Batesy.

The play was called, the ball was snapped, placed into Batesy's hands and everyone watched him fall into the endzone...without the ball.

Charles had fumbled the ball before falling into the endzone. The ball was recovered by Hamburg and after a few knee-downs by their quarterback, the game was over.

Charles always blamed himself for that loss, so this game was personal.

Before the game was about to begin, the team huddled in the locker room, knowing the significance of the game without really needing to say a word.

As the team was about to leave to go down to the field, the offensive coordinator Shawn Webb walked into the locker room with a CD player in hand. He told us to huddle up, and he hit play.

Reverberating on the walls of the locker room was the song "Far Away" by Nickelback, the same song that had been played at Batesy's funeral.

Once the song was over the team marched two-by-two, hand-in-hand, teary-eyed and pissed off all at the same time. These were men on a mission.

The offense scored 14 points in a total of four minutes, and that's all it would take.

The defense held the Hamburg Hawks to zero points, a shutout for Batesy. Even though the offense did not find the endzone for the rest of the game, it was good enough to seal the victory and call it a "W" for Batesy.

Result: W, 14-0, 3-0

Week 4 - Northern Lebanon vs. Pequa Valley (League Play)

"Dun Duh Nuh Nuh Heeyyy Go Pequa!" - Pequa Valley Fight Song

Pequa Valley is another school, like Fleetwood, with a real long history of losing when it comes to its football program. Both schools have great soccer programs, but invest little to no time or money into football.

To give you some perspective on how bad PV was: they lost to Fleetwood to finish 0-10. They're the Detroit Lions of District 3 Section 3 L-L football.

As was the same in the Fleetwood game, the score was into the 50's at halftime and halfway into the third quarter, once again prompting the benching of the starters and playing time for the backups.

Result: W, 61-6, 4-0

Week 5 - Northern Lebanon vs. Annville Cleona (League play)

"Throw out the records when these teams play" - Head Coach Jack Beidler

Annville was the most hated rivalry of the Northern Lebanon Vikings and until recently had always been a bully to NL. However even with the sub-par past two years, NL had always found a way to beat Annville, and this year, of all years, would definitely not be the year the streak ended.

Playing like men possessed the NL Vikings notched their second shutout of the 2007 season, and their second highest point total of the year, so far, with 47.

This game was the most heavily attended game of the season, and probably in school history. When the team walked out after halftime, cars could still be seen lining Route 22 and waiting to get into the game.

A soccer field was temporarily turned into a parking lot.

At this point in the season, the Northern Lebanon Vikings were the most prolific offense in the state, scoring 212 points total, and one of the best defenses, allowing only 29 points with two shutouts.

Result: W, 47-0, 5-0

Week 6 - Northern Lebanon @ ELCO (League Play)

"I believe that we will win, I believe that we will win, VIKINGS!" - Pre-game chant

For the first time all season the offense was shut out in the first quarter. However, it wasn't long into the second quarter before they'd get on the board and never look back.

The offense went on the score 30 unanswered points and the defense was pitching a shutout until about halfway into the fourth quarter. The ELCO Raiders, another rival, were able to score 12 points in the last half of the fourth quarter to bring the final score to 30-12.

The perfect season kept marching on.

Result: W, 30-12, 6-0

Week 7 - Northern Lebanon @ Columbia (League Play)

"I will not deal with 6-1! Anything less than 7-0 is unacceptable!" - Coach Hallman

7-0 was the goal, and everyone was working for it. Coach Hallman had said it, 6-1 was unacceptable. The team had to go in and take care of their business to come out undefeated.

They did just that... for the first three and a half quarters, anyway.

With a 20-0 lead in the fourth quarter (only 20 because of a missed extra point), the Vikings looked like they were well on their way to starting off the '07 season 7-0.

Unfortunately, that would not be the case.

A fumble within the Vikings redzone, in the fourth quarter, would put Columbia in prime position to put their first points on the board. Those points started a snowball affect.

The team was shellshocked, and it would cost them. Penalties, dropped passes, fumbles, and interceptions would stop the Vikings' undefeated season and put a blemish on their perfect record.

With just barely two minutes left to play, Columbia kicked an extra point to give them a 21-20 lead. After a failed two-minute drive, ending in controversy over a spot of the ball, the Vikings relinquished their undefeated season to the Columbia Crimson Tide.

The loss would follow them for the next couple of weeks.

Result: L, 20-21, 6-1

Week 8 - Northern Lebanon vs. Lampeter-Strasburg (League play, Homecoming)

"Woooohooooo! Let it rain, baby! Woo!" - C/DT Austin Hormel at Halftime

What better way to redeem a tough loss than to play well and win one for your home crowd for homecoming weekend?

The first half was hard-fought and very close. Lampeter-Strasburg, or "LS", was a very good team and some thought they may win the section.

After a very physical first half, the score stood at 10-3 in favor of LS. Missed opportunities and big plays were the name of the game for the Vikings. Several drives ending in punts and the only touchdown allowed was a big play, over 40 yards.

Halftime seemed like an eternity as everyone was ready to go out, punch LS in the mouth and get back to our winning ways. Unfortunately, approaching storms caused a half-hour delay and would prove to be the end for the Vikings.

While LS came out ready to play, NL did not.

NL would wind up allowing four touchdowns and field goal for a total of 31 points. All four touchdowns came on plays of 40 or more yards.

The only bright spots of the game was a 47-yard field goal hit by our kicker, in the rain, and a 200-yard rushing performance by all-star running back Travis Dresch.

However, a loss is still a loss.

Result: L, 9-31, 6-2

Week 9 - Northern Lebanon @ Donegal (League Play)

"This is playoff week, win and we're in!" - Head Coach Jack Beidler

Indeed this was playoff week.

If the Vikings could beat Donegal, a very beatable team, they would have a playoff berth locked up and opportunity to play at least an 11th week.

Week 10 would pit the Vikings against Lancaster Catholic, a private Catholic school that could recruit from anywhere in the state and took full advantage. LC frequently sent players to the Division 1 ranks to schools such as Temple, Penn State, and Iowa just to name a few.

LC had not lost to a Section III team in four years, winning 23 consecutive games against Section III opponents. Essentially, most people chalked up playing Lancaster Catholic as a loss.

Donegal, however, was a different story. They were a .500 team at best and were nowhere near the Vikings' talent level.

Unfortunately before the game it was evident that key members of the team were not as focused as they should have been. Pair that with the fact that the team's all-star center had been moved to left tackle to make up for the spot's lack of production and there was cause for concern.

Early in the game the Vikings attempted to go for it on 4th & 4. A beautiful pass right in the hands of the receiver would be dropped, and kill the spirits of the entire team.

The team limped through the rest of the game, scoring only once and losing by 17 points.

Result: L, 23-6, 6-3

Week 10 - Northern Lebanon vs. Lancaster Catholic (League Play)

"I gave you all a choice to make...AND YOU MADE A HELL OF A CHOICE!"

The final week of the season, and the team's last chance to make the playoffs, came against Lancaster Catholic. The team had not lost to a Section III opponent in four years, and no one expected that to end now.

But what no one knew was that the Vikings would have a 12th man on the field with them at all times.

Charles Bates.

A makeshift plaque to Batesy had been made and placed next to the door that the team would use to exit from the locker room down to the field. As everyone walked out the door, a silent tap on the plaque was all it took to get pumped and feel like maybe, just maybe, they could pull this one out.

For Batesy.

The game started off with the Vikings kicking to the Crusaders of Lancaster Catholic, or so they thought. An onside kick recovered by the Vikings got the game rolling in the right direction.

A drive down the field left the Vikings at the Crusaders' two-yard line with an opportunity to draw first blood. A stuffed rushing attempt on third down would prompt a rather conservative call to kick a field goal.

After a back and forth game, the score was 17-13 in favor of Northern Lebanon.

With only a few minutes remaining, the Crusaders moved the ball down the field and began unleashing their first-ranked passing attack against the Vikings' pass defense which was ranked in the lower portion of the league.

Somehow, some way, the secondary managed to stop everything, literally, thrown at them. Balls were being batted down by everyone, pressure was getting to the quarterbacks head, and the drive was stalling.

It was fourth down, they were down by four so a field goal wouldn't do. Time to go for it.

A hard count, a defensive lineman jumps forward into the neutral zone but jumps back just in time so there's no penalty.

Ball is snapped. Quarterback is looking, looking, looking, there's no one open. He makes a break for it and...

SMACK!

He's hit, fumbles the ball, and NL recovers. A few kneel-downs by the quarterback and the game is over.

Northern Lebanon has done the impossible. They have ended the streak, beat the team that no one thought could be beaten and at the same time earned themselves a spot in the playoffs.

Result: W, 17-13, 7-3

Week 11 - Northern Lebanon @ Gettysburg (Playoff Game 1)

The playoff game was nothing to write home about as a Gettysburg team clearly overmatched the Vikings through the air en route to a 38-13 win. Gettysburg would wind up as the runners-up to the District III title, losing to Lampeter-Strasburg.

Result: L, 13-38, Eliminated from Playoffs

Bottom Line

This is a story that needs to be told.

As a member of this team it has inspired me to be a better person. This story shows that in a time of despair and darkness a group of people can come together to achieve something great. Something to inspire a town and a school.

A group of boys were violently shoved into manhood, and dealt with it beautifully.

Football should help all who play it to become a better person off the field. It teaches them the importance of being a leader, how to interact with others and support your "family", and how to overcome the worst of adversities.

Through this story it is my hope that people can see that the night is darkest before the dawn. A terrible tragedy can have a positive outcome.

From our head coach, Jack Beidler, all the way to the bottom man cheering the team on from the sidelines, everyone was special and dear to that team...that group of men.

The story of the 2007 Northern Lebanon Vikings should be celebrated, and never forgotten as, "The Miracle on 22."

Also, the field hockey team made the playoffs for the first time in years...beating the top-ranked team in the last week of the season to get them over the hump.

They did it for Katie. We did it for Charles. We did it for them.

In Loving Memory of Charles J. Bates, II and Katie Eckert

The Inspiration of a School, and a Town.

Yes, even now.

I suppose as football fans, we need something to keep us occupied throughout these dark weeks of the NFL offseason. That's the motivation behind draft grades, all the rumors that are intentionally circulated, and of course, guessing the 53-man roster.

There are bound to be a couple surprises with the final roster, and attempting to guess it is not all that realistic. So instead, I'll simply be taking a look at how I believe the roster should look come September.

Again, this is a what would I do if I was Andy Reid and not what do I believe Andy Reid will actually do with the roster.

OFFENSE

Quarterback (3)

QB 1) Donovan McNabb - Easily a top-five QB in the NFL, easily wins job

QB 2) A.J. Feeley - If McNabb goes down, I'd rather have Feeley than...

QB 3) Kevin Kolb - Has shown nothing but mistakes. Not a better QB than Feeley

*Notes: All three quarterbacks' contracts are up in 2010, which will show a lot depending on who the Eagles resign next year. These three are locks for now, any other QB brought in knows he's only a camp body.

Running Back (3)

RB 1) Brian Westbrook - When healthy, the most dangerous RB in the game

RB 2) LeSean McCoy - Perfect complement/replacement for BWest

RB 3) Kyle Eckel - Can play RB, FB, and ST. Too versatile not to keep. Big guy.

*Notes: Unlike most, I am a believer in Lorenzo Booker. Unfortunately he's just too much like Westbrook and McCoy. Also, Eckel can play three positions, where Booker is limited to one considering he's no longer needed in the return game with Demps, Jackson, Maclin, and Hobbs.

Fullback (1)

FB 1) Leonard Weaver - Pro Bowl caliber FB, can also run the ball like a RB

*Notes: Weaver's only competition is an undrafted guy, and that's almost as good as no competition. Weaver was brought in for a reason. May have to contend with Kyle Eckel if the coaches aren't sold on him at RB, but either way Weaver wins his job.

Wide Receiver (5)

WR 1) Kevin Curtis - As of now, still the best WR on this team

WR 2) DeSean Jackson - Has potential to be the No. 1, but is still young

WR 3) Jeremy Maclin - First round pick will be called upon for immediate results

WR 4) Jason Avant - Should see a lot of playing time on third down in the slot

WR 5) Hank Baskett - Size and potential keeps him on this team, for now

*Notes: If the Eagles keep six, Reggie Brown will be the sixth receiver they keep. However, I don't forsee them keeping six. I would like to see Brandon Gibson at least on the practice squad. Gibson could turn into a playmaker.

Tight End (3)

TE 1) Brent Celek - Showed enough in postseason to earn starting job

TE 2) Cornelius Ingram - Hurt in '08 for senior year but has immense upside

TE 3) Matt Schobel - Makes the team by default. Veteran could help young guys

*Notes: Matt Schobel is really not a guy who I want on this roster. I liked him when they brought him in, but his half-hearted performance against the Bears, and really all year, has turned me off to Schobel. Obviously doesn't want to block but lacks the hands to get away with it.

Offensive Line (10)

RT 1) Shawn Andrews - If he stays on the field, he'll be headed to the Pro Bowl

RT 2) Mike McGlynn - Played RT in college, would work as a backup for Andrews

RG 1) Stacy Andrews - Should be healthy and good to go at guard

RG 2) Max Jean-Gilles - Big, tough road-grater. Love MJG as a backup

C 1) Jamal Jackson - Will get pushed in camp and should keep starting spot

C 2) Nick Cole - Possibly the most versatile lineman, could backup at C and G

LG 1) Todd Herremans - Played well last year, looks to improve to next level

LG 2) Mike Gibson - Young guy with a lot of upside, played T in college, G in NFL

LT 1) Jason Peters - Best LT in football? We'll see how he plays with a fat wallet

LT 2) King Dunlap - Seventh round pick a year ago who Eagles love in the future

*Notes: I would love to see Winston Justice make the team. I think he can blossom into a great talent if given the time and the help. He played well at RT and should get a look there and inside at guard.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line (10)

LDE 1) Juqua Parker - Still a more-than-capable veteran guy. High motor.

LDE 2) Victor Abiamiri - Could push for starting job, more likely in the rotation

LDE 3) Chris Clemons - Made a push late last year, could be a pleasant surprise

LDT 1) Mike Patterson - Perhaps the most underrated defensive player in NFL

LDT 2) Trevor Laws - Second-year man looks to improve on solid rookie year

RDT 1) Brodrick Bunkley - Pro Bowl caliber guy who stuffs the run extremely well

RDT 2) Dan Klecko - Played well at DT before switch to FB (2.5 sacks in 3 games)

RDE 1) Trent Cole - One of the best in the league, young and looks to improve

RDE 2) Darren Howard - Incredible '09 campaign should carry over

RDE 3) Bryan Smith - Has yet to play a down, young guy with a lot of upside

*Notes: No surprises here, although it would be no shock to see Abiamiri overtake Parker for the starting spot. The Eagles would love their former second-round pick to become a starter, but they will probably have to wait. Howard most likely won't repeat in '09 year, but even half is a great help.

Linebacker (6)

SAM 1) Chris Gocong - Starting job is his without much competition

SAM 2) Tank Daniels - Mostly a ST guy, could help at LB in a pinch

MIKE 1) Stewart Bradley - Starter at MIKE for years to come. Pro Bowl?

MIKE 2) Joe Mays - Would love to see the "Headbuster" get some time

WILL 1) Omar Gaither - Should still be starting. Guy can be a playmaker

WILL 2) Akeem Jordan - Played well but should lose out to experience

*Notes: While Jordan played well last season, I do not believe it was well enough to keep Gaither on the bench. The Eagles have invested a lot in Gaither, a former fifth-round pick. They cut Trot to give him starting MIKE spot, and TKO to give him starting WILL spot.

Cornerback (5)

CB 1) Asante Samuel - Still the best in the game, has his spot locked up

CB 2) Sheldon Brown - Should play well despite contract, another lock

CB 3) Ellis Hobbs - Starting caliber player on any other team

CB 4) Joselio Hanson - Will take back third spot next year after Brown is gone

CB 5) Jack Ickegwuonu - Needs time to shake off the rust and earn a job

*Notes: Hanson and Hobbs will probably split time with Hobbs getting just a couple more snaps throughout the season. Hobbs will start next year and Hanson will move to the nickel corner after Brown is traded. Yes, I believe he will be traded next offseason. Icky needs a wakeup call or the Eagles will be welcoming an undrafted guy.

Safety (4)

FS 1) Quintin Mikell - Yes, I want Mikell playing free safety, his natural position

FS 2) Quintin Demps - Too much hype, he's not yet ready to start

SS 1) Sean Jones - Not a free safety like originally thought, good SS though

SS 2) Macho Harris - Probably a free safety, but will need to make the team

*Notes: Macho Harris is probably a free safety, but needs to make the team in any way that he can. Demps is not ready to start and should sit behind Mikell/Jones for a few years to learn the ropes, there's too much hype around him. Did I mention that I love Sean Jones as a starter for this team?

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (1)

K 1) David Akers - Still the best option for this team, and still a very good K

*Notes: Any kicker brought in is nothing more than a camp body. Sam Swank will have to make an impression and latch on elsewhere, unless he proves absolutely phenomenal and too good to let go.

Punter (1)

P 1) Sav Rocca - His job to lose. Without much competition, doesn't seem likely

*Notes: Rocca is in the same position as Akers. It's his job to lose and I don't forsee that happening. The Aussie stays in Philly.

Long Snapper

LS 1) Jon Dorenbos - "Don't know who he is? Good, means he's doing his job"

*Notes: I quoted myself. This is what I said about Dorenbos last year, and the same is true now. Part-time magician works his magic for Philly in '09.

Practice Squad

OT Fenuki Tupou

WR Shaheer McBride

WR Brandon Gibson

OG Paul Fanaika

OLB Moises Fukou

TE Eugene Bright

WR Danny Amendola

RB Eldra Buckley

If there were a disclaimer on this it would read something like, "Numbers and players are subject to change without notice based on training camp performances and injuries."

Prepare for the dark weeks of the NFL offseason, football fans. I'm here all year.

The dominance of the division is well-known, and puts all four teams in a rather unenviable position.

This year, however, may turn out to be a different story.

Of course there are a lot of "what-ifs" but if things stay the way they are now, it would appear to be a two-team race for this division.

The Eagles and Giants are obviously the class of this division. While the Giants have had their way over the past few years, the Eagles were the dominant team before that and may be looking to take back the reigns.

The Cowboys and Redskins have had their time in the past, and certainly will have their time in the future, but at the moment they simply do not stack up to the Giants and Eagles.

The Redskins, whom I believe are the worst team in this division, are a team without an identity and without a direction.

Teams without an identity as a passing team, a running team, a defensive team, or whatever else, will always suffer because they have nothing to fall back on. They have nothing that they know they can do well. They may be average everywhere, but all that creates is an average team.

The only identity that the Redskins seem to have is the fact that they'll overpay anybody. If you've ever had a sack, a touchdown, an interception, a half sack, an assisted tackle, or if you've ever called a fair catch, you can be sure Danny Snyder will overpay to have you on his team.

Prime example (and will be for years to come): Albert Haynesworth.

Before 2007, Haynesworth has been nothing better than average. Before that magical '07 season, Haynesworth never had more than three sacks in a year and had only accumulated 9.5 sacks. That's 9.5 sacks in five years. That's just under two sacks a year (1.9). To put that little gem into perspective, Dan Klecko had 2.5 sacks this season alone as a DT with the Eagles. A whole three-game stretch.

Are those numbers worth $100 million? I don't think so.

Then there was that '07 season.

All of a sudden, Haynesworth doubles his sack total in a single season to six and is voted to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro team.

So what was the sudden change?

Well, Haynesworth was in a contract year in 2007 and was playing simply to get paid. But to be fair, he did repeat those number in 2008 with 8.5 sacks and a second consecutive invite to the Pro Bowl and another All-Pro nod.

But wait, 2008 was another contract year while playing under the franchise tag.

So unless Snyder found a way to sign Haynesworth to one-year contracts, don't look for him to produce any more than about three sacks.

A guy who doesn't produce outside of a contract year, and has never finished a season by the way...Now that's a guy worth $100 million!

Then there was DeAngelo Hall, a poor-man's (extremely poor) Deion Sanders, who also was severely overpaid. He's been nothing more than a career underachiever (for every pick, he'll get burned to make up for it) with a bad attitude. So, on second thought, he'll fit right in to D.C.

The Cowboys, like the Redskins, are another team (using the term loosely) that cannot live up to the potential that they seem to have on paper.

So what's the solution? Cut the only player who has lived up to his potential (with the exception of DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten) and turn your play-making duties over to a guy who showed last year that he has no motivation or desire to better himself.

Also, a guy for whom Jerry Jones severely overpaid. A first, third, sixth, and seventh is extreme for any player, but Roy Williams was a guy who had documented motivational issues and had clashed with teammates in Detroit because of his lack of a work ethic.

Tony Romo is underachieving at its best. September, October, and even November are just fine. But when it's time to buckle down and win something for your team in December and January, not only will Romo not help the cause, but he becomes a liability.

The team has no head coach. Wade Phillips wears the title but he has no real authority with the team as long as they continue to see Jerry Jones butting in every chance he gets. Phillips has proven he belongs at defensive coordinator, not head coach.

Until Jones stops trying to interfere, and they find a real head coach, the Cowboys will always be a team with the promise but never exceeding 9-7.

The Giants are a good team. There's no doubt about that. The doubt comes in at how good they really are.

It would appear as though the Giants showed their true colors last season on their 1-5 stretch without Plaxico Burress.

Without Burress, the Giants offense could go nowhere. No one feared the passing game, so the gameplan simply became to shut down Brandon Jacobs. Once a team shut down Jacobs, Derrick Ward was a non-issue because his only value came from feeding off of what Jacobs had already done.

Let me say this now: without Plaxico Burress, Eli Manning will show his true colors.

Either way, this year will show just what kind of quarterback Manning is. He will not have that security blanket to lean on and will in fact have to help out young receivers by throwing good balls and becoming a leader.

Let's just say I don't have much faith in that happening.

The biggest thing about the Giants is that defense. The defense, especially the line, looks mighty scary. They're big in the middle and quick on the edges, which will create a whole lot of problems for a whole lot of teams.

However, with the departure of Spags to the Rams, will that defense be able to operate in the same way that they have in years past?

Brandon Jacobs is predicting 13 wins, I'm saying closer to 10 or 11 because of this next team.

The Philadelphia Eagles.

As a cautious optimist, I believe that the Eagles are in fact the best team in this division and should have the upper-hand over the defending NFC East champion New York Giants.

All the problems that the Giants have are the same that they had last year when the Eagles beat them two out of three times, with both wins coming after they had lost Plax for the season, and ultimately for good.

The Giants could not move the ball at all and were outscored 43-25 in the final two games played against the Eagles, one of them a playoff game.

While the Giants have not done much to improve as a team in need areas, the Eagles have.

All of the starters and backups lost by the Eagles via free agency have been replaced and perhaps upgraded, with age being a factor. The Eagles brought in a lot of veterans who can play at an extremely high level and can provide leadership on an otherwise fairly young team.

The first three rookies drafted, Jeremy Maclin (1st), LeSean McCoy (2nd), and Cornelius Ingram (5th), are expected to contribute immediately and were all big-time talents in college. If they can contribute even half of what they contributed in college, the Eagles will be set for years to come.

The fact of the matter is simply that the Eagles have countered everything the Giants have done in the offseason.

The Giants bolstered their D-line with the return of Osi and adding Rocky Bernard, so the Eagles traded for arguably the best left tackle in football in Jason Peters. The Giants lost their best receiver, the Eagles have added more talent and depth to their secondary.

The Eagles have only been a couple bad breaks behind the Giants for the past couple years, but that should end in 2009.

If the Eagles can stay healthy overall as a team, they should be able to leapfrog the Giants and take back the first-place spot they're so accustomed to holding.

With all that said, don't discount the Giants. They won't go down easily by any means. They still have a good O-line and running game on offense to go along with a very good defense, especially that front seven.

Overall Divisional Expectations

1. YZ - Philadelphia Eagles - 12-4
2. X - New York Giants - 10-6
3. Dallas Cowboys - 8-8
4. Washington Redskins - 7-9

*X = Playoff Berth, Y = Division Winner, Z = Home-field Advantage

Look for the Eagles and Giants to split games this season and perhaps meet in the playoffs, with a sweep of the Cowboys and Redskins.

Playoffs

If the Eagles can win the division, they should be able to land the luxury of a first-round bye. The other projected division-winners around the NFC (Cardinals, Vikings, and Falcons) will not be good enough to make the Eagles play Wild Card weekend.

If the Eagles get a first-round bye heading into the playoffs, they will be the team no one wants to face. Once they earn themselves a playoff berth, they have the talent to take this thing the whole way.

The list of new faces is extremely impressive and rather exciting. Leonard Weaver, Jason Peters, Stacy Andrews, Sean Jones, and Ellis Hobbs while also adding some young talent through the draft such as Jeremy Maclin, LeSean "Shady" McCoy, and Cornelius Ingram.

All of these guys will make an impact in one way or another. They all have their own unique talents to offer and could force the rather thick-headed Andy Reid to take a look at revamping that laminated sheet he's always waving around.

The coaching staff, on the other hand, remains largely intact. Some guys have left for other jobs or have retired but new guys are stepping in and shouldn't miss a beat. All of the coordinators are the same, so there will be no sweeping changes on that front.

So, how will each player help in changing the playbook and philosophy of the Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles V11.0?

Offense

- Running the "Screen" More Often

It seems as though the screen was not run nearly as often in 2008 as it was in 2007 or any other prior year. I don't have the numbers right in front of me, but it was fairly obvious just from watching.

The reason could be that Westbrook was a bit more banged up in 2008 than he has been in years prior. Regardless of the reason, the Eagles need to find their way back to the screen.

Westbrook has made his highlight reel off of the screen. Think back to the Redskins game in '07, or the Lions game in the same year. Even in '08 the screen put the nail in the coffin for the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of last year's playoffs.

But for whatever reason, the screen was simply forgotten for most of the year. And in Reid's pass-first offense, the screen must be an important part of the gameplan to make up for the amount of running plays called.

Westbrook had perhaps the most ineffective year of his career last year. He had a career low in yards-per-reception (7.4), the second-lowest in receiving yards (402), and his lowest reception total (54) since 2003.

Peters and Andrews are both athletic enough to pick up right where Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan left off in the execution of the screen.

Also let's not forget that the rookie McCoy can run that screen with the best of them. So whether it's McCoy, Westbrook, or even Leonard Weaver, it's time to get back to the bread-and-butter play.

- More Timing Patterns (Slants, Drags, Hitches, Comebacks, etc.)

Reid calls himself a west-coast style guy, but his playcalling would indicate otherwise. Reid loves throwing the deep ball. He'll send his guys straight down the field and tell McNabb to heave it up and see what comes down.

This, folks, is not the west-coast offense. This is more of a vertical passing attack similar to the '98 Vikings, or the '99 and '01 Rams under Mike Martz.

This season, I believe Reid gets back to his west-coast offense routes (like that play on words?).

Over the past few years, Reid has gone out and gotten the speed that he wants at receiver. In 2007, he went out and got Curtis as a free agent, 08 he drafted D-Jack, and now this year traded up two spots to snag Jeremy Maclin.

All of these guys are sub-4.3 runners who can get away from almost any corner in the league. The only hurdle here is teaching Maclin how to run an intermediate route, considering he never, or rarely, ran one at Mizzou in the spread.

Regardless, with the speed the Eagles now have, short timing patterns can turn into big plays for the offense.

Any one of these three guys have the speed to take a five-yard slant, hitch, comeback, drag, etc. and turn it into a touchdown simply by finding a crease and running away from defenders.

Look for a lot more timing patterns this year, and a lot of frustrated defenses.

- Throwing to the Tight End in the Middle of the Field

Reid wants his tight ends to catch more than he wants them to block, that's obvious. It's the reason why he passed on Brandon Pettigrew and waited until the fifth round to grab Ingram.

Ingram will back up Brent Celek, but no matter who is playing the tight end spot, they will see a lot more passes to them in the middle of the field.

Whether it's a simple in-pattern, a slant, or a seam, look for the Eagles to use their tight ends to manipulate the safeties. Then what happens is once the safeties have been burnt by the tight ends in the middle, they will begin pressing the middle and paying attention to the tight end. That, in turn, will lead to one-on-one matchups on the outside.

This will also take place in the red zone.

If the tight ends can learn to use their bodies to shield off linebackers in the middle of the field, they could see a lot of looks in the red zone. Both guys are over 6'4" and can catch the football. This, again, will also lead to that fade pattern to the corner working a whole lot better than it did in '08.

One man covering the receiver is a whole lot better than having to worry about the safety as well.

- More Power Football being Played in the Red Zone and on the Goal Line

The Eagles now boast the biggest line in the NFL, at an average weight of 333 pounds per guy. That beef is gonna be used to push the pile when it matters most.

This does not only pertain to the red zone and goal line, but also on third and fourth and one situations. The Eagles had a difficult time moving the pile last year, but with this huge offensive line that should no longer become an issue.

Last season Reid was forced to call passing plays in short-yardage situations because of inconsistencies on the offensive line and at the tight end position. This year, he'll be able to hand the ball to Weaver right up the gut and push the pile for the necessary yardage.

That kind of power football will be tough to stop with the size that the Eagles now boast. Also, let's not forget that Weaver is 240 pounds, and McNabb is 250. That kind of momentum behind a 333-pound average and short-yardage is no longer an issue.

Defense

- More Blitzing and Man Coverage

With the linebackers a year more experienced, look for Jim Johnson to set them loose off the edge and up the middle and any other way he can think of.

Sean Jones is a big guy who can play in the box and take over for a vacating linebacker, so look for him to be that eighth man in the box fairly often.

Also, with the emergence of Joselio Hanson and the trade for Ellis Hobbs, the cornerback position looks much strong than it did last year.

Because of the new talent in the secondary, Johnson won't have to worry so much about rolling coverage to compensate for one guy's shortcomings as he may have had to do with Hanson last year.

I also look for even the corners to get in on the blitzing. Sheldon Brown and Hobbs are very good blitzers off the corner and can lay a hit on a quarterback who's not paying attention. Actually, they can even if he is.

A new faith in the young linebackers will allow Johnson to really get creative and go nuts with the blitz this year. Also, the re-emergence of a guy like Darren Howard gives the defensive line a bit more credibility in Johnson's eyes to hold their own should the blitz fail.

- Heavier Rotation in Places Other than the Defensive Line

Johnson has always used a rotation on his defensive line, and that's not going to change. However, what could change is the emergence of rotations occurring elsewhere.

Linebacker and the secondary are fairly stacked as far as depth goes. This could lead JJ to mix and match different players at those two areas a lot more often than he ever has.

For example, perhaps Akeem Jordan and Omar Gaither work in more of a rotation. Or Gaither can come in for Gocong while Gocong puts his hand on the end as a defensive end. Sean Jones may see time on first and second down, while Quintin Demps replaces him on third and other obvious passing downs.

As far as that goes, we could even see Jones at strong safety and Demps at free, or Jones at strong and Quintin Mikell at free. Hobbs could play with Brown, or Hanson could be on the field with Icky and Samuel. Macho Harris may get some time in at safety and corner.

You get the point. The possibilities are endless as to what JJ could do with this defense.

Something I've been suggesting is the 3-4.

Put Patterson, Bunkley, and Abiamiri on the line and have Gaither, Jordan, Bradley and Gocong all on the field together. Or perhaps put Gocong at an end position and bring in Joe Mays to play the other middle linebacker spot with Gaither playing the SAM.

It's a work in progress.

Special Teams

- Trickery is the Name of the Game

There's not a whole lot you can do with special teams. However, with the amount of talent that the Eagles have at returner, they can do a whole lot.

What would a kickoff team do if they saw Demps, Jackson, and Maclin on the field at the same time? There's no way you could ignore one of them if there were to be some kind of trick play in order.

For the first time, you would see a kickoff team actually worrying about covering someone as they run down the field. This would distract them from the ball carrier, which really is as good as a block as far as that is concerned.

Like I said, there's not much you can do with special teams, but you do whatever you can in order to confuse and win some games with it.

Overall I think the Eagles need to become more aggressive. Blitz more on defense, go for it on offense, pull out all the stops and special teams and just see what falls into place.

The great thing about having a good team already is the fact that there does not need to be a sweeping change across the board. Rather than starting from scratch and creating your playbook because you're a new team or just because it's not working, they can instead just tweak it and fix the problems.

The Eagles have that benefit. I look for them to use it to their full advantage.