Machota: Why the Dallas Cowboys don't rank first in NFC East at QB position

Cotton

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Why the Dallas Cowboys don't rank first in NFC East at QB position
By Jon Machota

Over the last month or so, I ranked the four NFC East teams at every position, beginning with arguably the most important position in sports: quarterback.

If your starting quarterback goes down you're probably not going very far, so this ranking is based largely on starting quarterback production. But having a solid backup is also a factor.

Here's how I currently rank the four teams.

1.) New York Giants. This was extremely close, but Eli Manning and the Giants get the nod because of their franchise QB's availability. Over the last six seasons, Tony Romo has missed 24 games for the Cowboys. Manning hasn't missed any. Manning has also done a great job of cutting down on his turnovers the last two seasons. At 35, it seems like there's still a decent amount of gas left in the tank. The Giants haven't needed their backup QB, so it's not much of a factor here.

2.) Dallas Cowboys. If Tony Romo is on the field for 16 games, he's the best quarterback in the NFC East. But Romo was unable to do that in 2015, missing 12 games because of left collarbone issues. Romo recently said that his injury-plagued season was an anomaly. If so, look for a bounce-back year that looks similar to 2014, when Romo posted a career-high 113.2 passer rating and was mentioned in MVP discussions. The backup QB spot is one of the Cowboys' biggest question marks heading into the upcoming season. With Romo sidelined in 2015, Dallas' backups went a combined 1-11.

3.) Washington Redskins. Kirk Cousins certainly needs more than one good season to get his name in any conversations with Romo or Manning. In his first full year as the starter, Cousins led Washington to an NFC East crown, throwing for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. If he continues to perform at that level in 2016, the Redskins will likely make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Colt McCoy is a solid backup option, followed by sixth-round pick Nate Sudfeld.

4.) Philadelphia Eagles. Whether you're talking about Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel or Carson Wentz, none of the three currently belong in the same discussion as Romo, Manning or Cousins. Wentz is obviously the future. The Eagles paid a great deal to acquire him. He could eventually become the best quarterback in the East, but that seems unlikely as long as Romo and Manning are healthy and still playing at a high level.
 

ravidubey

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Why should Romo rank higher than Eli?

Manning's a proven winner and has the arm to keep his team in the game seemingly no matter how far behind. One ring can be a fluke, but two is legit. He's also a bit younger and much less injury prone.
 

Simpleton

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This isn't directly about Eli but can somebody please explain to me what is with the media's seeming over the top praise/love for the Giants passing attack?

Some bro on NFLN hypothesized that Eli would be 1st team All-Pro and it seems like it's a widely accepted fact that the Giants have some amazing array of WR's and pass catching talent.

Eli had some pretty stats last year on a shit team while throwing over 600 passes, so what?

Beckham is a stud obviously but what else do they have that is so threatening?

Randle is gone, Shephard is a rookie, Cruz hasn't done shit in about 2 years, Dwayne Harris is a nothing WR and their TE's are marginal.

Not only that but their OL is average at best and their RB's suck.

I feel like this over the top love for Eli and their passing game is a function of fantasy football. Everybody knows they're going to pass it another 600+ times because their running game is terrible, everybody loves Beckham of course and so you what you have is a recipe for very pretty stats but not winning football, and I guess the result is a very overrated passing attack.
 

L.T. Fan

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This isn't directly about Eli but can somebody please explain to me what is with the media's seeming over the top praise/love for the Giants passing attack?

Some bro on NFLN hypothesized that Eli would be 1st team All-Pro and it seems like it's a widely accepted fact that the Giants have some amazing array of WR's and pass catching talent.

Eli had some pretty stats last year on a shit team while throwing over 600 passes, so what?

Beckham is a stud obviously but what else do they have that is so threatening?

Randle is gone, Shephard is a rookie, Cruz hasn't done shit in about 2 years, Dwayne Harris is a nothing WR and their TE's are marginal.

Not only that but their OL is average at best and their RB's suck.

I feel like this over the top love for Eli and their passing game is a function of fantasy football. Everybody knows they're going to pass it another 600+ times because their running game is terrible, everybody loves Beckham of course and so you what you have is a recipe for very pretty stats but not winning football, and I guess the result is a very overrated passing attack.
I think the media is simply being pragmatic about the quarterback situation in the East Division. It is generally felt by media and fans alike that Romo will become another injury casualty. It doesn't seem to be a judgement on the best QB rather the most durable of the two.
 

Smitty

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This isn't directly about Eli but can somebody please explain to me what is with the media's seeming over the top praise/love for the Giants passing attack?
They play our defense twice a year.
 

Genghis Khan

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This isn't directly about Eli but can somebody please explain to me what is with the media's seeming over the top praise/love for the Giants passing attack?

Some bro on NFLN hypothesized that Eli would be 1st team All-Pro and it seems like it's a widely accepted fact that the Giants have some amazing array of WR's and pass catching talent.

Eli had some pretty stats last year on a shit team while throwing over 600 passes, so what?

Beckham is a stud obviously but what else do they have that is so threatening?

Randle is gone, Shephard is a rookie, Cruz hasn't done shit in about 2 years, Dwayne Harris is a nothing WR and their TE's are marginal.

Not only that but their OL is average at best and their RB's suck.

I agree completely. Overrated as hell.
 

VA Cowboy

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Eli is erratic but was able to get it done in two SB runs. Even though their pass rush was the main reason they won he made lots of key clutch plays to get them over the top. Overall though he has been up and down, but those two runs would put him on top.

Tony has always been somewhat erratic and now he's fragile and aging. 2nd might be generous if Cousins can repeat and build off last years performance.
 

ravidubey

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The Eli to Beckham Jr. connection has cast a spell over the media and a lot of folks.

It's all NY really has, but it's damned good.

Tony's a better passer 85 out of 100 times. But unfortunately those 15 times tend to happen with the biggest stakes on the line.

Eli's also more durable and a 2x champion, which is what this ranking reflects.
 
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